للهِfor God وَللمثلِand for the ideal الأعلىhighest
للهِ وَللمثلِ الأعلى
وَلوجهand for the sake of الأُمةِthe nation والوطنِand the homeland
وَلوجه الأُمةِ والوطنِ
For God and the highest ideal,
For God and the highest example
and for the sake of the nation and homeland,
And for the face of the nation and homeland
سرْناwe proceeded فيalong خطتِناour course المثلىthe best
سرْنا في خطتِنا المثلى
بالعلمِwith learning وَبالخلقand with character الحسنgood
بالعلمِ وَبالخلق الحسن
we followed our noblest course
We embarked on our ideal plan
with learning and good character.
With knowledge and good morals
نبغيwe seek عزاًhonor نأْبىwe refuse ذلاًّhumiliation
نبغي عزاً نأْبى ذلاًّ
لاnot نخشىwe fear عاديةَthe onslaught of الزمنtime
لا نخشى عاديةَ الزمن
We seek honor and refuse humiliation;
We seek glory, we refuse humiliation
we fear no onslaught of time.
We fear not the tyranny of time
ناداناcalled us الداعيthe caller فَلَبَّيْناso we answered
نادانا الداعي فَلَبَّيْنا
لَبَّيْكَat your service أياO داعيcaller to العلياglory
لَبَّيْكَ أيا داعي العليا
The caller called us, and we answered:
The summoner called us, so we responded
“At your service, O caller to glory!”
We came as one, we are determined
جئناwe came صفاًin one rank قَدْindeed آليناwe swore
جئنا صفاً قَدْ آلينا
أَنْto لاnot نرتدَّretreat وَلاand not نعياgrow weary
أَنْ لا نرتدَّ وَلا نعيا
We came in one rank, having sworn
Not to retreat or languish
never to retreat or grow weary.
In Damascus' horizon has risen
فيon أُفقِthe horizon of (دمشقDamascus) لقدindeed بزغتْit rose
في أُفقِ (دمشق) لقد بزغتْ
شمسٌa sun هَتَكَتْit tore away حجبَthe veils of الظلمِdarkness
شمسٌ هَتَكَتْ حجبَ الظلمِ
On Damascus’s horizon there rose
A sun that tore through the veils of darkness
a sun that rent the veils of darkness.
In the regions of the world it raised
فيthroughout أقطارِthe regions of الدنياthe world رفعتْit raised
في أقطارِ الدنيا رفعتْ
للعلمِfor learning مناراًa beacon والعلمand the banner
للعلمِ مناراً والعلم
Throughout the lands of the world, it raised
For knowledge a beacon and a banner
a beacon for learning, and a banner.
With swords and pens (Umayyads) made great
أَعظمْhow great (بأُميَّةUmayya is) إِذْwhen فتحتْit conquered
أَعظمْ (بأُميَّة) إِذْ فتحتْ
بالسيفِwith the sword الدنياthe world والقلمand the pen
بالسيفِ الدنيا والقلم
How great was Umayya when it conquered
Opening the world that was closed
the world with sword and pen!
Reaching the summit of glory and rising high
بلغتْit reached أَوجَthe pinnacle of العلياglory وَسَمَتْand it raised
بلغتْ أَوجَ العليا وَسَمَتْ
بالعربِwith the Arabs عَلَىabove هامthe heads of الأُممthe nations
بالعربِ عَلَى هام الأُمم
It reached the pinnacle of glory and raised
With the Arabs above the summits of nations
the Arabs above the heads of nations.
Take comfort, O Levant, in us, an eye
قرّيtake comfort ياO (شامSham) بناin us عيناًin your eyes
قرّي يا (شام) بنا عيناً
الموتُdeath لأَجلكِfor your sake والمحياand life
الموتُ لأَجلكِ والمحيا
Let your eyes find comfort in us, O Sham;
Death for your sake is life
death and life are for your sake.
The difficult has become easy
الصعبُthe difficult لقدindeed أمسىbecame هيناًeasy
الصعبُ لقد أمسى هيناً
إنْif متناwe die نحنwe ourselves لكِfor you البقياlasting life
إنْ متنا نحن لكِ البقيا
The difficult has indeed become easy;
If we die, we remain for you
if we ourselves die, may you live on.
O Layla, without homelands
ياO (ليلىLayla) دونapart from البلدانِthe lands
يا (ليلى) دون البلدانِ
(قيسٌQays) فيin حبكِyour love واليمنُand Yemen
(قيسٌ) في حبكِ واليمنُ
O Layla, singled out among all lands,
Qais in your love and blessing
Qays and Yemen love you.
You united the scattered homelands
وَحَّدْتِyou united شتيتَthe scattered parts of الأوطانِthe homelands
وَحَّدْتِ شتيتَ الأوطانِ
فاجتمعَso it joined (بأَندلسwith al-Andalus) عدنAden
فاجتمعَ (بأَندلس) عدن
You united the scattered homelands,
So Aden became again Eden
so Aden met with al-Andalus.
What sweet wishes we have for you
كمhow many فيكin you لناfor us حلوُsweet أَمانيhopes
كم فيك لنا حلوُ أَماني
وَخواطرُand thoughts هاجَwas stirred لهاfor them الشجنlonging
وَخواطرُ هاجَ لها الشجن
How many sweet hopes we have in you,
And passions stirred by yearning
and thoughts that stir longing!
A time entrusted to Ghassan's stars
عهدٌa pledge لكواكبِto the stars of غسانGhassan
عهدٌ لكواكبِ غسان
وَشموسand the suns of أُميةUmayya مؤتمنheld in trust
وَشموس أُمية مؤتمن
A pledge to the stars of Ghassan
And Umayyad suns faithful
and the suns of Umayya, held in trust.
In your love we are ardent
فيin حبّكِyour love إِنّاindeed we غاليناwent to extremes
في حبّكِ إِنّا غالينا
وَتسابقناand we raced one another فيهin it جرياrunning
وَتسابقنا فيه جريا
In our love for you, we went to extremes,
Racing in it, striving
and raced one another in that love.
With souls offered we made a pact
وَببذلِand by offering الروحِthe soul تواصيناwe urged one another
وَببذلِ الروحِ تواصينا
بالدمِwith blood والدمعand tears لكfor you السقياwatering
بالدمِ والدمع لك السقيا
And we urged one another to offer our souls;
With blood and tears, we will water you
with blood and tears we water you.
The eagle's wing has risen and did not
قدindeed هيضَwas broken جناحُthe wing of النَّسْرِthe eagle وَلَمْand did not
قد هيضَ جناحُ النَّسْرِ وَلَمْ
يسقطْfall فتحاملَso it struggled onward مكسوراbroken
يسقطْ فتحاملَ مكسورا
The eagle’s wing was broken, yet it did not
Fall, though broken, it carried on
fall; it struggled onward, broken.
Al-Sayyar was forbidden yet raided
أَماas for (السيّارal-Sayyar) وَكانand it was حرمa sanctuary
أَما (السيّار) وَكان حرم
فأْبيحَso it was violated وَأمسىand it became مأْسوراcaptive
فأْبيحَ وَأمسى مأْسورا
As for al-Sayyar, once a sanctuary,
And taken captive from inviolate ground
it was violated and became captive.
So shame on Qasiyun, why does it not
فكبىso it drooped لهماfor them both (قاسيونQasioun) وَلِمْand why
فكبى لهما (قاسيون) وَلِمْ
لاnot يندبُit mourns تاجاًa crown وَسريراand a throne
لا يندبُ تاجاً وَسريرا
So Qasioun drooped for them both—and why
Mourn its crown and throne?
should it not mourn a crown and a throne?
The bride Umayya, in such pain
وَعروسand the bride of (أُميةUmayya) ذاتafflicted with أَلمْpain
وَعروس (أُمية) ذات أَلمْ
تستصرخshe cries out for كفؤاًa worthy match وَمجيراand a protector
تستصرخ كفؤاً وَمجيرا
And Umayya’s bride, stricken with pain,
Crying for a mate, a helper
cries out for a worthy match and protector.
Where are her defenders, where?
أَينwhere الحامونthe defenders لهاfor her أَيْناwhere
أَين الحامون لها أَيْنا
كمhow often ذاthis نادتْshe called حيَّاcome! حيَّاcome!
كم ذا نادتْ حيَّا حيَّا
Where are her defenders—where?
How much she called: “To arms, to arms!”
How often she cried, “Come! Come!”
How woeful when she laments estrangement
ماhow أَشجىheartrending إذْwhen تشكوshe laments البيناseparation
ما أَشجى إذْ تشكو البينا
ماhow أَلهفfull of longing إذْwhen ترجوshe hopes for اللقياreunion
ما أَلهف إذْ ترجو اللقيا
How heartrending when she laments separation!
How ardent when for reunion she hopes
How full of longing when she hopes for reunion!
Breezes of Ghouta, as they blow
نسمَاتُthe breezes of (الغوطةGhouta) إذْas تسريthey drift
نسمَاتُ (الغوطة) إذْ تسري
لوif تسمعُyou listened ناحتْthey would wail أرواحاas spirits
لو تسمعُ ناحتْ أرواحا
The breezes of Ghouta, as they drift—
Could they but hear the spirits moan
if you listened, they would wail like spirits.
Shadows of houris by the river
وَظلالُand the shadows of الحورthe poplars عَلىupon النهرthe river
وَظلالُ الحور عَلى النهر
فيin الليلِthe night تراءَتْappeared أَشباحاas ghosts
في الليلِ تراءَتْ أَشباحا
And the poplars’ shadows upon the river
Appeared at night like ghosts
appeared as ghosts in the night.
Among jasmine or flowers
بينamong الريحانthe basil أَوor الزهرthe blossoms
بين الريحان أَو الزهر
عرفٌa scent لذكيِّof fragrant دمٍblood فاحاwafted
عرفٌ لذكيِّ دمٍ فاحا
Among the basil or the blossoms,
An aroma from dear blood spilled
the scent of fragrant blood wafted.
Barada weeps it as it flows
(بردىBarada) يبكيهweeps for it إذاwhen يجريit flows
(بردى) يبكيه إذا يجري
والبلبلand the nightingale إنْif غنىit sings ناحاit laments
والبلبل إنْ غنى ناحا
Barada weeps for it as it flows,
The nightingale, if it sings, laments
and if the nightingale sings, it laments.
Is there one to heed? We are aware
هلis there منany واعٍone who heeds نحنwe وَعيناhave heeded
هل من واعٍ نحن وَعينا
هيّاcome! للمجدto glory بناwith us هيّاcome!
هيّا للمجد بنا هيّا
Is there anyone who heeds? We have heeded.
Onward to glory, let us onward
Come with us to glory—come!
Is there one to hasten? We hastened
هلis there منany ساعٍone who strives نحنwe سعيناhave striven
هل من ساعٍ نحن سعينا
هيّاcome! نملأُlet us fill سمعthe hearing of الدنياthe world
هيّا نملأُ سمع الدنيا
Is there anyone who strives? We have striven.
Onward to fill the ears of the world
Come, let us fill the world’s ears!
Partial English translation: 57 of 58 Arabic lines translated.