ياO هالَHāla ذاتَpossessing المِنْطَقِspeech التَمْتامْstammering
يا هالَ ذاتَ المِنْطَقِ التَمْتامْ
وَكَفِّكِand by your hand المُخَضَّبِdyed البَنامْfingertips
وَكَفِّكِ المُخَضَّبِ البَنامْ
O Hāla, you of halting speech,
O Hāla, you of stammering speech,
and your palm, its fingertips dyed with henna—
And by your hand, with its dyed fingertips,
فَإِنْfor if تَكُنْshould be سَوائِقُdrivers الحِمامْdeath
فَإِنْ تَكُنْ سَوائِقُ الحِمامْ
ساقَتْهُمُhave driven them لِلْبَلَدِto the land الشَآمْill-omened
ساقَتْهُمُ لِلْبَلَدِ الشَآمْ
if the drivers of death should have
For if the drivers of death
driven them to the land of Syria,
Have driven them to the ill-omened land,
فَبِالسَلامِthen in peace ثُمَّةَthen السَلامْpeace
فَبِالسَلامِ ثُمَّةَ السَلامْ
then, in peace—and thereafter, farewell.
Then peace—and then peace again.