على البلجيك ما ذكرت سلامٌ

على البلجيك ما ذكرت سلامٌ

يفوح فيملأ الافواه عطرا

يفوح فيملأ الافواه عطرا

A greeting to Belgium whenever she is mentioned,

Belgium was not mentioned with peace,

Wafting fragrance till it fills all mouths with perfume.

That would fill mouths with fragrance,

يشنف اذن سامعه صداه

يشنف اذن سامعه صداه

ويشرح منه اذ يتلوه صدرا

ويشرح منه اذ يتلوه صدرا

Its echo adorns the ear of whoever hears it,

Please the hearing of those who listen to its echo,

And gladdens his breast when he recites it.

And expand the chests of those who recite it.

سلام لا أرى في الارض طرًّا

سلام لا أرى في الارض طرًّا

بنفحتهِ من البلجيك أحرى

بنفحتهِ من البلجيك أحرى

A greeting: nowhere on the whole earth do I see

I see no path on earth more worthy

Anyone worthier of its fragrant breath than Belgium.

Of its fragrance than Belgium.

ومن أولى بهِ منها وفيها ال

ومن أولى بهِ منها وفيها ال

فخار أقام والشرف أستقرا

فخار أقام والشرف أستقرا

And who is worthier of it than she, where

And who is more deserving of it than Belgium,

Glory has dwelt and honor has settled?

Where valor resided and honor settled.

أتت في حفظها لهما فعالاً

أتت في حفظها لهما فعالاً

تنال بذكرها مدحاً وشكرا

تنال بذكرها مدحاً وشكرا

She performed, to safeguard them both, deeds

It came protecting them with deeds,

Whose recounting earns her praise and thanks.

Gaining praise and thanks through mentioning it.

فعالاً في سجلِ الدهر أضحت

فعالاً في سجلِ الدهر أضحت

تدوَّن كلها سطراً فسطرا

تدوَّن كلها سطراً فسطرا

Deeds that, in the chronicle of time, have come

Deeds that in the register of time have become

To be recorded, every one, line after line.

Lines, written one after another.

وفيها ذكر أهل الارض هذي ال

وفيها ذكر أهل الارض هذي ال

بلاد يظلُّ حياً مستمرا

بلاد يظلُّ حياً مستمرا

Through them, the world's remembrance of this

And in it the mention of the people of this

Land stays alive and enduring.

Country that will remain alive continuously.

بلاد في سبيل المجد ضحت

بلاد في سبيل المجد ضحت

بأغلى ما بهِ الامجاد تشرى

بأغلى ما بهِ الامجاد تشرى

A land that, in the cause of glory, sacrificed

A country that sacrificed in the path of glory

The dearest thing with which glories are bought:

The most precious thing glory is bought with.

بارواح وان كرمت وعزَّت

بارواح وان كرمت وعزَّت

رأتها دون ما صانتهُ قدرا

رأتها دون ما صانتهُ قدرا

Lives that, however precious and dear,

Souls that esteemed and honored,

She deemed worth less than what she safeguarded.

Saw them below what they protected precious.

اراد الخائن الغدار منها ال

اراد الخائن الغدار منها ال

دُّخول الى فرنسا كي يكرَّا

دُّخول الى فرنسا كي يكرَّا

The treacherous traitor sought, by way of her,

The treacherous betrayer wanted

Entry into France, to launch an assault.

To enter France and double-cross.

ورام بها المرور فأَنذرته

ورام بها المرور فأَنذرته

بأن يرتد عنها لا يمرَّا

بأن يرتد عنها لا يمرَّا

And he sought passage through her; so she warned him

And he intended to pass through it, so it warned him

To turn back from her, not pass through.

To turn away from it, not to pass.

ولما أَن رأته غير صاغٍ

ولما أَن رأته غير صاغٍ

لها وعلى المرور بها مُصرا

لها وعلى المرور بها مُصرا

And when she saw him unwilling to listen

And when it saw him not complying

To her, and bent on passing through her,

To it and insistent on passing through it.

تصدت غير خائفةٍ لصد ال

تصدت غير خائفةٍ لصد ال

مغير تذيقه منها الأمرَّا

مغير تذيقه منها الأمرَّا

She stood unafraid to repel

It stood undaunted to bar the

The invader, making him taste the bitterest she had.

Transgressor, making him taste bitterness from it.

وذي نامور شاهدةٌ لها بال

وذي نامور شاهدةٌ لها بال

جهاد وقد تكون لياج أدرى

جهاد وقد تكون لياج أدرى

And here is Namur, bearing witness to her

And Namur bears witness for it with

Struggle; Liège may know it better still.

Struggle, and Liège may be more knowledgeable.

بلادٌ نامور شاهدةُ لها بال

بلادٌ نامور شاهدةُ لها بال

وغى ولبؤسها صارت مقرَّا

وغى ولبؤسها صارت مقرَّا

A land—Namur bears witness to her

The country of Namur bears witness to its

Warfare, and has become an abode for her misery.

Violence and misery, it became a settler.

وباتت كلها قفراً يباباً

وباتت كلها قفراً يباباً

وكانت في ربى العمران زهرا

وكانت في ربى العمران زهرا

And all of her became a barren wasteland,

And it all became empty ruins,

And she had been a blossom on civilization's hills.

While it was in the nurture of civilization, a flower.

وأقليم كغار الليث أضحت

وأقليم كغار الليث أضحت

دماءُ بنيه فيه تراق هدرا

دماءُ بنيه فيه تراق هدرا

And a region like a lion's den—now

And the region of the brave lions became

Its sons' blood is spilled within it in vain.

The blood of its sons in it pouring recklessly.

تحمَّل من يد الالمان ما لو

تحمَّل من يد الالمان ما لو

عرا صخراً لكان أذاب صخرا

عرا صخراً لكان أذاب صخرا

It endured at the Germans' hands what, had it

It suffered from the German hand what if

Befallen rock, would surely have melted rock.

Poured on rock, would have melted rock.

ومطمار الفناء امتدّ فيه

ومطمار الفناء امتدّ فيه

وغادره من الفتيان صفرا

وغادره من الفتيان صفرا

And annihilation's measuring line stretched through it,

And the projectile of annihilation stretched in it

And left it bereft of young men.

Leaving it devoid of young men.

واوسع أهله الباقين ضيقاً

واوسع أهله الباقين ضيقاً

وتنكيلاً وارهاقاً وقهرا

وتنكيلاً وارهاقاً وقهرا

And overwhelmed its remaining people with distress,

And it constrained its remaining people

And brutal punishment, exhaustion, and oppression.

With hardship, torment, exhaustion, and coercion.

وجرّ وراءه ثكلاً ويتُماً

وجرّ وراءه ثكلاً ويتُماً

وترميلاً لهم وهلمَّ جرَّا

وترميلاً لهم وهلمَّ جرَّا

And dragged behind it bereavement and orphanhood,

And it dragged behind it bereavement, orphanhood,

And widowhood for them, and so on.

Crippling them with blows and more.

فهذا نادبٌ لأبٍ وعمٍ

فهذا نادبٌ لأبٍ وعمٍ

وذي زوجاً وتلك ابناً وصهرا

وذي زوجاً وتلك ابناً وصهرا

So this man mourns a father and a paternal uncle,

So this is a grieving father, uncle,

And this woman a husband, and that woman a son and an in-law.

One with a wife, another a son, and in-law.

ويا ويل الظلوم فسوف يلقى

ويا ويل الظلوم فسوف يلقى

عقاباً يبقى وذكرى

عقاباً يبقى وذكرى

And woe to the oppressor, for he shall meet

And oh woe to the unjust! For he will meet

A punishment that endures, and a lasting remembrance.

A punishment that remains and a lesson!