Al-Waṭan Al-ʾAkbar

"**The Greatest Homeland**" (الوطن الأكبر) is a pan-Arabist song written by ʾAḥmad Shafīq Kāmil. It was put to music in 1960 by Egyptian musician Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Wahhāb, who also composed the national anthems of Libya, Tunisia, and the UAE. The song was later arranged by ʿAlī ʾIsmāʿīl. It celebrated the union Egypt and Syria into the United Arab Republic a couple years earlier (now split).

## Lyrics

### Arabic original

**كورال:**

وطني حبيبي الوطن الاكبر

يوم ورا يوم امجاده بتكبر

وانتصراته مالية حياته وطني بيكبر وبيتحرر

وطني وطني

وطني يا مالك حبك قلبي

وطني يا وطن الشعب العربي

يا اللي ناديت بالوحدة الكبرى

بعد ما شفت جمال الثورة انت كبير واكبر كتير

من الوجود كله من الخلود كلــه يا وطني

**كورال**

حلو يا مجد يا مالي قلوبنـا

حلو يا نصر يا كاسي رايتنا

حلوة يا وحدة يا جامعه شعوبنـــا

حلو يا احلى نغم في حــياتنا

يا نغم ساري بين المحيطين

بين مراكش والبحرين

في اليمن ودمشق وجدة

نفس الغنوة لأجمل وحدة

وحدة كل الشعب العربي

**كورال**

قوميتنا اللي بنحميها

اللي حياتنا شموع حواليها

جنه بتضحك للي يسالم

وجحيم ساير على اعاديها

شوفوا بيروت بعد العدوان

الاستعمار فين والطغيــــــان

قدر الشعب وقوته زادت

وبورسعيد حكايتها اتعادت

عاش وانتصر الشعب العربـــي

**كورال**

وطني يا اغلى وطن في الدنيا

وطني يا قلعه للحرية

انت الباني مع البانيين

وانت الهادم للعبودية

الصوت صوتك حر وعربي

مش صدى شرقي ولا غربي

ياللي ترابك كحل لعيني

ياللي هواك عطره بيحييني

انت حبيبي يا وطني العربي

**كورال**

وطني يا ثوره على استعمارهــم

املا جزايرك نار دمرهم

لو نستشهد كلنا فيك

صخر جبالنا راح يحاربهم

الاستعمار على ايدنا نهايته

راح م الدنيا زمانه و وقته

لا في الجزائر ولا في عمان

تهدا الثوره على الطغيان

الا بنصر الشعب العربي

**كورال**

وطني يا جنة الناس حاسدينها

على امجادها وعلى مفاتنها

ياللي قنالك رجعت ملكك

وانت لخير الدنيا صاينها

علي السد وخذ من خيره

صنع وازرع وابني بنوره

ياللي علاك في قلوبنا عبادة

يا وطن كل حياته سيادة

وطن العزة الوطن العربي

**كورال**

وطني يا زاحف لانتصراتك

ياللي حياة المجد حياتك

في فلسطين وجنوبنا الثائــــر

حنكملك حرياتك

احنا وطن يحمي ولا يهدد

احنا وطن بيصون مايبدد

وطن المجد يا وطني العربي

**كورال**

### English translation

My dear homeland

The greatest of homelands

Day after day

Its glories multiply

And its life is rife with victories

My homeland grows and becomes free

My homeland.. My homeland

Oh my homeland, your love rules my heart

My homeland, the homeland of all Arabic people

You are the one who called for the ultimate unity

After seeing the beauty of the revolution

You are great

And much greater than all existence

Than all eternity, oh, my homeland

Sweet is the glory filling our hearts

Sweet is the victory cladding our flag

Sweet is the unity

That brings our people together

It is the sweetest melody in our lives

Oh, It's a melody flowing between two oceans

Between Marrakech and Bahrain

In Yemen, Damascus and Jeddah

there's the same song of the most beautiful unity

The unity of all Arab people

Our national unity that we are protecting

The one that our lives light as candles around it,

is a paradise smiling upon whoever is peaceful

And a hell unleashed upon its enemies

Go see Beirut after the attacks

Where is the occupation and oppression?

The people became abler and their power increased

And the story of Port Said repeated itself

The Arab nations lived and were victorious

Oh my homeland, the most precious homeland in the world

My homeland, you are a castle of freedom

You are the one that builds with those who build

And the one that tears down oppression

Your voice is free and Arabic

with no Eastern nor Western echos

Your dirt is fit to be eyeliner for my eyes

The fragrance of your air is my rebirth

You are my love

Oh, my Arabic homeland

Oh my homeland, you are a revolution against their occupation

Fill your Algeria with fire, destroy them

If we are all martyred upon your lands

The rocks of our mountains will fight them

Occupation will end by our hands

Its time in this world is up and done

Not in Algeria, Not in Oman,

Will the revolution fade in the face of oppression

until the triumph of the Arabic people.

Oh, my homeland, you are a paradise that people envy

For its glories and charms

Your canal returned to you

And you are protecting it for the good of the world

Raise the dam up high and reap its goods

Produce, plant and build with its light

Your elevation is worship in our heart

You are a homeland whose life is full of sovereignty

The homeland of dignity

The Arabic homeland

Oh my homeland, you crawl towards your victories

Your life is a life of glory

In Palestine and our revolting South,

We will regain your freedom

We are a homeland that protects and does not threaten

A homeland that preserves and does not waste

A homeland of glory

My Arabic homeland

## References

1. ↑ Culture Wars: Politics and Practice (2010). Mehrez, Samia. American University in Cairo Press. p. 128. ISBN 978-977-416-374-6.
2. ↑ Media, politics, and religion in Egypt: an analysis of the impact of the relationship between government and religion on Egyptian media content, 1950-1995 (2000). Haroutunian, Mourad R. p. 8.
3. ↑ Bygone Heat: Travels of an Idealist in the Middle East (2004). Long, Richard. The Radcliffe Press. p. 97. ISBN 1-85043-662-2.
4. ↑ Bygone heat: travels in the Middle East, Volume 2000 (2001). William, Charles; Long, Richard. The Radcliffe Press. p. 97. ISBN 1-86064-593-3.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Abdel Halim Hafez - الوطن الأكبر (El Watan El Akbar) lyrics + English translation