إِثنانِ أَعيا الدَهرُ أَن يَبليهِما

إِثنانِ أَعيا الدَهرُ أَن يَبليهِما

لُبنانُ وَالأَمَلُ الَّذي لِذَويهِ

لُبنانُ وَالأَمَلُ الَّذي لِذَويهِ

Two things Time has failed to wear away:

Two time tried to destroy, but failed:

Two things have baffled Time's attempt to wear them down,

Lebanon and the hope its people hold.

Lebanon, and the hope its people treasure,

Lebanon, and the hope harbored by its kin.

نَشتاقُهُ وَالصَيفِ فَوقَ هِضابِهِ

نَشتاقُهُ وَالصَيفِ فَوقَ هِضابِهِ

وَنُحِبُّهُ وَالثَلجُ في وادِهِ

وَنُحِبُّهُ وَالثَلجُ في وادِهِ

We long for it with summer above its hills,

We long for it in summer, on its peaks,

We long for it when Summer rests upon its hills,

And love it with snow in its valley.

And love it with snow in its valleys.

And we love it when snow lies deep within its valleys.

وَإِذا تَمُدُّ لَهُ ذُكاءَ حِبالَها

وَإِذا تَمُدُّ لَهُ ذُكاءَ حِبالَها

بِقَلائِدِ العِقيانِ تَستَغويهِ

بِقَلائِدِ العِقيانِ تَستَغويهِ

And when Dhukā, the sun, stretches her cords toward it,

When its cables reach out with necklaces

And when the sun extends its cords of light towards it,

Enticing it with necklaces of pure gold;

Of ivory figs, it seduces me.

To seduce it with necklaces of pure gold,

وَإِذا تُنَقِّطُهُ السَماءُ عَشِيَّةً

وَإِذا تُنَقِّطُهُ السَماءُ عَشِيَّةً

بِالأَنجُمِ الزَهراءِ تَستَرضيهِ

بِالأَنجُمِ الزَهراءِ تَستَرضيهِ

And when the sky dots it at evening

When the sky sprinkles it with stars at dusk,

And when the evening sky adorns it,

With radiant stars, seeking to please it;

With bright gems it captivates me.

Seeking to please it with radiant stars,

وَإِذا الصَبايا في الحُقولِ كَزَهرِها

وَإِذا الصَبايا في الحُقولِ كَزَهرِها

يَضحَكن ضِحكاً لا تَكَلُّفَ فيهِ

يَضحَكن ضِحكاً لا تَكَلُّفَ فيهِ

And when the maidens in the fields, like their flowers,

When girls in the fields are like its flowers,

And when young maidens in the fields, akin to its blossoms,

Laugh with laughter free of affectation.

Laughing with unaffected delight,

Laugh with a laughter free of all pretense,

هُنَّ اللَواتِ قَد خَلَقنَ لِيَ الهَوى

هُنَّ اللَواتِ قَد خَلَقنَ لِيَ الهَوى

وَسَقَينَني السِحرَ الَّذي أَسقيهِ

وَسَقَينَني السِحرَ الَّذي أَسقيهِ

They are the ones who created love for me,

They are indulgences created for my love,

They are the ones who birthed passion within me,

And gave me to drink the enchantment I pour out.

And give me the magic I dispense.

And poured for me the very magic that I now pour forth.

هَذا الَّذي صانَ الشَبابَ مِنَ البِلى

هَذا الَّذي صانَ الشَبابَ مِنَ البِلى

وَأَبى عَلى الأَيّامِأَن تَطويهِ

وَأَبى عَلى الأَيّامِأَن تَطويهِ

This is what preserved youth from decay,

This is what kept youth safe from decay

It is this that has guarded youth against decay,

And refused to let the days fold it away.

And refused to let time fold it away,

And refused to let the passing days extinguish it.

وَلَرُبَّما جَبَلٌ أُشَبِّهُهُ بِهِ

وَلَرُبَّما جَبَلٌ أُشَبِّهُهُ بِهِ

مُستَرسِلاً مَعَ رَوعَةِ التَشبيهِ

مُستَرسِلاً مَعَ رَوعَةِ التَشبيهِ

And often I liken a mountain to it,

And sometimes I compare a mountain to it

And perhaps I liken a mountain unto him,

Carried away by the splendor of the comparison;

Extolling it with this fine simile,

Carried away by the splendor of the comparison,

فَأَقولُ يَحكيهِ وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ

فَأَقولُ يَحكيهِ وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ

مَهما سَما هَيهاتِ أَن يَحكيهِ

مَهما سَما هَيهاتِ أَن يَحكيهِ

So I say, 'It resembles it,' while I know that

And say it resembles him, but know

I claim it resembles him, though I know,

However high it rises, it can never match it.

However high, it can never match him.

However high it soars, it can never truly mirror him.

يا لَذَّةً مَكذوبَةً يَلهو بِها

يا لَذَّةً مَكذوبَةً يَلهو بِها

قَلبي وَيَعرِفُ أَنَّها تُؤذيهِ

قَلبي وَيَعرِفُ أَنَّها تُؤذيهِ

O false delight, a plaything for

A false pleasure my heart toys with

O false pleasure with which my heart toys,

My heart, which knows that it hurts it.

Knowing it hurts him and harms me.

While knowing full well that it brings it pain.

إِنّي أُذَكِّرُهُ بِذَيّاكَ الحِمى

إِنّي أُذَكِّرُهُ بِذَيّاكَ الحِمى

وَجَمالِهِ وَإِخالَني أُنسيهِ

وَجَمالِهِ وَإِخالَني أُنسيهِ

I remind it of that sanctuary

I remind him of your fevered brow

I remind it of that cherished sanctuary,

And its beauty—and I think I am making it forget.

And beauty, though it makes me lose him.

And of its beauty, while thinking I might help it forget.

وَإِذا الحَقائِقُ أَحرَجَت صَدرَ الفَتى

وَإِذا الحَقائِقُ أَحرَجَت صَدرَ الفَتى

أَلقى مَقالِدَهُ إِلى التَمويهِ

أَلقى مَقالِدَهُ إِلى التَمويهِ

And when realities constrict a young man's breast,

And when facts put pressure on the heart of the young man,

And when harsh realities constrict a young man's breast,

He hands his keys over to illusion.

He casts his worries to mislead.

He surrenders his reins to illusion's grasp.

وَطَني سَتَبقى الأَرضُ عِندي كُلَّها

وَطَني سَتَبقى الأَرضُ عِندي كُلَّها

حَتّى أَعودَ إِلَيهِ أَرضَ التيهِ

حَتّى أَعودَ إِلَيهِ أَرضَ التيهِ

My homeland! All the earth will remain, to me,

My country will remain all the land to me

My homeland, to me the entire earth shall remain

Until I return to it, a land of wandering.

Until I return to the land I roam.

But a barren wilderness until I return to you.

سَأَلو الجَمالَ فَقالَ هَذا هَيكَلي

سَأَلو الجَمالَ فَقالَ هَذا هَيكَلي

وَالشِعرَ قالَ بَنَيتُ عَرشي فيهِ

وَالشِعرَ قالَ بَنَيتُ عَرشي فيهِ

They asked Beauty, who said, 'This is my temple';

They asked Beauty, who said: “This is my temple.”

They asked Beauty, and it replied: "This is my temple,"

And Poetry said, 'I built my throne in it.'

And Poetry said: “I built my throne in it.”

And Poetry said: "Here I have built my throne."

الأَرضُ تَستَجدي الخِضَمَّ مِياهَهُ

الأَرضُ تَستَجدي الخِضَمَّ مِياهَهُ

وَكُنوزَهُ وَالبَحرُ يَستَجديهِ

وَكُنوزَهُ وَالبَحرُ يَستَجديهِ

The earth begs the vast sea for its waters

Earth implores its verdure, treasure and sea,

The land begs the vast ocean for its waters,

And its treasures, while the sea begs Lebanon.

While the sea implores only him.

And its treasures, yet the sea itself begs from him.

يُمسي وَيُصبِحُ وَهوَ مُنطَرِحٌ عَلى

يُمسي وَيُصبِحُ وَهوَ مُنطَرِحٌ عَلى

أَقدامِهِ طَمَعاً بِما يَحويهِ

أَقدامِهِ طَمَعاً بِما يَحويهِ

At dusk and dawn it lies prostrate at

It retires and wakes still sprawled

Evening and morning, it lies prostrate at his feet,

Its feet, coveting what it holds.

At its feet coveting what it hides.

Coveting the riches he holds within.

أَعطاهُ بَعضَ وَقارِهِ حَتّى إِذا

أَعطاهُ بَعضَ وَقارِهِ حَتّى إِذا

اِستَجداهُ ثانِيَةً سَخا بَبَنيهِ

اِستَجداهُ ثانِيَةً سَخا بَبَنيهِ

Lebanon gave it some of its dignity; then, when

He gave it some of his dignity until when

He lent the sea some of his majesty, until,

It begged again, Lebanon gave freely of its sons.

It begged again, he snubbed the supplicant.

When it begged again, he generously gave his sons.

لُبنانُ صُن كَنزَ العَزائِمِ وَاِقتَصِد

لُبنانُ صُن كَنزَ العَزائِمِ وَاِقتَصِد

أَخشى مَعَ الإِسرافِ أَن تَفنيهِ

أَخشى مَعَ الإِسرافِ أَن تَفنيهِ

Lebanon, guard the treasure of resolve and be sparing;

Lebanon, protect your treasure and be sparing,

Lebanon, guard your treasure of resolve and be sparing;

I fear you will exhaust it through extravagance.

Lest excess destroy it.

I fear that through extravagance you will exhaust it.

غَيري يَراهُ سِياسَةً وَطَوائِفاً

غَيري يَراهُ سِياسَةً وَطَوائِفاً

وَيَظَلُّ يَزعُمُ أَنَّهُ رائيهِ

وَيَظَلُّ يَزعُمُ أَنَّهُ رائيهِ

Another sees it as politics and sects,

Others see it as politics and sects

Others see in it only politics and sects,

And keeps claiming that he sees it,

And insist it is their visionary.

And claim to be the ones who truly see it.

وَيَروحُ مِنإِشفاقِهِ يَبكي لَهُ

وَيَروحُ مِنإِشفاقِهِ يَبكي لَهُ

لُبنانُ أَنتَ أَحَقُّ أَن تَبكيهِ

لُبنانُ أَنتَ أَحَقُّ أَن تَبكيهِ

And goes about weeping for it out of pity;

Moved by their worry for it they cry,

They go about weeping for it out of pity—

Lebanon, it is more fitting that you weep for him.

Lebanon, you most deserve their tears.

Lebanon, it is you who are more entitled to weep for them.

لا يُسفِرُ الحُسنُ النَزيهُ لِناظِرٍ

لا يُسفِرُ الحُسنُ النَزيهُ لِناظِرٍ

ما دامَ مِنهُ الطَرفُ غَيرَ نَزيهِ

ما دامَ مِنهُ الطَرفُ غَيرَ نَزيهِ

Pure beauty does not unveil itself to a beholder

Unblemished beauty reveals nothing

Pure beauty does not unveil itself to a beholder

So long as his gaze is not pure.

To a beholder whose glance is not unblemished.

So long as his gaze remains impure.

قُل لِلأُلى رَفَعوا التُخومَ لِأَرضِهِ

قُل لِلأُلى رَفَعوا التُخومَ لِأَرضِهِ

ضَيَّقتُمُ الدُنيا عَلى أَهليهِ

ضَيَّقتُمُ الدُنيا عَلى أَهليهِ

Tell those who raised borders around its land:

Tell the oppressors they raised borders on its land,

Tell those who erected borders around its land:

'You have narrowed the world for its people.'

Cramping the world around its people.

"You have constricted the world for its people."

وَلِمَن يَقولونَ الفِرَنجَ حُماتُهُ

وَلِمَن يَقولونَ الفِرَنجَ حُماتُهُ

اللَهُ قَبلَ سُيوفِهِم حاميهِ

اللَهُ قَبلَ سُيوفِهِم حاميهِ

And to those who say the Franks are its protectors:

And those who call the Franks its in-laws,

And to those who say the foreigners are its protectors:

'God, before their swords, is its protector.'

God was its defender before their swords.

"God was its protector long before their swords."

يا صاحِبي يَهنيكَ أَنَّكَ في غَدٍ

يا صاحِبي يَهنيكَ أَنَّكَ في غَدٍ

سَتُعانِقُ الأَحبابَ في ناديهِ

سَتُعانِقُ الأَحبابَ في ناديهِ

O my friend, may it gladden you that tomorrow

My friend, it gladdens me that tomorrow

My friend, rejoice, for tomorrow

You will embrace loved ones in its gathering place,

You will embrace loved ones in its clubs,

You will embrace loved ones in its sanctuary,

وَتَلَذُّ بِالأَرواحِ تَعبَقُ بِالشَذى

وَتَلَذُّ بِالأَرواحِ تَعبَقُ بِالشَذى

وَتَهُزُّكَ الأَنغامُ مِن شاديهِ

وَتَهُزُّكَ الأَنغامُ مِن شاديهِ

And delight in souls fragrant with perfume,

Savor spirits redolent with fragrance,

And find delight in souls wafting with fragrance,

And melodies from its singer will stir you.

And music from its musicians move you.

And be stirred by the melodies of its singer.

إِن حَدَثوكَ عَنِ النَعيمِ فَأَطنَبوا

إِن حَدَثوكَ عَنِ النَعيمِ فَأَطنَبوا

فَاِشتَقتُهُ لا تَنسَ أَنَّكَ فيهِ

فَاِشتَقتُهُ لا تَنسَ أَنَّكَ فيهِ

If they tell you of bliss and speak at length,

If they speak to you of delights, elaborate,

If they speak to you of paradise and elaborate at length,

And I long for it—do not forget that you are in it.

For I miss it. Do not forget you are in it.

And you yearn for it—do not forget that you are already within it.