Humat ad-Diyar

Not to be confused with Humat al-Hima.

Ḥumāt ad-Diyār

English: Guardians of the Homeland
حُمَاةَ الدِّيَارِ
Former national anthem of Syria
Lyrics	Khalil Mardam Bey, 1936
Music	Mohammed Flayfel, 1936
Adopted	1938
Readopted	1961
Relinquished	1958, 2024
Preceded by	Walla Zaman Ya Selahy and Suriyah Ya, Dat al-Majdi
Audio sample
U.S. Navy Band instrumental version (one verse) file help

"Ḥumāt ad-Diyār" (Arabic: حُمَاةَ الدِّيَارِ, lit. 'Guardians of the Homeland', Syriac: ܢܛܘܪ̈ܝ ܐܬ݂ܪܘ̈ܬ݂ܐ) was written as 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 Iraq as well as many other Arab folk songs.

History

It was adopted in 1938 after a national competition was held by Hashim al-Atassi's nationalist Syrian 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 population 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.

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 "Salam Affandina" and "Ḥumāt ad-Diyār". In 1960, it was replaced by the national anthem of UAR Walla Zaman Ya Selahy.

Salam Affandina and Humat ad-Diyar, performed together as the anthem of the United Arab Republic between 1958 and 1960.

When Syria seceded from the union in 1961, "Ḥumat ad-Diyār" was completely restored and has been used ever since as the official national athem of Syria. The anthem's usage remains the only symbol used between the ruling Ba'ath government and the opposition after the start of the civil war in 2011; additionally, another version of the anthem was played with partly altered lyrics by the opposition to urge for the downfall of the Assad regime, which would eventually happen in December 2024.

Structure

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

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	Romanization (EALL)	IPA transcription
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

Syriac alphabet

Transliteration

ܐ ܓܢܱܬܪܱܝ ܱܬܪܱܽܬ ܫܠܱܡ ܓܠܷܟܢ ܠܟܺܠܺ ܢܱܦܫܗ ܝܱܩܽܪܽܬ ܕܢܣܓܪܽܢ ܡܱܪܒܱܽܓܬ ܓܱܪܒܽܬܽ ܒܱܝܬܝ ܗܗܪܡܽ ܘܱ-ܓܪܣܽ ܕܫܡܫܗ ܒܝܬܽ ܟܱܤܱ ܠܽ ܢܬܬܱܠܱܡ 𝄇 ܪܒܓܱܬܽ ܕ-ܣܘܪܝܐ ܡܟܕܠܗ ܢܢ ܕܪܱܡܽ ܒܱܡܓܱܠܝܽܬ ܗܕܪܽ ܢܬܕܱܡܝܽܢ ܠܫܡܱܝܽ 𝄆 ܬܪܽ ܕܢ ܙ-ܗܺ ܒܫܡܫܗ ܢܱܗܪܬܽ ܫܡܱܝܽ ܗܽܒܗܱܝܟ ܱܘ ܱܟܡ ܕܫܡܱܝܽ! ܒ 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?

1 gnǎtrǎy ǎtrăūt šlǎm glěkn Ikīlī nǎpšh yǎqūrūt dnsgrun mărbăūgt gǎrbūtū bǎyty hhrmū wǎ-grsū dšmšh bytū kăsă lū nttǎlăm 𝄆 rbgǎtū d-š'ām mkdlh nn drǎmū bămgǎlyūt hdrū ntdămyūn Išmǎyū 𝄇 trū dn z-hi bšmšh nǎhrtū šmǎyū hūbhǎyk ǎw ǎkm dšmǎyū! 2 rūhūpūt sǎkh wǎrpūhū dlbū gělī nšū dlǎmd knšyū dătrǎtū lyt bh key měn kūl gǎynn ǎw kūmtū wlt bh ărăměn dmū dăūkūl sǎhdn dytū? 𝄆 nǎpšūtū rūmūtū ǎgbrū năsīhū wrhu dǎglǎtū rqbǎw ǎtīdū 𝄇 dt minǎn ǎl-wǎlīd ǎtb ǎt ǎr-rǎšīd lūmū key lū nštălăt wǎlmū lū năqĕym?

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
• National symbols of Syria

External links

• Lyrics, sheet music, and Audio