مَقامُكَ في أُفقِ البِلادِ مُنيرُ

مَقامُكَ في أُفقِ البِلادِ مُنيرُ

وَذِكرُكَ ما بَينَ العِباد شَهيرُ

وَذِكرُكَ ما بَينَ العِباد شَهيرُ

Your station on the nation’s horizon shines bright,

Your station is radiant on the land's horizon,

and your renown among the people is celebrated.

and your name is renowned among the people.

لَقَد سارَ في الدُنيا فَلم يَبُقِ حاجَةً

لَقَد سارَ في الدُنيا فَلم يَبُقِ حاجَةً

لِقَولٍ بِهِ يَهدي الثَناءَ شَكورُ

لِقَولٍ بِهِ يَهدي الثَناءَ شَكورُ

Your fame has traveled throughout the world, leaving not a single veil

It has spread throughout the world, leaving no need

to hide it; every grateful soul offers praise of it.

for words by which a grateful man offers praise.

لَقَد فُزتَ في دار السَعادَة بِالعُلى

لَقَد فُزتَ في دار السَعادَة بِالعُلى

وَأَنتَ هَمامٌ لِلسَعودِ تَدَبَرُ

وَأَنتَ هَمامٌ لِلسَعودِ تَدَبَرُ

You have attained high rank in the abode of felicity,

You have won high rank in the Abode of Felicity,

a valiant man who governs fortune’s blessings.

and you are a man of resolve who plans for good fortune.

تَقوم بِأَعباءِ العِبادِ بِهِمَّةٍ

تَقوم بِأَعباءِ العِبادِ بِهِمَّةٍ

وَعَزمٍ بِهِ قَلبُ الخَطوبِ كَسيرُ

وَعَزمٍ بِهِ قَلبُ الخَطوبِ كَسيرُ

You shoulder the people’s burdens with high resolve,

You shoulder the people's burdens with vigor

and a determination by which calamity’s heart lies broken.

and resolve that breaks the heart of calamities.

إِذا كانَ مَقصوداً سِواكَ لمنَّةٍ

إِذا كانَ مَقصوداً سِواكَ لمنَّةٍ

أَقول لِأَصحابي اِترُكوهُ وَسيروا

أَقول لِأَصحابي اِترُكوهُ وَسيروا

If favor is sought from anyone other than you,

If someone other than you is sought for a favor,

I tell his companions, “Leave him and move on.”

I tell my companions, 'Leave him and move on.'

الا يا اِبنَ نَصرِ اللَهِ حَقَّ لَكَ الثَنا

الا يا اِبنَ نَصرِ اللَهِ حَقَّ لَكَ الثَنا

فَأَنتَ كَريمٌ لِلكِرام نَصيرُ

فَأَنتَ كَريمٌ لِلكِرام نَصيرُ

Ah, son of Nasrallah, praise is truly your due;

Lo, O son of Nasr Allah, praise is your due,

you are noble, a champion of the noble.

for you are generous, a champion of the noble.

مِن العَرَبِ الأَمجادِ فيكَ مَآثِرٌ

مِن العَرَبِ الأَمجادِ فيكَ مَآثِرٌ

وَأَنتَ لَهُم بَينَ العِبادِ أَميرُ

وَأَنتَ لَهُم بَينَ العِبادِ أَميرُ

From the glorious Arabs, noble deeds live on in you,

In you live the glorious deeds of the illustrious Arabs,

and among all people, you are their prince.

and you are their prince among the people.

لَكَ النَخوَة العُظمى لَكَ الجودُ والوَفا

لَكَ النَخوَة العُظمى لَكَ الجودُ والوَفا

لَكَ الفِطنَةُ الغَراءُ وَهِيَ تُنيرُ

لَكَ الفِطنَةُ الغَراءُ وَهِيَ تُنيرُ

Yours is the loftiest chivalrous pride; yours are generosity and fidelity.

Yours is supreme magnanimity, yours generosity and fidelity;

Yours is radiant discernment, and it sheds light.

yours is brilliant discernment, and it shines.

صِفاتٌ صَفت كَالماءِ مِن مَنبَع الصَفا

صِفاتٌ صَفت كَالماءِ مِن مَنبَع الصَفا

لَها بِرِياضِ الكَونِ فاحَ عَبيرُ

لَها بِرِياضِ الكَونِ فاحَ عَبيرُ

Qualities pure as water from the spring of purity—

Qualities pure as water from the spring of purity,

their fragrance wafts through the gardens of existence.

whose fragrance has wafted through the gardens of the world.

تُباهي بِلاد الشام فيكَ لِأَنَّها

تُباهي بِلاد الشام فيكَ لِأَنَّها

لِمَطلَعِكَ الباهي المُنير أَثيرُ

لِمَطلَعِكَ الباهي المُنير أَثيرُ

The lands of Syria boast of you, because

The lands of al-Sham boast of you, for they are

your splendid, luminous advent is dear to them.

the ether for your splendid, radiant rising.

أَيَأتي لَها يَومٌ سَعيدٌ بِهِ تَرى

أَيَأتي لَها يَومٌ سَعيدٌ بِهِ تَرى

بِأَبراجِها العليا ضياكَ يُنيرُ

بِأَبراجِها العليا ضياكَ يُنيرُ

Will there come for them a blessed day when they see

Will a happy day come to them, when they see

your radiance lighting their lofty towers?

your radiance shining in their lofty towers?

تَنالُ بِرُؤياكَ القُلوبُ سُرورَها

تَنالُ بِرُؤياكَ القُلوبُ سُرورَها

وَأَنتَ لِعمري لِلسُرورِ سُرورُ

وَأَنتَ لِعمري لِلسُرورِ سُرورُ

At the sight of you, hearts attain their joy,

At the sight of you, hearts find their joy,

and you—by my life—are joy itself to joy.

and you, by my life, are joy's own joy.

وَما أَنا إِلا هائِمٌ أبتَغي السرى

وَما أَنا إِلا هائِمٌ أبتَغي السرى

لعلياكَ لَكنَّ الزَمانَ كَفورُ

لعلياكَ لَكنَّ الزَمانَ كَفورُ

I am nothing but a love-struck wanderer, seeking the night journey,

And I am only a yearning wanderer, seeking a night journey

in hope—yet time is faithless.

to your heights; but Time is ungrateful.

تَماطِلُني الدُنيا بِايفاءِ وَعدِها

تَماطِلُني الدُنيا بِايفاءِ وَعدِها

وَتُشغِلُني الآمال وَهِيَ تَدورُ

وَتُشغِلُني الآمال وَهِيَ تَدورُ

The world keeps delaying fulfillment of its promise to me,

The world delays fulfilling its promise to me,

and hopes distract me as they wheel about.

and hopes preoccupy me as they circle.

تَقول لي العَلياء وَهِيَ مُشيرَةٌ

تَقول لي العَلياء وَهِيَ مُشيرَةٌ

إِلى بَدرِ مَجدٍ بِاللقاءِ يُشيرُ

إِلى بَدرِ مَجدٍ بِاللقاءِ يُشيرُ

Glory tells me, pointing:

Eminence says to me, as she points

“Toward you a full moon of glory beckons to a meeting.”

to a full moon of glory beckoning to a meeting:

تَقاعَدتَ قَصراً يا خَليل عَن المُنى

تَقاعَدتَ قَصراً يا خَليل عَن المُنى

إِذا لَم تَسر نَحوي فَأَينَ تَسيرُ

إِذا لَم تَسر نَحوي فَأَينَ تَسيرُ

Against my will, O Khalil, I have held back from my aspirations.

'You have hung back, O Khalil, falling short of your aspirations;

If you do not journey toward me, where will you go?

if you do not journey toward me, where do you journey?

وَإِن لَم تَزُر رَب المَحامد وَالذَكا

وَإِن لَم تَزُر رَب المَحامد وَالذَكا

فَأَيّ فَتى غَير الخَصيبِ تَزورُ

فَأَيّ فَتى غَير الخَصيبِ تَزورُ

And if you do not visit the lord of praiseworthy deeds and intelligence,

And if you do not visit the lord of virtues and intelligence,

then what young man but al-Khatib will you visit?

then what young nobleman other than al-Khasib would you visit?'

فَقُلتُ نَعَم سَيدي لقاهُ هُوَ المُنى

فَقُلتُ نَعَم سَيدي لقاهُ هُوَ المُنى

وَلَكنَّ حَظي دونَ ذاكَ قَصيرُ

وَلَكنَّ حَظي دونَ ذاكَ قَصيرُ

I said, “Yes, my master: meeting him is my heart’s desire,

I said, 'Yes—meeting my master is my desire,

but my fortune falls short of that.”

but my fortune falls short of that.'

لَقَد حالَ بَحر الروم دونَ مَقامِهِ

لَقَد حالَ بَحر الروم دونَ مَقامِهِ

وَحَولي مِن الشَوق العَظيم بجورُ

وَحَولي مِن الشَوق العَظيم بجورُ

The Mediterranean has barred me from his abode,

The Sea of Rum has barred the way to his abode,

while around me surge oceans of mighty longing.

and around me are seas of immense longing.

لَها لَجَةٌ قامَت كَلَجَةِ فَضلِهِ عَلى

لَها لَجَةٌ قامَت كَلَجَةِ فَضلِهِ عَلى

مِنكَبي حَيث الغَريق أَسيرُ

مِنكَبي حَيث الغَريق أَسيرُ

They have an abyss rising like the abyss of his bounty toward me;

Their deep surge rose, like the surge of his bounty, upon

its shoulder looms where the drowning man lies captive.

my shoulder, where the drowning man is captive.

وَلَكنَّ نار الوَجد في مَوقِدِ الحَشا

وَلَكنَّ نار الوَجد في مَوقِدِ الحَشا

لَها قَد عَلا حَولَ الفُؤاد زَفيرُ

لَها قَد عَلا حَولَ الفُؤاد زَفيرُ

Yet passion’s fire burns in the hearth of my heart,

Yet the fire of yearning in the hearth of my breast

and from it a sigh has risen around my heart—

has sent a sigh rising around my heart—

زَفيرٌ حَكى ذاكَ البُخار الَّذي بِهِ

زَفيرٌ حَكى ذاكَ البُخار الَّذي بِهِ

رَكائِبُنا فَوقَ البِحارِ تَطيرُ

رَكائِبُنا فَوقَ البِحارِ تَطيرُ

a sigh mimicking the steam by which

a sigh like that steam by which

our vessels fly over the seas.

our mounts fly over the seas.

تَطير كَقَلبي بالمَسيرِ إِلى حِما

تَطير كَقَلبي بالمَسيرِ إِلى حِما

لَهُ بِجَناح الجَد سَوفَ أَسيرُ

لَهُ بِجَناح الجَد سَوفَ أَسيرُ

They fly—as does my heart, journeying toward a sanctuary

They fly, like my heart, journeying toward a sanctuary

belonging to him; on earnest endeavor’s wing I shall travel.

of his; on the wing of fortune I shall journey.

أَسيرُ وَأَشفي غِلَتي إِن بغيتي

أَسيرُ وَأَشفي غِلَتي إِن بغيتي

لِأَمرٌ عَلى اللَهِ الكَريمِ يَسيرُ

لِأَمرٌ عَلى اللَهِ الكَريمِ يَسيرُ

I shall travel and slake my thirst, if what I seek

I shall journey and quench my thirst; indeed, what I seek

is a matter the gracious God will make easy.

is surely an easy matter for God, the Generous.