وَكَم قَد تَرَكنا في دِمَشقَ وَأَرضَها

وَكَم قَد تَرَكنا في دِمَشقَ وَأَرضَها

من أَشمَطَ موتورَ وَشَمطاءَ ثاكِلِ

من أَشمَطَ موتورَ وَشَمطاءَ ثاكِلِ

And how many we have left in Damascus and its land—

And how much we left in Damascus and its land

a bereaved gray-haired man and a gray-haired woman mourning her child,

Of grieving widows and childless mothers

وَعانِيَةٌ صادَ الرِماح حَليلَها

وَعانِيَةٌ صادَ الرِماح حَليلَها

فَاِضحَت تُعَدُّ اليَومَ إِحدى الأَرامِلِ

فَاِضحَت تُعَدُّ اليَومَ إِحدى الأَرامِلِ

and a captive woman whose husband the spears hunted down;

And a young woman whose husband met his fate

so today she is counted as one of the widows.

From the spears, now one of the widows

تَبكي عَلى بَعلٍ لَها راحَ غاوِياً

تَبكي عَلى بَعلٍ لَها راحَ غاوِياً

فَلَيسَ إِلى يَومِ الحِسابِ بِقافِلِ

فَلَيسَ إِلى يَومِ الحِسابِ بِقافِلِ

She weeps for her husband, who went forth astray,

She weeps for a husband who left confused

and will not return until the Day of Reckoning.

Not to return till the Day of Reckoning

وَإِنّا أُناسٌ ما تُصيبُ رِماحُنا

وَإِنّا أُناسٌ ما تُصيبُ رِماحُنا

إِذا ما طعنا القَومَ غَيرَ المَقاتِلِ

إِذا ما طعنا القَومَ غَيرَ المَقاتِلِ

And we are a people whose spears never strike,

We are people whose spears when we strike

when we thrust at the foe, anything but the vital spots.

Spare none but fighters during the attack