Ḥumāt ad-Diyār
English: Guardians of the Homeland
حُمَاةَ الدِّيَارِ
National anthem of Syria[lower-alpha 1]
LyricsKhalil Mardam Bey, 1936
MusicMohammed Flayfel, 1936
Adopted1938
Readopted1961
Relinquished1958
Preceded byWalla Zaman Ya Selahy
Audio sample
U.S. Navy Band instrumental version (one verse)
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"Ḥumāt ad-Diyār" (Arabic: حُمَاةَ الدِّيَارِ, lit. 'Guardians of the Homeland', Syriac: ܢܛܘܪ̈ܝ ܐܬ݂ܪܘ̈ܬ݂ܐ) is the national anthem of the Syrian Arab Republic, with lyrics written by Khalil Mardam Bey and the music by Mohammed Flayfel, who also composed the national anthem of the Iraq as well as many other Arab folk songs.[1]

History

It was adopted in 1938 after a national competition was held by Hashim al-Atassi's nationalist government to choose a state anthem for the new republic two years after the Franco-Syrian Treaty of Independence was signed which gave Syria limited autonomy and future independence. The anthem was initially set to lose the competition, but it later won the competition after it gained rapid popularity amongst the Syrian populace which put pressure on the competition's committee to reconsider its decisions, and eventually the anthem won and was adopted by the government as Syria's national anthem.[2][3]

It temporarily fell from use when Syria joined the United Arab Republic (UAR) with Egypt in 1958. It was decided that the national anthem of the UAR would be a combination of the then-Egyptian national anthem and "Ḥumāt ad-Diyār". When Syria seceded from the union in 1961, "Ḥumat ad-Diyar" was completely restored and has been used ever since despite the anthem's usage being disputed between the ruling Ba'ath government and the opposition prior to the start of the civil war in 2011.

Structure

Damascus-born Khalil Mardam Bey was the writer of the Syrian national anthem's lyrics.[4]

The Syrian national anthem is divided into four quatrain stanzas, each containing four lines. The rhyme scheme used is an Arabic form called "Ruba'i", where each stanza has the same final rhyme in its component lines, giving the following rhyme scheme in the anthem: AAAA, BBBB, CCCC, DDDD. All of the lines in the state anthem consist each of 11 syllables, all of which have the same system of scansion, which is as follows: \ / ˘ \ / ˘ \ / ˘ \ / where \ is an intermediate stress, / is a strong stress, and ˘ is unstressed. Although, for simplicity, an alternative stress scheme is offered that does not recognize intermediate stresses, and that scheme is: / / ˘ / / ˘ / / ˘ / /. In either case, there are 11 syllables per line, and the ruba'i rhyme scheme.

Lyrics

The Syrian national anthem is divided into four stanzas, each pertaining to a different and unique aspect of Syria from the remaining stanzas. Although the name of the anthem is "Guardians of the Homeland", which is a metaphor for the Syrian military, only the first stanza in fact talks about said army. The stanza breakdown is as follows: The first stanza is about Syria's army, and its role in defending the nation and in defending the citizens' integrity and Arabness. The second stanza is about Syria's scenery and terrain, where it talks about Syria's plains, mountains, and sunlit skies. The third stanza is about Syria's people, their hopes, martyrs, and flag. The fourth stanza talks about Syria's history, from its past and present to its future.

Arabic original

Arabic script[5] Romanization (EALL) IPA transcription[lower-alpha 2]

١
حُـمَاةَ الـدِّيَارِ عَلَيْكُمْ سَـلَامْ
أَبَتْ أَنْ تَـذِلَّ النُّفُـوْسُ الْكِرَام
عَـرِيْنُ الْعُرُوْبَةِ بَيْتٌ حَـرَام
وَعَرْشُ الشُّمُوْسِ حِمَىً لَّا يُضَامْ

𝄇 رُبُوْعُ الشَّـآمِ بُـرُوْجُ الْعَـلَا
تُحَاكِي السَّـمَاءَ بِعَـالِي السَّـنَا 𝄆
فَأَرْضٌ زَهَتْ بِالشُّمُوْسِ الْوِضَا
سَـمَاءٌ لَعَمْـرُكَ أَوْ كَالسَّـمَا

٢
رَفِيْـفُ الْأَمَانِيْ وَخَفْـقُ الْفُؤادْ
عَـلٰى عَـلَمٍ ضَمَّ شَـمْلَ الْبِلَادْ
أَمَا فِيْهِ مِنْ كُـلِّ عَـيْنٍ سَـوَادْ
وَمِـنْ دَمِ كُـلِّ شَـهِيْدٍ مِـدَادْ؟

𝄇 نُفُـوْسٌ أُبَـاةٌ وَمَـاضٍ مَجِيْـد
وَرُوْحُ الْأَضَاحِيْ رَقِيْبٌ عَـتِيْد 𝄆
فَمِـنَّا الْوَلِيْـدُ وَ مِـنَّا الرَّشِـيْد
فَلِـمْ لَا نَسُـوْدُ وَلِمْ لَا نَشِيْد؟

I
Ḥumāt ad-diyāri ʿalaykum salām
ʾAbat ʾan taḏilla n-nufūsu l-kirām
ʿArīnu l-ʿurūbati baytun ḥarām
Wa-ʿaršu š-šumūsi ḥiman lā yuḍām

𝄆 Rubūʿu š-šaʾāmi burūju l-ʿalā
Tuḥākī s-samāʾa bi-ʿālī s-sanā 𝄇
Fa-ʾarḍun zahat bi-š-šumūsi l-wiḍā
Samāʾun la-ʿamruka ʾaw ka-s-samā

II
Rafīfu l-ʾamānī wa-xafqu l-fuʾād
ʿAla ʿalamin ḍamma šamla l-bilād
ʾAmā fīhi min kulli ʿaynin sawād
Wa-min dami kulli šahīdin midād?

𝄆 Nufūsun ʾubātun wa-māḍin majīd
Wa-rūḥu l-ʾaḍāḥī raqībun ʿatīd 𝄇
Fa-minnā l-Walīdu wa-minnā r-Rashīd
Fa-lim lā nasūdu wa-lim lā nashīd?

1
[ħʊ.mæːt æd.di.jæː.ri ʕɑ.læj.kʊm sæ.læːm]
[ʔæ.bæt ʔæn tæ.ðɪl.læ‿n.nʊ.fuː.sʊ‿l.ki.rɑːm]
[ʕɑ.riː.nʊ‿l.ʕʊ.ruː.bæ.ti bæj.tʊn ħɑ.rɑːm]
[wɑ ʕɑr.ʃʊ‿ʃ.ʃʊ.muː.sɪ ħɪ.mæn læː jʊ.dˤɑːm]

𝄆 [rʊ.buː.ʕʊ‿ʃ.ʃæ.ʔæː.mi bʊ.ruː.ʒʊ.l‿ʕɑ.læː]
[tʊ.ħæː.kiː‿s.sæ.mæː.ʔæ bɪ.ʕɑː.liː‿s.sæ.næː] 𝄇
[fɑ.ʔɑr.dˤʊn zæ.hæt bɪʃ.ʃʊ.muː.sɪ‿l.wɪ.dˤɑ]
[sæ.mæː.ʔʊn læ.ʕɑm.ru.kæ ʔæw kæ‿s.sæ.mæː]

2
[rɑ.fiː.fʊ‿l.ʔæ.mæː.ni wɑ χɑf.qʊ‿l.fu.ʔæːd]
[ʕɑ.læː ʕɑ.læ.mɪn dˤɑm.mæ ʃæm.læ‿l.bi.læːd]
[ʔæ.mæː fiː.hi mɪn kʊl.lɪ ʕɑj.nɪn sæ.wæːd]
[wæ mɪn dæ.mi kʊl.li ʃæ.hiː.dɪn mi.dæːd]

𝄆 [nʊ.fuː.sʊn ʔu.bæː.tʊn wɑ mɑː.dˤɪn mæ.ʒiːd]
[wɑ ruː.hʊ‿l.ʔɑ.dˤɑː.ħɪ rɑ.qɪː.bʊn ʕɑ.tiːd] 𝄇
[fæ.mɪn.næː‿l.wæ.liː.du wæ mɪn.næː‿r.ræ.ʃiːd]
[fæ.lɪm læː næ.suː.du wæ lɪm læː næ.ʃiːd]

Syriac lyrics

1
ܓܢܱܬܪܱܝ ܱܬܪܱܽܬ ܫܠܱܡ ܓܠܷܟܢ
ܠܟܺܠܺ ܢܱܦܫܗ ܝܱܩܽܪܽܬ ܕܢܣܓܪܽܢ
ܡܱܪܒܱܽܓܬ ܓܱܪܒܽܬܽ ܒܱܝܬܝ ܗܗܪܡܽ
ܘܱ-ܓܪܣܽ ܕܫܡܫܗ ܒܝܬܽ ܟܱܤܱ ܠܽ ܢܬܬܱܠܱܡ

𝄇 ܪܒܓܱܬܽ ܕ-ܫ’ܴܡ ܡܟܕܠܗ ܢܢ ܕܪܱܡܽ
ܒܱܡܓܱܠܝܽܬ ܗܕܪܽ ܢܬܕܱܡܝܽܢ ܠܫܡܱܝܽ 𝄆
ܬܪܽ ܕܢ ܙ-ܗܺ ܒܫܡܫܗ ܢܱܗܪܬܽ
ܫܡܱܝܽ ܗܽܒܗܱܝܟ ܱܘ ܱܟܡ ܕܫܡܱܝܽ!

2
ܪܽܗܽܦܽܬ ܤܱܟܗ ܘܱܪܦܽܗܽ ܕܠܒܽ
ܓܷܠܺ ܢܫܽ ܕܠܱܡܕ ܟܢܫܝܽ ܕܱܬܪܱܬܽ
ܠܝܬ ܒܗ ܟܷܝ ܡܷܢ ܟܽܠ ܓܱܝܢܢ ܱܘ ܟܽܡܬܽ
ܘܠܬ ܒܗ ܱܪܱܡܷܢ ܕܡܽ ܕܱܽܟܽܠ ܣܱܗܕܢ ܕܝܬܽ?

𝄇 ܢܱܦܫܽܬܽ ܪܽܡܽܬܽ ܱܓܒܪܽ ܢܱܣܺܗܽ
ܘܪܗܽ ܕܱܓܠܱܬܽ ܪܩܒܱܘ ܱܬܺܕܽ 𝄆
ܕܬ ܡܺܢܱܢ ܱܠ-ܘܱܠܺܕ ܱܬܒ ܱܬ ܱܪ-ܪܱܫܺܕ
ܠܽܡܽ ܟܷܝ ܠܽ ܢܫܬܱܠܱܬ ܘܱܠܡܽ ܠܽ ܢܱܩܷܝܡ?

English translations

Literal translation Artistic translation by Muhaned Elhindi

I
Guardians of the homeland, upon you be peace,
[our] proud spirits refuse to be humiliated.
The den of Arabism is a sacred sanctuary,
and the throne of the suns is a preserve that will not be subjugated.

𝄆 The quarters of Levant are towers in height,
which are in dialogue with the zenith of the skies. 𝄇
A land resplendent with brilliant suns,
becoming another sky or almost a sky.

II
The flutter of hopes and the beat of the heart,
are on a flag that united the entire country.
Is there not blackness from every eye,
and ink from every martyr's blood?

𝄆 [Our] spirits are defiant and [our] history is glorious,
and our martyrs' souls are formidable guardians. 𝄇
From us is al-Walīd, and from us is al-Rashīd.
So why then shall we not lead, why then shall we not rise?

I
Guardians of homeland, upon you be peace,
our ever-proud souls refuse to be seized.
The den of Arabism is our sacred home,
and the throne of our suns will never go down.

𝄆 The mountains of Syria are towers in height,
which talk with the zenith of the highest skies. 𝄇
A land that is splendid with brilliant sun,
turning to a sky or almost a sky.

II
The flutter of our hopes and the beats of our hearts,
depicted on the flag that united our land.
Did we not derive the black from every man's eye,
and from ink of martyrs' blood wrote to the tall sky?

𝄆 Spirits defiant and past so glorious,
and the martyrs' souls are our guardians. 𝄇
From us, a nation of souls and bravery,
Thy glory comes from us, my homeland!

See also

  • "Mawtini", the national anthem of Iraq, also composed by Mohammed Flayfel

Notes

  1. ↑ The anthem is also used by the Syrian Opposition
  2. ↑ See Help:IPA/Arabic and North Levantine Arabic.

References

  1. ↑ قائمة برامج التلفزيون العربي السوري Archived 2016-03-11 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ "أناشيد وطنية عربية تعددت جنسيات صناعها". BBC News عربي (in Arabic). 2018-02-14. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  3. ↑ "النشيد الوطني". Damascus Online. 2010-12-27. Archived from the original on 2010-12-27. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  4. ↑ Al Azmenah. "خليل مردم بك". Retrieved 3 January 2007. ولد خليل بن أحمد مختار مردم بك في دمشق عام 1895، من أصل تركي.
  5. ↑ "موقع وزارة الخارجية والمغتربين- الجمهورية العربية السورية". Syrian Arab Republic - Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
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