Poem: Greetings and Peace to My Homeland
Written by Abdul Hamid Al-Rafii:
My homeland, to you I send my greetings and peace,
Standing by my presence, both in my residence and my exile.
To you, my heart longs, whether in travel or at home,
In both my wakefulness and my dreams.
Oh homeland, with you, I possess what no one else can offer,
Sweet waters and places of peace abound.
And when your fragrance wafts through my youth,
It stirs my emotions, and words flow from me.
Oh homeland, I lament your fleeting moments,
Recalling my youth and cherished memories.
In the dark hours, I pray at night,
That God may not afflict you with darkness.
My hope is that tranquility shall always abide in you,
Under the shade of just rulers.
I would willingly sacrifice my spirit for you,
If ever the guardians faltered and the defender’s aim strayed.
Oh homeland, if ever your glory suffers turmoil,
It feels as though it gnaws at my bones.
And should anyone tarnish your virtues,
I shall remain zealous, spurred by the dignity of Islam.
My dear homeland, you hold all my passions,
My delusions, my infatuations, and my fervent desires.
In you, my dear homeland, I confide my thoughts,
Lingering in my ears like a haunting melody.
Even when sorrow befalls you,
All my pains dwell within my heart.
My cherished homeland, you are the source from which
I prepare my life from the days that fill my years.
My dear homeland, you are the muse of my poetry,
My romantic inclinations, and the harmony of my prose.
For you, I offer my prayers and fasting,
And my hopes soar high, as I pursue my dreams.
When fortune may lead your people astray,
I grieve, just like ‘Urwah bin Hizam did.
When they falter and forsake your achievements,
I resign my hopes to the shadows of despair.
Oh children of my homeland, stand firm for your dignity,
It is nations that rise through their peoples.
Revive knowledge and take pride in the legacy,
Of great ancestors who have long since perished.
True glory lies in what you create with your hard work,
Not in the lineage of noble ancestors alone.
Knowledge is the foundation of all honor,
And with its light, darkness vanishes.
It holds the essence of eternal greatness,
Or is as precious as the soul is to the body.
Poem: I have vowed never to sell my homeland
Written by Ibn Al-Rumi:
I have vowed never to sell my homeland,
And to never see another hold its fortune through time.
In it, I thrived during my youth, experiencing grace,
Like the blessings of a people flourishing under your shade.
The love of one’s homeland grows strong within men,
As they fulfill their youthful ambitions there.
For when they recall their homeland, they are reminded,
Of their youthful promises, and their hearts ache.
For I have grown so attached, it seems,
That it’s as though a part of me would perish if it departs.
Indeed, the homeland is like a mother, and should
A person forsake it, they seem to forsake their own kin.
Poem: My homeland still has my love within it
Written by Khalil Matran:
My homeland still has my love within it,
As it was before the weaning began.
I come to you from where enemies cast their dirt,
A pure dust shield against filth.
And I would sacrifice for every sturdy stone,
That has suffered at the hands of cruel invaders.
May God curse greed wherever it settles,
For it is indeed the most severe affliction of peace.
Poem: People envy the high place
Written by Ahmed Salem Baathib:
People envy the high place,
Plotting against it through secret schemes.
Yet you, oh my great homeland, are a beacon,
In which the nations’ history finds its wisdom.
No one belongs to you but those who are faithful,
For loyalty is the hallmark of heroes.
Oh, cradle of history, oh land of guidance,
I swear you are an example for the ages.
Poem: He who finds pride in his homeland
Written by Al-Kadhimi:
He who does not take pride in his homeland,
Has no place among the wise in the land of honor.
Those who do not assist their people as advisors,
Are merely traitors in disguise.
For he who stands in defense of his home,
Is remembered like musk among the populace.
And he who does not guard his homeland,
Is but a coward, the lowest of the low.
Poem: My homeland’s love resides in my tongue and blood
Written by Mustafa Sadiq Al-Rafii:
My homeland’s love resides within my tongue and blood,
My heart glorifies it, and my lips pray for it.
There is no goodness in one who does not love their land,
Nor in the ally of love who does not cherish it deeply.
Whoever finds shelter in a land yet discredits its merits,
Is but an animal unfitted for purpose.
Do you not see that the bird, when it comes to its nest,
Is welcomed within its embrace, singing joyously?
And there is no homeland for one who does not offer
His life for it, even if he turns his back to it.
For indeed, the homeland is to people as the sun is to earth,
Illuminating all, even those who are blind to it.
And whoever wrongs their nation, or forgets its right,
Will face misfortunes that are most severe.
Nor is there goodness in one who loves their land,
If they merely weep atop crumbling remnants.
For those days have folded, hosting their people,
He who is unaware of the times should seek to learn.
What elevates homelands, are only their men,
And can people rise, except by ascending a staircase?
And he who possesses a virtue and refuses to share,
With his fellows will be neither needed nor revered.
He who indulges in pleasures shall be troubled by them,
If he stands apart from companions devoid of blessings.
Poem: A homeland, yet only for the stranger and the nation
Written by Al-Qarawi:
A homeland, but only for the stranger and a nation,
A playground of tyrants and a theater of oppositions.
Oh nation, worn from endless struggle,
Is it the stillness of death or a slumber’s despondence?
Oh land where wolves ravage wild,
I once knew you to be the den of lions.
What hesitation in our stride, as if we wander,
Solely treading upon thorns and prickly thorns.
Will we ever rise, filled with courage,
While suffering apprehension and humiliation?
Will we ever ascend, when the strength of our men,
Leaves us with frail elders and a burdened youth?
O despair, those iron chains bind us,
For we suffer from the plague of division.
Poem: I am free, this land is my homeland
Written by Ibrahim Al-Mundhir:
I am free; this land is my homeland,
I hope for its glory so I can live and prosper.
I seek neither revolution nor fading battalions,
Not even for an organized army to arise.
I only call for the welfare of my homeland; it is,
My light when despair shrouds me in gloom.
Goodness resides in the schools of learning,
For they are a ladder to glory and honor.
Unite it and spread knowledge within its bounds,
For the true remedy is knowledge that enlightens.
He who shares wealth is noble,
And he who spreads wisdom is even greater.
I do not boast of my current position,
As a Vice who faces tribulations and charges forward.
Poem: Morning of poverty, oh my homeland
Written by Musab Taqi Al-Din:
Morning of poverty, oh my homeland,
Morning of tears and exile.
Morning of wounds, if they could speak,
They would flood our land with sorrow.
Morning of death, do not ask,
When, where, or how.
Wings of death are dispatched,
And the servant’s head is unmistakable.
Even if the sun were aware,
It would hold back its light in fear.
From the rulers who might find
A blind man raising his hands.
To the Almighty, asking Him
To send forth His forces, arrayed.
Against the rulers who have deceived,
And all their promises will lead to despair.
Oh, governor, may He be praised, for He has fulfilled,
Washing away the fears from our blood,
And soothing our souls with swords.
I love injustice, oh my homeland,
Can it forsake me when I have grown accustomed?
Morning of worries, oh my homeland,
Wounds that have become customary.
We bury the dreams that perish,
And cultivate fear in their place.
Poem: Long live the land of glory and generosity
Written by Abdul Rahim Ajeeb:
Long live the land of glory and generosity,
Oh my homeland, noble in worth and values.
I extend my thanks to you, the protector of faith,
Where glory has ascended to the highest peaks.
No land on earth is more cherished than you,
Where the righteous prophet once walked.
Oh, bearer of revelation, oh, history of our nation,
Oh, spark of light in the dark regions.
To you, the hearts of people ache and yearn,
As they long to gather around the holy sanctuary.
And from you, my generous homeland, emerged
Armies that spread Islam to the peoples.
Bringing goodness to the world, rescuing it
From the plagues of infidelity, heresy, and idols.
You have soared, my homeland, gaining greater pride,
As all behold the glory that shines brightly upon you.
You are the dwelling place in the hearts of your people,
You are forever enshrined within their souls.
To you, my love and longing, I present,
Planted deep within as I nourish it with my blood.
Poem: My homeland entices my being
Written by Nizar Qabbani:
My homeland entices my soul within me,
It is my paradise, my pasture, my stage.
To it I flee, filled with dreams of slumber,
Where I spread my wings in graceful flight.
What eyes have never seen, nor ears have heard,
In it, streets whisper, and angels shy away.
Its vineyards blossom with every vine’s kiss,
Honey that heals all bleeding wounds.
I am sent forth into this exile with a purpose,
Wishing for nothing other than approval, as my quest.
In my longing, I have loved my homeland,
With each heart now chanting in its praise.
Its glorification uplifts my spirit to the heavens,
And remembrance mingles love with my very essence.
Indeed, I am a stranger, but I care not who I am,
For I have melted into this cherished place.
Oh, paradise of the blessed, be my sanctuary,
Truly for every believer or righteous soul.