لكلِ كَرامةٍ زَمَنٌ يَعُودُ

لكلِ كَرامةٍ زَمَنٌ يَعُودُ

كما يَخَضَرُّ بَعدَ اليُبسِ عُودُ

كما يَخَضَرُّ بَعدَ اليُبسِ عُودُ

Every honor has a season that returns,

For every dignity there is a time that will return

as a branch turns green after drying.

Just as the dry wood becomes green again

وإِنَّ الدَّهرَ يَبخُلُ بعدَ جُودٍ

وإِنَّ الدَّهرَ يَبخُلُ بعدَ جُودٍ

وبعدَ البُخْلِ ننظُرُهُ يجودُ

وبعدَ البُخْلِ ننظُرُهُ يجودُ

And time grows miserly after being generous,

And time is miserly after generosity

and after miserliness we see it give freely.

But after miserliness we see it become generous

لَئِنْ فاتَ البِلادَ قديمُ عَصرٍ

لَئِنْ فاتَ البِلادَ قديمُ عَصرٍ

فها قد جاءَها عَصرٌ جديدُ

فها قد جاءَها عَصرٌ جديدُ

Though an ancient age has departed from the land,

If the country missed an old era

behold, a new age has come to it.

And if the Shouf region suffered in the past

وإِن شَقيَتْ بلادُ الشُّوفِ قدْماً

وإِن شَقيَتْ بلادُ الشُّوفِ قدْماً

فإِنَّ اليومَ صاحبَها سَعِيدُ

فإِنَّ اليومَ صاحبَها سَعِيدُ

And if the land of the Chouf once suffered,

Today its ruler is fortunate

then today its lord is Sa'id.

A generous man whose fame amongst people was celebrated

كريمٌ شادَ بينَ الناسِ ذِكراً

كريمٌ شادَ بينَ الناسِ ذِكراً

بهِ الآباءُ تَحْيا والجُدُودُ

بهِ الآباءُ تَحْيا والجُدُودُ

A generous man who established renown among the people,

With him the forefathers live on and ancestry endures

through which fathers and grandfathers live on.

He brought back to us the good news and that was not enough for him

أَعادَ لنا البشيرَ وما كفاهُ

أَعادَ لنا البشيرَ وما كفاهُ

فكانَ على مُجرَّدِهِ يَزيدُ

فكانَ على مُجرَّدِهِ يَزيدُ

He restored Bashir to us, yet that did not suffice him;

So he exceeded it in his selfless service

so he went on surpassing Bashir himself.

We knew him from afar but

عَرَفناهُ على بُعدٍ ولكنْ

عَرَفناهُ على بُعدٍ ولكنْ

تَعاظَمَ إذ دَنا ذاكَ البَعيدُ

تَعاظَمَ إذ دَنا ذاكَ البَعيدُ

We knew him from afar, and yet

That stranger became greater as he came near

he grew greater when that distant man drew near.

Hearsay did not lie about him but

وما كَذَبَ السَّماعُ بهِ ولكنْ

وما كَذَبَ السَّماعُ بهِ ولكنْ

تَزَكَّتْ عِندَ رُؤيتِهِ الشُّهودُ

تَزَكَّتْ عِندَ رُؤيتِهِ الشُّهودُ

And what we heard of him was no lie, yet

In seeing him testimonies became purified

at the sight of him, the witnesses proved trustworthy.

A chief of the clans of Qais

رئيسٌ في عَشائِرِ آلِ قيسٍ

رئيسٌ في عَشائِرِ آلِ قيسٍ

تَسِيرُ لَدَى مَواكِبِهِ البُنودُ

تَسِيرُ لَدَى مَواكِبِهِ البُنودُ

A chief among the clans of the House of Qays,

Walking with dignity amongst his entourage

the banners march alongside his processions.

He kindles fire in peace and war

يَشُبُّ النَّارَ في سِلْمٍ وحَرْبٍ

يَشُبُّ النَّارَ في سِلْمٍ وحَرْبٍ

وفي الحالَيْنِ ليسَ لها خُمُودُ

وفي الحالَيْنِ ليسَ لها خُمُودُ

He kindles the fire in peace and war,

And in both he is never extinguished

and in both states it never dies out.

He is the pillar without which

هُوَ الرُّكنُ الذي لولاهُ كادتْ

هُوَ الرُّكنُ الذي لولاهُ كادتْ

قواعدُ طُورِ لُبنانٍ تَميدُ

قواعدُ طُورِ لُبنانٍ تَميدُ

He is the pillar without whom

The foundations of Mount Lebanon would crumble

the foundations of Mount Lebanon would nearly sway.

If the Shouf region is called

إذا كانتْ بِلادُ الشُّوفِ تُدعَى

إذا كانتْ بِلادُ الشُّوفِ تُدعَى

جَوانِبَ خَيمةٍ فَهُوَ العَمودُ

جَوانِبَ خَيمةٍ فَهُوَ العَمودُ

If the land of the Chouf is called

The sides of a tent, he is its pillar

the sides of a tent, then he is its pole.