شامُ يا ذا السَّـيفُ لم يَِغب

شامُ يا ذا السَّـيفُ لم يَِغب

يا كَـلامَ المجدِ في الكُتُبِ

يا كَـلامَ المجدِ في الكُتُبِ

Sham, O sword that has not vanished,

O Damascus, O bearer of the sword, glory has not been absent

O words of glory in the books!

O you are the speech of glory in books

قبلَكِ التّاريـخُ في ظُلمـةٍ

قبلَكِ التّاريـخُ في ظُلمـةٍ

بعدَكِ استولى على الشُّهُبِ

بعدَكِ استولى على الشُّهُبِ

Before you, history was in darkness;

Before you, history was in darkness

after you, it took possession of the shooting stars.

After you, it took over meteors

لي ربيـعٌ فيـكِ خبَّأتُـهُ

لي ربيـعٌ فيـكِ خبَّأتُـهُ

مِـلءَ دُنيا قلبـيَ التّعِـبِ

مِـلءَ دُنيا قلبـيَ التّعِـبِ

I have a springtime that I hid within you,

I have a spring hidden in you

filling the world of my weary heart,

My heart is full of fatigue

يومَ عَينَاها بِسـاطُ السَّما

يومَ عَينَاها بِسـاطُ السَّما

والرِّمَاحُ السودُ في الهُدُبِ

والرِّمَاحُ السودُ في الهُدُبِ

on the day her eyes were the sky's carpet,

The day when the ground is the carpet of the sky

and black spears were among her lashes.

And the black spears are in the tents

تلتوي خَصـراً فأومي إلى

تلتوي خَصـراً فأومي إلى

نغمـةِ النّـايِ ألا انتَحِبي

نغمـةِ النّـايِ ألا انتَحِبي

She twists at the waist, so I gesture toward

Twist your waist, and I lament to

the flute's melody: 'Ah, weep!'

The melody of the flute, won't you sob

أنا في ظِـلِّكَ يا هُدبَـها

أنا في ظِـلِّكَ يا هُدبَـها

أحسُـبُ الأنجُـمَ في لُعَبي

أحسُـبُ الأنجُـمَ في لُعَبي

I am in your shade, O lashes of hers;

I'm in your shadow, O its hump

I count the stars among my playthings.

I count the stars in my play

طابتِ الذكرى فَمَنْ رَاجِعٌ

طابتِ الذكرى فَمَنْ رَاجِعٌ

بي كما العودُ إلى الطربِ؟

بي كما العودُ إلى الطربِ؟

The memory has grown sweet—who will bring

The memory was good, so who is coming back

me back, as the oud returns to rapture?

To me like the lute to happiness?

شـامُ أهلوكِ إذا همْ على

شـامُ أهلوكِ إذا همْ على

نُـوَبٍ ، ٍقلبي على نُـوبِ

نُـوَبٍ ، ٍقلبي على نُـوبِ

Sham, when your people are beset by

Damascus, its people greeted you when they were

calamities, my heart is beset by calamities.

in peril, my heart in perils

أنا أحـبابيَ شِـعري لهمْ

أنا أحـبابيَ شِـعري لهمْ

مثلما سَـيفي وسَـيفُ أبي

مثلما سَـيفي وسَـيفُ أبي

As for me, my poetry is for my loved ones,

I love my loved ones, my poetry is for them

as are my sword and my father's sword.

Just like my sword and my father's sword

أنا صَـوتي مِنكَ يا بَرَدَى

أنا صَـوتي مِنكَ يا بَرَدَى

مثلما نَبعُـك مِـن سُـحُبي

مثلما نَبعُـك مِـن سُـحُبي

My voice comes from you, O Barada,

My voice from you, O coolness

just as your spring comes from my clouds.

Just like your spring from my clouds

ثلـجُ حَرْمُـونَ غَذَانا مَعاً

ثلـجُ حَرْمُـونَ غَذَانا مَعاً

شامِخاً كالعِـزِّ في القُـبَبِ

شامِخاً كالعِـزِّ في القُـبَبِ

Hermon's snow nourished us both,

The snow of Mount Hermon fed us together

towering like glory among the domes.

Lofty like glory in domes

وَحَّـدَ الدُنيا غَـداً جَبَـلٌ

وَحَّـدَ الدُنيا غَـداً جَبَـلٌ

لاعِـبٌ بالرّيـحِ والحِقَـبِ

لاعِـبٌ بالرّيـحِ والحِقَـبِ

Tomorrow a mountain will unite the world,

And the world lined up tomorrow a mountain

playing with the wind and the ages.

Playing with the wind and the luggage