للهto God درُّكِyour excellence ستةًsix
لله درُّكِ ستةً
قدindeed شاهدتْshe witnessed ألفa thousand انقلابupheavals
قد شاهدتْ ألف انقلاب
God bless you, O six pillars!
O Baalbek, be patient
They have witnessed a thousand upheavals.
For you have witnessed a thousand upheavals
قامتْshe stood علىupon أقدامهاher feet
قامتْ على أقدامها
مستهزئاتٍmocking بالصعابat the hardships
مستهزئاتٍ بالصعاب
They stood upon their feet,
They stood on their feet
Mocking hardships.
Mocking difficulties
كالعاشقاتِlike the women in love وقفنَthey stood فيon
كالعاشقاتِ وقفنَ في
الشرفاتِthe balconies يرقبْنَthey watch for الصحابthe companions
الشرفاتِ يرقبْنَ الصحاب
Like women in love, they stood on
Like lovers they stood on
The balconies, watching for companions;
Balconies watching the dawn
أوor بُسلٍvaliant men منof يعربYa‘rub
أو بُسلٍ من يعرب
بينَbetween الشوامخthe lofty peaks والهضابand the hills
بينَ الشوامخ والهضاب
Or like valiant men of Ya‘rub,
Or Arab tribes traveling
Between lofty peaks and hills,
Between peaks and plateaus
وقفواthey stood كمنْlike those who ضلُّواthey lost السبيلthe way
وقفوا كمنْ ضلُّوا السبيل
فأنشدواand so they sang of حسنَthe goodness of المآبreturn
فأنشدوا حسنَ المآب
They stood like those who had lost their way,
They stood like those who have lost their way
And sang of a happy return.
So they sang the beauty of destiny
أوor أَنهاthat she جنيَّةٌa female jinn
أو أَنها جنيَّةٌ
منfrom عبقرٍAbqar ليستshe is not تصابharmed
من عبقرٍ ليست تصاب
Or she is a female jinn
Or they are jinn
From Abqar, untouched by harm;
Not to be harmed
قدindeed سرَّحتshe let roam أبصارهاher eyes
قد سرَّحت أبصارها
ماwhat lies بينbetween هاتيكthose الهضابthe hills
ما بين هاتيك الهضاب
She has let her eyes roam
Their eyes roamed
Among those hills.
Between those plateaus
كمhow many فاتحينconquerors رأتْshe has seen ولمand not
كم فاتحين رأتْ ولم
يفتحwas opened لهمfor them للعودfor returning بابa door
يفتح لهم للعود باب
How many conquerors she has seen, yet
How many conquerors they saw yet
No door was opened for them to return.
No door opened for them to return
ياO بعلبَكَّBaalbek تصبَّريbe patient
يا بعلبَكَّ تصبَّري
فالملتقىfor the meeting يومthe day of الحسابreckoning
فالملتقى يوم الحساب
O Baalbek, be patient:
O Baalbek, be patient
For the meeting is on the Day of Reckoning.
For the day of judgement comes
فكأنماso it is as though لبنانLebanon قربكbeside you
فكأنما لبنان قربك
حاجبthe chamberlain الملكthe king المهابawe-inspiring
حاجب الملك المهاب
So it is as though Lebanon beside you
As if Lebanon near you
Were the awe-inspiring king’s chamberlain.
Is the dreadful King's brow
وكلاكماand both of you نُصِّبتماyou two were set up
وكلاكما نُصِّبتما
هدفًاa target لفتحٍfor conquest واغتصابand usurpation
هدفًا لفتحٍ واغتصاب
And both of you were set up
And both of you were made
As a target for conquest and usurpation.
A target for conquest and raid
فالملكfor the king رهنhostage to الفاتحينthe conquerors
فالملك رهن الفاتحين
يذلhe is humbled وانشقَّand has been torn الحجابthe veil
يذل وانشقَّ الحجاب
For the king is hostage to the conquerors;
So the King is hostage to the conquerors
He is humbled, and the veil has been torn.
Humbled as the veil ripped
Sol 6.1