يا زَهرَةَ الوادي أَتيتُ بِزَهرة

يا زَهرَةَ الوادي أَتيتُ بِزَهرة

لَكِ مِن رُبى لُبنان فاحَ شَذاها

لَكِ مِن رُبى لُبنان فاحَ شَذاها

O flower of the valley, I have brought a flower

O flower of the valley, I brought a flower

For you from Lebanon’s hills, its fragrance wafting.

For you from the meadows of Lebanon, its fragrance wafted,

وَالزَهر أَبهى مَنظَراً مَعَ أُمه

وَالزَهر أَبهى مَنظَراً مَعَ أُمه

فَنقلتها مَعها فَزادَ بهاها

فَنقلتها مَعها فَزادَ بهاها

And flowers are lovelier to behold with their mother;

And the flower looked lovelier with its mother,

So I brought it with her, and its beauty grew.

So I carried it along and it increased its beauty,

وَحَفظتها لَك في الطَريق مِن الأَذى

وَحَفظتها لَك في الطَريق مِن الأَذى

وَلِأَجل عَينكِ أَضلُعي مَثواها

وَلِأَجل عَينكِ أَضلُعي مَثواها

And I kept it safe for you from harm along the way;

And I protected it from harm on the way,

And for your eye’s sake, my ribs were its resting place.

And for your eyes I made my ribs its abode,

وَجَمَعتُ في آذارَ بَينَكُما فَما

وَجَمَعتُ في آذارَ بَينَكُما فَما

أَحلاك في قَلبي وَما أَحلاها

أَحلاك في قَلبي وَما أَحلاها

And in March I brought you two together—how

And in March I brought you two together, but

Sweet you are in my heart, and how sweet it is!

How sweet you are in my heart and how sweet it is!

إِني جَمعتكما وَلَكن لَم يَطل

إِني جَمعتكما وَلَكن لَم يَطل

أُنسي بِقُربكما فَواهاً واها

أُنسي بِقُربكما فَواهاً واها

Indeed, I brought you two together, yet brief was

I brought you together but did not enjoy long

My joy in being near you both—alas, alas!

My intimacy with you two, alas and alas,

واهاً عَلى ساعات لَهوٍ كُنتُما

واهاً عَلى ساعات لَهوٍ كُنتُما

يا زَهرَتّي هَناءَها وَصفاها

يا زَهرَتّي هَناءَها وَصفاها

Alas for hours of merriment, when you two were,

Alas for the hours of playfulness when you

O my two flowers, their joy and serenity!

Were my two flowers, its bliss and purity,

واهاً على روحي الَّتي خَلَّفتها

واهاً على روحي الَّتي خَلَّفتها

بَينَ الرُبى وَالروح حَيث هَواها

بَينَ الرُبى وَالروح حَيث هَواها

Alas for my soul, which I left behind

Alas for my soul which I left

Among the hills—and the soul is where its love is.

Between the meadow and the soul where it wandered,

واهاً عَلَيها مُهجةً ضَيعتها

واهاً عَلَيها مُهجةً ضَيعتها

فَإِذا سَأَلتكما فَهَل أَلقاها

فَإِذا سَأَلتكما فَهَل أَلقاها

Alas for it—a soul I have lost;

Alas for it, spurned, I lost it,

So if I ask you both, shall I find it?

So if you two ask, did I find it?