National Anthem Comparison
Palestine vs Syria
1
Shared themes
✓
Same mood
29
29 years apart
✓
Same continent
Comparison Analysis
Palestine and Syria, both Asia nations, take distinct approaches to their national anthems. Palestine's "Fida'i" was written in 1965, while Syria's "Guardians of the Homeland" dates to 1936.
Both anthems share themes of Resilience. Palestine additionally explores Battle / War, Freedom and Ancestors / Heritage, while Syria also touches on Identity and Nature.
Both anthems carry a Fierce tone, creating a similar emotional register despite their geographic distance.
Shared themes
Palestine
⚔ Battle / War 💪 Resilience 🕊 Freedom 🏺 Ancestors / Heritage
Syria
🏛 Identity 🌿 Nature 💪 Resilience
Shared themes:
💪 Resilience
Metadata
| Palestine | Syria | |
|---|---|---|
| Written | 1965 | 1936 |
| Adopted | 1996 | 1938 |
| Lyricist | Said Al Muzayin | Khalil Mardam Bey |
| Composer | Ali Ismael | Mohammed Flayfel |
| Language | ar | ar |
| Region | Western Asia | Western Asia |
Lyrics Side by Side
Palestine
فدائي
Original
فدائي فدائي فدائي
يا أرضي يا أرض الجدود
فدائي فدائي فدائي
يا شعبي يا شعب الخلود
بعزمي وناري وبركان ثأري
وأشواق دمي لأرضي وداري
صعدت الجبالَ وخضت النضالَ
قهرت المحالا حطمت القيود
فدائي فدائي فدائي
يا أرضي يا أرض الجدود
فدائي فدائي فدائي
يا شعبي يا شعب الخلود
بعصف الرياح ونار السلاح
وإصرار شعبي لخوض الكفاح
فلسطين داري ودرب انتصاري
فلسطين ثاري وأرض الصمود
فدائي فدائي فدائي
يا أرضي يا أرض الجدود
فدائي فدائي فدائي
يا شعبي يا شعب الخلود
بحق القسم تحت ظل العلم
بأرضي وشعبي ونار الألم
سأحيا فدائي وأمضي فدائي
وأقضي فدائي إلى أن تعود
فدائي فدائي فدائي
يا أرضي يا أرض الجدود
فدائي فدائي فدائي
يا شعبي يا شعب الخلود
Translation
Warrior, warrior, warrior,
O my land, the land of the ancestors,
Warrior, warrior, warrior,
O my people, people of eternity.
With my determination, my fire and the volcano of my revenge,
With the longing in my blood for my land and my home,
I have climbed the mountains and waged the struggle,
I have conquered the impossible and broken the chains.
Warrior, warrior, warrior,
O my land, the land of the ancestors,
Warrior, warrior, warrior,
O my people, people of eternity.
By the storm of the winds and the fire of the weapons,
And the determination of my people to wage the fight,
Palestine is my home, and the road to my victory,
Palestine is my revenge and the land of steadfastness.
Warrior, warrior, warrior,
O my land, the land of the ancestors,
Warrior, warrior, warrior,
O my people, people of eternity.
By the oath under the shade of the flag,
By my land and my people, and the fire of pain,
I will live as a warrior, I will go on as a warrior,
I will die as a warrior, until it returns.
Warrior, warrior, warrior,
O my land, the land of the ancestors,
Warrior, warrior, warrior,
O my people, people of eternity.
Syria
حماة الديار
Original
حماة الديار عليكم سلام
أبت أن تذل النفوس الكرام
عرين العروبة بيت حرام
وعرش الشموس حمى لا يضام
ربوع الشام بروج العلاء
تحاكي السماء بعالي السناء
فأرض زهت بشمسها الوضاء
سماء لعمري أو كالسماء
Translation
Guardians of the homeland, peace be upon you,
our proud souls refuse to be brought low.
The lair of Arabism is an inviolable house,
and the throne of the suns a sanctuary none may humble.
The fields of Syria are towers of glory,
rivalling the heavens in their lofty radiance.
A land aflame with its luminous suns,
a sky, by my life, no less than the sky itself.
Interesting facts
Palestine
- 1. The word "fida'i" means "one who sacrifices himself"; the Palestinian fedayeen are widely described as freedom fighters.
- 2. Fida'i replaced "Mawtini" as the Palestinian anthem, and "Mawtini" went on to become the official national anthem of Iraq in 2004.
- 3. The Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis arranged the anthem in 1981 as an act of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
- 4. The poet Said Al Muzayin signed his patriotic work under the pen name "Fata Al-Thawra", meaning "the boy of the revolution".
- 5. Sources differ on the adoption year: English-language references give 1996, tied to the 1988 Declaration of Independence, while Palestinian sources describe a 1972 adoption by the PLO Executive Committee ratified in 2005.
Syria
- 1. After the fall of the Assad regime on 8 December 2024, the Syrian transitional government has yet to settle the anthem question; on 18 January 2025 the Syrian Football Association notified FIFA that "Fi Sabili al-Majd" would serve as a temporary anthem at the national team's international fixtures, leaving the official status of "Humat ad-Diyar" undetermined.
- 2. The lyricist, Khalil Mardam Bey, was not only a poet but also a senior diplomat and politician, serving as Syria's prime minister from 1948 to 1949.
- 3. The composer Mohammed Flayfel also wrote "Mawtini", the melody adopted decades later as Iraq's national anthem, which makes him the rare author of two Arab anthems.
- 4. Written entirely in classical Arabic with no colloquial dialect, the song belongs to the pan-Arab literary register of the 1930s, and its opening line returned as a protest chant during the 2011 uprising.
Listen
Palestine
Syria
