Humat ad-Diyar

حُمَاةَ الدِّيَار

English: Guardians of the Homeland
Ħumāt ad-Diyār
National anthem of  Syria
Lyrics	Khalil Mardam Bey, 1936
Music	Mohammed Flayfel, 1936
Adopted	1938
Music sample
حُمَاةَ الدِّيَار (instrumental)

"Ħumāt ad-Diyār" (Arabic: حُمَاةَ الدِّيَار‎, translated Guardians of the Homeland) is the national anthem of Syria, with lyrics written by Khalil Mardam Bey and the music by Mohammed Flayfel, who also composed the national anthem of the Palestinian National Authority, as well as many other Arab folk songs.

Composition

It was adopted in 1938 after a national competition was held by Hashim al-Atassi's nationalist government to choose an 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 the anthem 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.

The anthem temporarily fell from use when Syria joined the United Arab Republic with Egypt in 1958. It was decided that the national anthem of the UAR would be a combination of the then-Egyptian anthem and Ħumāt ad-Diyār. When Syria seceded from the union in 1961, the anthem was completely restored and has been used ever since.

Structure

The 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 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 which does not recognize intermediate stresses, and that scheme is: / / ˘ / / ˘ / / ˘ / /. In either case you should note the aforementioned 11 syllables per line, and the ruba'i rhyme scheme.

Anthem Summary

The 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 army, 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.

Text

Arabic lyrics	Transliteration	Literal English translation
حُـماةَ الـدِّيارِ عليكمْ سـلامْ ّأبَتْ أنْ تـذِلَّ النفـوسُ الكرامّ عـرينُ العروبةِ بيتٌ حَـرام وعرشُ الشّموسِ حِمَىً لا يُضَامْ ربوعُ الشّـآمِ بـروجُ العَـلا تُحاكي السّـماءَ بعـالي السَّـنا فأرضٌ زهتْ بالشّموسِ الوِضَا سَـماءٌ لَعَمـرُكَ أو كالسَّـما رفيـفُ الأماني وخَفـقُ الفؤادْ عـلى عَـلَمٍ ضَمَّ شَـمْلَ البلادْ أما فيهِ منْ كُـلِّ عـينٍ سَـوادْ ومِـن دمِ كـلِّ شَـهيدٍ مِـدادْ؟ نفـوسٌ أبـاةٌ ومـاضٍ مجيـدْ وروحُ الأضاحي رقيبٌ عَـتيدْ فمِـنّا الوليـدُ و مِـنّا الرّشـيدْ فلـمْ لا نَسُـودُ ولِمْ لا نشـيد؟	Ħumāt ad-diyāri alaykum salām Abat an taðilla n-nufūsu l-kirām Arīnu l-urūbati baytun ħarām Wa-arshu sh-shumūsi himan lā yudām Rubū'u sh-sha'āmi burūju l-'ala Tuhāki s-samā'a bi-āli s-sana Fa-ardun zahat bi-sh-shumūsi l-wida Samā'un la-'amruka aw ka-s-sama Rafīfu l-'amāni wa-ḣafqu l-fu'ād ‘Alā ‘alamin damma shamla l-bilād Amā fī-hi min kulli ‘aynin sawād Wa min dami kulli shahīden midād? Nufūsun ubātun wa mādin majīd Wa-rūhu l-aḋāhi rāqībun atīd Fa-min-na l-Walīdu wa-min-na r-Rashīd Fa-lim lā nasūdu wa-lim lā nashīd?	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. 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-Walid" and from us is "ar-Rashid", so why wouldn't we prosper and why wouldn't we build?

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.

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 martyr's blood wrote to the tall sky?

Spirits defiant and past so glorious,
and the martyrs' souls are our guardians.
"Walid" is from us and so is "Rashid",
so why won't we prosper and why wouldn't we build?

Artistic translation by: Muhaned Elhindi

External links

• Syria: Homat el Diyar - Audio of the national anthem of Syria, with information and lyrics
• Lyrics, sheet music, and Audio