اللَهُ أَكبر هَذا مُنتَهى الشَرَفِ

اللَهُ أَكبر هَذا مُنتَهى الشَرَفِ

فَأَجني المُنى يا رَبي لُبنانَ وَاِقتَطِفي

فَأَجني المُنى يا رَبي لُبنانَ وَاِقتَطِفي

God is greatest—this is honor’s utmost height.

God is greatest! This is the pinnacle of honor.

So reap your hopes, O hills of Lebanon, and gather them!

So reap your wishes, O hills of Lebanon, and pluck them.

طافَ السُرورُ عَلى الأَحياءِ فَاِبتَهجي

طافَ السُرورُ عَلى الأَحياءِ فَاِبتَهجي

وَالرَغدُ فاضَ عَلى الأَرجاءِ فَاِرتَشِفي

وَالرَغدُ فاضَ عَلى الأَرجاءِ فَاِرتَشِفي

Joy has swept among the living—so rejoice!

Joy has made its rounds among the living, so rejoice;

And ease has overflowed through every quarter—so drink your fill!

And plenty has overflowed throughout the land, so sip from it.

مَولاكِ كافاهُ مَولى الكَون سَيّدنا

مَولاكِ كافاهُ مَولى الكَون سَيّدنا

بِتُحفَةٍ هِيَ كانَت أَعظَم التُحَفِ

بِتُحفَةٍ هِيَ كانَت أَعظَم التُحَفِ

Our master, the Lord of creation, rewarded your sovereign

Our master, lord of the world, has rewarded your lord

with a precious gift—the greatest of gifts.

With a gift that was the greatest of gifts.

وَهَل تَكافينَ إِحساناً لِرافَتِهِ

وَهَل تَكافينَ إِحساناً لِرافَتِهِ

عَلَيكِ إِلّا بِشُكرٍ غَير مُنصَرِفِ

عَلَيكِ إِلّا بِشُكرٍ غَير مُنصَرِفِ

Can you repay a kindness born of his compassion

And can you repay his compassionate kindness

toward you, except with gratitude that never turns away?

Toward you except with unceasing gratitude?

وَأَنتَ يا أَيُّها الشَعبُ الأَمين لَقَد

وَأَنتَ يا أَيُّها الشَعبُ الأَمين لَقَد

أَحياكَ داودُ بِالإِسعادِ فَاغتَرفِ

أَحياكَ داودُ بِالإِسعادِ فَاغتَرفِ

And you, O faithful people—indeed,

And you, O loyal people, indeed—

Dawud revived you with happiness, so drink your fill.

Dawud has revived you with joy, so draw your fill.

والاكَ وَاليكَ بِالإِصلاح مُجتَهِداً

والاكَ وَاليكَ بِالإِصلاح مُجتَهِداً

فَوالِهِ بِمَزيدِ الحُبِّ وَالشَغَفِ

فَوالِهِ بِمَزيدِ الحُبِّ وَالشَغَفِ

Your governor was loyal to you, striving diligently for reform;

Your governor has stood by you, striving for reform;

so be loyal to him, with still greater love and ardor.

So stand by him with still greater love and passion.

مُشيرُ مَجدٍ إِلى الإِحسان مُنَعَطِفٌ

مُشيرُ مَجدٍ إِلى الإِحسان مُنَعَطِفٌ

لِنَصرَة الحَقِّ يَسعى غَيرَ مُنعَطِفِ

لِنَصرَة الحَقِّ يَسعى غَيرَ مُنعَطِفِ

A glorious mushir, inclined toward beneficence,

A glorious marshal, inclined toward benevolence,

he strives to champion right, never turning aside.

He strives to uphold the right, never swerving.

تَحلو لَنا كَلِماتُ الحُلمِ مِن فَمِهِ

تَحلو لَنا كَلِماتُ الحُلمِ مِن فَمِهِ

كِالدُرِّ يَخرُج مَنثوراً مِن الصَدِفِ

كِالدُرِّ يَخرُج مَنثوراً مِن الصَدِفِ

Words of forbearance from his mouth are sweet to us,

Sweet to us are the words of forbearance from his mouth,

like pearls emerging scattered from their shells.

Like pearls spilling out from their shells.

أَضحى السَلام نَزيلاً في وَلايَتِهِ

أَضحى السَلام نَزيلاً في وَلايَتِهِ

وَالأَمنُ مِن طَرفِ يَسري إِلى طَرفِ

وَالأَمنُ مِن طَرفِ يَسري إِلى طَرفِ

Peace has become a guest within his province,

Peace has taken up residence in his province,

and security travels from end to end.

And security flows from end to end.

أَحيي بِحكمَتِهِ الغَرا البِلاد كَما

أَحيي بِحكمَتِهِ الغَرا البِلاد كَما

بِعَدلِهِ سارَ فيها غَيرَ مُعتَسِفِ

بِعَدلِهِ سارَ فيها غَيرَ مُعتَسِفِ

Through his radiant wisdom he revived the land, just as

He revived the land through his brilliant wisdom, just as

through his justice he governed it, never tyrannically.

He conducted himself justly there, never oppressively.

قَد قَدَّ بِالسَيفِ متنَ المُعتَدين كَما

قَد قَدَّ بِالسَيفِ متنَ المُعتَدين كَما

قَد قامَ يُرهب في جَيشٍ مِن الصُحُفِ

قَد قامَ يُرهب في جَيشٍ مِن الصُحُفِ

Indeed, with the sword he cleft the aggressors’ backs, just as

He has cleft the aggressors' backs with the sword, just as

he arose, striking fear into an army of newspapers.

He has risen to strike fear amid an army of papers.

فَتابَ كُل عَتيٍّ وَهُوَ مُرتَجِفٌ

فَتابَ كُل عَتيٍّ وَهُوَ مُرتَجِفٌ

وَطابَ كُلُّ بَريٍّ غَيرَ مُرتَجِفِ

وَطابَ كُلُّ بَريٍّ غَيرَ مُرتَجِفِ

Thus every insolent rebel repented, trembling,

So every defiant person repented, trembling,

while every innocent person prospered, no longer afraid.

And every innocent person was at ease, without trembling.

يا أَيُّها السَيد العالي الَّذي فُتِحَت

يا أَيُّها السَيد العالي الَّذي فُتِحَت

لَهُ المَعالي كَميدانٍ فَلَم يَقِفِ

لَهُ المَعالي كَميدانٍ فَلَم يَقِفِ

O exalted lord, before whom there opened

O exalted lord, for whom were opened

the heights of glory like a field—and who never halted;

The heights of honor like an arena—you never paused.

نَراكَ بَحرَ عُلومٍ قاذِفاً دُرراً

نَراكَ بَحرَ عُلومٍ قاذِفاً دُرراً

وَبَدرَ فَضلٍ مُنيراً غَير مُنخَسِفِ

وَبَدرَ فَضلٍ مُنيراً غَير مُنخَسِفِ

we see you as a sea of learning, casting forth pearls,

We see you as a sea of knowledge, casting forth pearls,

and as a full moon of virtue, radiant and never eclipsed.

And a shining full moon of excellence, never eclipsed.

أَنتَ الطَبيبُ الَّذي مِن فَيض حكمَتِهِ

أَنتَ الطَبيبُ الَّذي مِن فَيض حكمَتِهِ

قَد طابَ لُبنان مَنقوذاً مِن التَلَفِ

قَد طابَ لُبنان مَنقوذاً مِن التَلَفِ

You are the physician from the bounty of whose wisdom

You are the physician through whose abundant wisdom

Lebanon has recovered, rescued from ruin.

Lebanon has recovered, rescued from ruin.

ما زِلتَ بِالرفق تَشفي الداءَ مُندَفِعاً

ما زِلتَ بِالرفق تَشفي الداءَ مُندَفِعاً

دونَ اِنزِعاجٍ فَتَحيي مُهجَةَ الدَنفِ

دونَ اِنزِعاجٍ فَتَحيي مُهجَةَ الدَنفِ

You have continued gently healing the malady, pressing onward,

You have never ceased gently healing the illness, pressing onward

without agitation, thus reviving the wasting sufferer’s soul.

Without disquiet, reviving the ailing patient's heart.

لَكنَّ قَوماً طَغوا جوراً عَلى عَجَلٍ

لَكنَّ قَوماً طَغوا جوراً عَلى عَجَلٍ

فَكُنتَ أَعجَل مِن سَهمٍ إِلى هَدَفِ

فَكُنتَ أَعجَل مِن سَهمٍ إِلى هَدَفِ

But some men swiftly transgressed in injustice,

But some people rushed into unjust rebellion,

and you were swifter than an arrow to its mark.

So you were swifter than an arrow to its target.

بادَرتُهُم وَحُسامُ الحَقِّ مُشتَهِرٌ

بادَرتُهُم وَحُسامُ الحَقِّ مُشتَهِرٌ

فَكانَ حَزمُكَ فيهُم خَيرَ مُنتَصِفِ

فَكانَ حَزمُكَ فيهُم خَيرَ مُنتَصِفِ

You swiftly confronted them, the sword of right unsheathed;

I hastened against them, the sword of justice unsheathed;

and your resolve against them proved the finest vindicator.

Thus your firmness proved the best enforcer of justice among them.

وَكُلُّ أَعمالِكَ الغَراءِ غايَتُها

وَكُلُّ أَعمالِكَ الغَراءِ غايَتُها

بَلُّ الصَدى وَشِفاءُ الأَعيُن الذُرفِ

بَلُّ الصَدى وَشِفاءُ الأَعيُن الذُرفِ

All your radiant deeds have as their aim

And all your splendid deeds have as their aim

the slaking of thirst and the healing of tear-streaming eyes.

Quenching thirst and healing tearful eyes.

أَنعَشَتَ لُبنان مِن بَعدِ المُصاب كَما

أَنعَشَتَ لُبنان مِن بَعدِ المُصاب كَما

أَنسيتَهُ اليَومَ عَصر الجور وَالجَنفِ

أَنسيتَهُ اليَومَ عَصر الجور وَالجَنفِ

You revived Lebanon after calamity; likewise,

You revived Lebanon after its calamity, just as

today you made it forget the age of oppression and injustice.

Today you made it forget the age of oppression and injustice.

فَتاهَ بِالعزِّ لا يَلوي عَلى سَلفٍ

فَتاهَ بِالعزِّ لا يَلوي عَلى سَلفٍ

وَفقتَ بِالفَضل تَغنيهِ عَن الخَلَفِ

وَفقتَ بِالفَضل تَغنيهِ عَن الخَلَفِ

So it exulted in glory, paying no heed to any predecessor;

So it exulted in glory, looking back to no predecessor;

and through merit you succeeded so well that it needs no successors.

And you excelled in virtue, leaving it no need of a successor.

لِذا أَتاكَ وسامُ المَجدِ مُرتَكِضاً

لِذا أَتاكَ وسامُ المَجدِ مُرتَكِضاً

وَخَلفَهُ لاحِقاتٌ بِالحُقوقِ تَفي

وَخَلفَهُ لاحِقاتٌ بِالحُقوقِ تَفي

Therefore glory’s medal came galloping to you,

Thus the medal of glory came racing to you,

with further honors following behind it, rendering every rightful due.

And others follow behind it, rendering you your due.

فَقالَ لَما أَضا نوراً مُؤرخهُ

فَقالَ لَما أَضا نوراً مُؤرخهُ

قَد زَيَّنَ البَدرَ نجمُ المَجدِ في الشَرَفِ

قَد زَيَّنَ البَدرَ نجمُ المَجدِ في الشَرَفِ

And when it shone radiantly, its chronogrammatist said:

Then, when it shone with light, its chronicler said:

“The full moon has adorned glory’s star with honor.”

"The star of glory has adorned the full moon with honor."