عَادَ عَهْدُ الشَّقَا إِلَيْهِ فَعُودِي

عَادَ عَهْدُ الشَّقَا إِلَيْهِ فَعُودِي

وَانْدُبِيهِ يَا طَيْرُ فَوْقَ العُودِ

وَانْدُبِيهِ يَا طَيْرُ فَوْقَ العُودِ

The age of misery has returned to it; so return,

The days of woe have returned, so return

And mourn it, O bird upon the bough.

And lament it, O bird, above the branch

حَوَّلَتْ شَدْوَكِ اللَّيَالِي نُوَاحًا

حَوَّلَتْ شَدْوَكِ اللَّيَالِي نُوَاحًا

فارْجِعِي … فارْجِعِي عَنِ التَّغْرِيدِ

فارْجِعِي ... فارْجِعِي عَنِ التَّغْرِيدِ

The nights have turned your song into lamentation;

Your singing has turned the nights into wailing

So desist—desist from singing.

So go back...go back from twittering

كَانَ رَوْضَ المُنَى فَبَاتَ وَأَهْلُو

كَانَ رَوْضَ المُنَى فَبَاتَ وَأَهْلُو

هُ لُحُودٌ تَسِيرُ بَيْنَ لُحُودِ

هُ لُحُودٌ تَسِيرُ بَيْنَ لُحُودِ

It was the garden of hopes; now its people

The garden of wishes has become desolate

Are tombs walking among tombs.

It is now barren plains amid barren plains

يُرْهِقُ الدَّهْرُ كُلَّ حَرٍّ عَلَيْهِ

يُرْهِقُ الدَّهْرُ كُلَّ حَرٍّ عَلَيْهِ

فَهوَ فِيهِ المَسِيحُ بَيْنَ اليَهُود

فَهوَ فِيهِ المَسِيحُ بَيْنَ اليَهُود

Time oppresses every free man there;

Time wears down all the free

So there he is Christ among the Jews.

So He is among them like Messiah among Jews

إِيهِ لُبْنَانَ! كَمْ بَكَيْتَ وَتَبْكِي

إِيهِ لُبْنَانَ! كَمْ بَكَيْتَ وَتَبْكِي

بَيْنَ عَهْدٍ مَضَى، وَعَهْدٍ جَدِيدِ

بَيْنَ عَهْدٍ مَضَى، وَعَهْدٍ جَدِيدِ

Ah, Lebanon! How much you have wept and still weep,

Oh Lebanon! How much you cried and still cry

Between an age gone by and a new age.

Between a past era and a new one

كُنْتَ تَبْكِي فِيهِ وَهَا أَنْتَ تبْكِيـ

كُنْتَ تَبْكِي فِيهِ وَهَا أَنْتَ تبْكِيـ

ـهِ عَلَى رغْمِ بُؤْسِهِ المَعْهُودِ

ـهِ عَلَى رغْمِ بُؤْسِهِ المَعْهُودِ

You used to weep within it; now, behold, you mourn

You cried then and here you are crying

It, despite its familiar misery.

Over its misery despite its familiarity

يَا حَنِينِي إِلَى مغَانِيكَ لَوْلَا

يَا حَنِينِي إِلَى مغَانِيكَ لَوْلَا

صَارِمٌ فِيكَ سُلَّ للتَّهْدِيدِ

صَارِمٌ فِيكَ سُلَّ للتَّهْدِيدِ

O my longing for your haunts, were it not for

My yearning for your songs, if not for

A sharp sword drawn within you to threaten;

A blade among you unleashed for threats

وَإِلَى الأُفقِ صَافِيًا فِيكَ لَوْلَا

وَإِلَى الأُفقِ صَافِيًا فِيكَ لَوْلَا

مَا بِهِ اليومَ مِنْ غَمَائِمَ سُودِ

مَا بِهِ اليومَ مِنْ غَمَائِمَ سُودِ

And for your clear horizon, were it not for

And for the sky clear in you, if not for

The black clouds upon it today;

The clouds of gloom it holds today

وَإِلَى الماءِ طيِّبَ الوِرْدِ لَوْلَا

وَإِلَى الماءِ طيِّبَ الوِرْدِ لَوْلَا

مَا جَرَى فِيهِ مِنْ سُمُومِ الوَعِيدِ

مَا جَرَى فِيهِ مِنْ سُمُومِ الوَعِيدِ

And for the water, sweet to drink, were it not for

And for the pure water of roses, if not for

The poisons of menace that have flowed through it;

The poisons of threats that have flowed in it

وَإِلَى الريحِ مِنْ صُرودِكَ لَوْلَا

وَإِلَى الريحِ مِنْ صُرودِكَ لَوْلَا

نفثَاتُ الفسادِ بَيْنَ الصُّرودِ

نفثَاتُ الفسادِ بَيْنَ الصُّرودِ

And for the wind from your highlands, were it not for

And for the wind from your peaks, if not for

The breaths of corruption among the highlands;

The breaths of corruption among the peaks

وَإِلَى البحرِ فِي شَوَاطِيكَ لَوْلَا

وَإِلَى البحرِ فِي شَوَاطِيكَ لَوْلَا

أَنَّهُ نَمَّ بِالعَدَاءِ الشديدِ

أَنَّهُ نَمَّ بِالعَدَاءِ الشديدِ

And for the sea along your shores, were it not

And for the sea on your shores, if not for

That it betrayed fierce hostility;

That it has slept with intense enmity

وَإِلَى الأَرْزِ شَامِخَ الرأسِ لَوْلَا

وَإِلَى الأَرْزِ شَامِخَ الرأسِ لَوْلَا

أَنَّهُمْ حَمَّلُوهُ ذُلَّ السُّجُودِ

أَنَّهُمْ حَمَّلُوهُ ذُلَّ السُّجُودِ

And for the cedar, its head held high, were it not

And for the defiant cedar, if not for

That they burdened it with the humiliation of prostration.

They burdened it with the humiliation of prostration

وَضَعُوهُ طَيَّ المُثَلَّثِ، تَحْتَ الـ

وَضَعُوهُ طَيَّ المُثَلَّثِ، تَحْتَ الـ

ـبِيضِ، بينَ الدِّمَا وبين الحديدِ

ـبِيضِ، بينَ الدِّمَا وبين الحديدِ

They placed it in the folds of the tricolor, beneath the

They placed it under the triangle, between the

White blades, between blood and iron.

White, between the blood and the iron

لَهَفِي للرُّبوعِ تُضْحِي وَتُمْسِي

لَهَفِي للرُّبوعِ تُضْحِي وَتُمْسِي

وَهْيَ خُلوٌ إِلَّا مِنَ التنكيدِ

وَهْيَ خُلوٌ إِلَّا مِنَ التنكيدِ

Alas for the dwellings, at morning and evening

My craving for the meadows that rise and set

Empty of all but affliction.

Devoid except for frustration

يَنْزَحُ السَّاكِنُونَ عَنْهَا وَوَجْهُ الـ

يَنْزَحُ السَّاكِنُونَ عَنْهَا وَوَجْهُ الـ

أَرْضِ رَحْبٌ إِلَى المَزَارِ البَعِيدِ

أَرْضِ رَحْبٌ إِلَى المَزَارِ البَعِيدِ

The inhabitants depart from them—the face of the

The inhabitants evacuate them and the face of

Earth is vast—for a far-off destination:

The land is vast towards the distant tomb

مِنْ فَتَاةٍ، وَمِنْ فَتًى، وَغَنِيٍّ

مِنْ فَتَاةٍ، وَمِنْ فَتًى، وَغَنِيٍّ

وَفَقِيرٍ، وَوَالِدٍ وَوَلِيدِ

وَفَقِيرٍ، وَوَالِدٍ وَوَلِيدِ

Maiden and youth, and rich man,

Of a girl, a boy, a rich man, a poor one, a father and a newborn

And poor man, and father, and newborn child,

As birds evacuate the land when it's flowers have withered

مِثْلَمَا تَنْزَحُ الطُّيُورُ عَنِ الرو

مِثْلَمَا تَنْزَحُ الطُّيُورُ عَنِ الرو

ضِ وَقَدْ رَاعَهَا ذُبُولُ الوُرُودِ

ضِ وَقَدْ رَاعَهَا ذُبُولُ الوُرُودِ

Just as the birds depart from the garden,

Or as gazelles flee a pond

Alarmed by the withering of the roses;

When the wolf has come for the flowers

أَوْ كَمَا تَنْفُرُ الظِّبَا عَنْ غَدِيرٍ

أَوْ كَمَا تَنْفُرُ الظِّبَا عَنْ غَدِيرٍ

أمَّهُ الذِّئْبُ طَالِبًا لِلْوُرُودِ

أمَّهُ الذِّئْبُ طَالِبًا لِلْوُرُودِ

Or as gazelles flee from a pool

They left it with tears filling the valleys

Which the wolf approached, seeking to drink.

For its groves, and flames filling the livers

وَدَّعوهَا والدَّمْعُ مِلْءُ المَآقِي

وَدَّعوهَا والدَّمْعُ مِلْءُ المَآقِي

لِنَوَاهَا، وَالنَّارُ مِلءُ الكُبودِ

لِنَوَاهَا، وَالنَّارُ مِلءُ الكُبودِ

They bade it farewell, tears filling their eyes,

And if the deaf could hear a sound

At parting from it, fire filling their livers.

They would scream aboard the silent ships: Return!

وَلَو انَّ الأَصَمَّ يَسْمَعُ صَوْتًا

وَلَو انَّ الأَصَمَّ يَسْمَعُ صَوْتًا

صَرَخُوا بِالبَوَاخِرِ الصُّمِّ: عُودِي

صَرَخُوا بِالبَوَاخِرِ الصُّمِّ: عُودِي

And if the deaf could hear a voice,

They would cry to the deaf steamships: “Return!”