مِنكَ المَحامِدُ تَنتَظِر

مِنكَ المَحامِدُ تَنتَظِر

وَلَكَ التَشَكُر في البَشَر

وَلَكَ التَشَكُر في البَشَر

Noble deeds are awaited from you;

Praiseworthy deeds are expected of you,

and yours is the gratitude of humankind.

And among humankind, thanks are yours.

خورشيد يا شَمسَ العُلى

خورشيد يا شَمسَ العُلى

يا بَدرَنا العالي الأَغَر

يا بَدرَنا العالي الأَغَر

Khurshid—O sun of the heights,

Khurshid, O sun of glory,

O our lofty, radiant moon!

O our lofty, radiant full moon!

مُذ لُحتَ يا نور الهُدى

مُذ لُحتَ يا نور الهُدى

في أُفُقِنا اِنبَهَر البَصَر

في أُفُقِنا اِنبَهَر البَصَر

Since you appeared, O light of guidance,

Since you shone forth, O light of guidance,

upon our horizon, sight has been dazzled.

On our horizon, sight was dazzled.

فَالفَضل يَسطَع في الدُجى

فَالفَضل يَسطَع في الدُجى

وَالشُكر يَصدحُ في السحر

وَالشُكر يَصدحُ في السحر

Virtue shines amid the darkness,

For bounty shines in the darkness,

and gratitude rings out before the dawn.

And gratitude sings out in the predawn hour.

أَنا فيكَ مُفتَخِرٌ عَلى

أَنا فيكَ مُفتَخِرٌ عَلى

أَهل المَلا وَمِن اِفتَخَر

أَهل المَلا وَمِن اِفتَخَر

In you I glory above

I take pride in you above

all humankind and all who boast.

The people of the assembly and all who boast.

لَكَ منةٌ تَسمو عَلى

لَكَ منةٌ تَسمو عَلى

ضُعفي وَتَعجِزُ مِن شُكر

ضُعفي وَتَعجِزُ مِن شُكر

Yours is a favor towering beyond

Your favor rises above

my frailty, which cannot render thanks.

My frailty and leaves all who give thanks helpless.

ما زالَ لُطفَكَ غامري

ما زالَ لُطفَكَ غامري

مِن بَحر حِلمِكَ إِذ زَخَر

مِن بَحر حِلمِكَ إِذ زَخَر

Your kindness has never ceased to engulf me,

Your kindness still engulfs me,

drawn from the sea of your forbearance when it swelled.

From the sea of your forbearance as it swelled.

فَحَمَلتُ لجتهُ عَلى

فَحَمَلتُ لجتهُ عَلى

لجج البِحار وَلا خَطَر

لجج البِحار وَلا خَطَر

So I bore its surging depths across

So I carried its deep waters over

the ocean deeps, and knew no peril,

The depths of the seas, with no danger,

حَتّى بَلَغتُ بِظِلِهِ

حَتّى بَلَغتُ بِظِلِهِ

أَرضاً يَحير بِها النَظَر

أَرضاً يَحير بِها النَظَر

until, through his learning, I reached

Until, beneath its shade, I reached

a land that bewilders the gaze.

A land where the gaze is bewildered.

سور المَدينة سَيدي

سور المَدينة سَيدي

ذَهَبٌ وَتُربَتُها دُرر

ذَهَبٌ وَتُربَتُها دُرر

The city’s wall, my lord—

The city's wall, my lord,

is gold, and its soil is pearls.

Is gold, and its soil is pearls.

كَيفَ اِنقَلَبَت تَرى بِها

كَيفَ اِنقَلَبَت تَرى بِها

نَبعَ اللَجين قَد اِنفَجَر

نَبعَ اللَجين قَد اِنفَجَر

Whichever way you turn, you see there

Whichever way you turn, you see there

a spring of silver bursting forth.

A spring of silver that has burst forth.

لَكِنَّها شَغلت بِهِ

لَكِنَّها شَغلت بِهِ

عَن منهل الأُنس الأَغر

عَن منهل الأُنس الأَغر

Yet I was preoccupied by it,

Yet it is distracted by this

away from the radiant wellspring of fellowship.

From the radiant wellspring of companionship.

فَالنيل في فَيَضانِهِ

فَالنيل في فَيَضانِهِ

لَم يَطفِ ما بي مِن شَرر

لَم يَطفِ ما بي مِن شَرر

Even the Nile in all its flood

For the Nile, in its flood,

could not quench the sparks within me.

Has not quenched the sparks within me.

لَكن بِقُربِكَ سَيدي

لَكن بِقُربِكَ سَيدي

نِيلٌ بِهِ نيلُ الوَطَر

نِيلٌ بِهِ نيلُ الوَطَر

But near you, my lord,

But near you, my lord,

is a Nile by which the heart’s desire is won.

Is a Nile through which desire is fulfilled.

إِن المقطم صاغِرٌ

إِن المقطم صاغِرٌ

عَن أَن تَسوحَ بِهِ الفكر

عَن أَن تَسوحَ بِهِ الفكر

Muqattam constrains me,

Indeed, al-Muqattam is too lowly

keeping thought from roaming across it;

For thoughts to roam over it.

وَبِسَفح لُبنان الهَنا

وَبِسَفح لُبنان الهَنا

يَصفو بِتَسريح النَظَر

يَصفو بِتَسريح النَظَر

but on Lebanon’s slopes, delight

And at Lebanon's foot, delight

grows pure as the gaze is given rein.

Grows serene as the gaze roams free.

سِكك الحَديد تَطيرُ بي

سِكك الحَديد تَطيرُ بي

فَوقَ الفَلاة فَلا مَقَر

فَوقَ الفَلاة فَلا مَقَر

The iron rails carry me flying

The iron rails carry me flying

across the wilderness, with nowhere to rest;

Over the wilderness, with nowhere to rest.

وَيَطيرُ قَلبي لِلحِما

وَيَطيرُ قَلبي لِلحِما

بِأَقل مِن لَمح البَصَر

بِأَقل مِن لَمح البَصَر

and my heart flies home to the homeland

And my heart flies to the homeland

in less than the blink of an eye.

In less than the blink of an eye.

سَلوايَ ذكرُكَ دائِماً

سَلوايَ ذكرُكَ دائِماً

وَحَديث فَضلك لي سُمر

وَحَديث فَضلك لي سُمر

My solace is always remembering you,

My solace is always remembering you,

and speaking of your grace is my evening converse.

And talk of your bounty is my evening conversation.