لوif كانَthere were للدَّارِfor the house نُطقٌspeech سَبَّحَتْit would praise God عَجَباin wonder
لو كانَ للدَّارِ نُطقٌ سَبَّحَتْ عَجَبا
أوor راحةٌa hand's palm صَفَّقتْit would clap منfrom بَهجةٍjoy طَرَباin rapture
أو راحةٌ صَفَّقتْ من بَهجةٍ طَرَبا
Had the house a voice, it would praise God in wonder,
If this abode could speak, it would have marveled in wonder,
Or a hand, it would clap in joyful rapture.
Or clapped in joyous rapture.
قدindeed زارهاvisited it اليومَtoday مَنone who عزَّتit gained honor بزَوْرتِهِthrough his visit
قد زارها اليومَ مَن عزَّت بزَوْرتِهِ
كأنَّهas though he قدhad طَلَىcoated حِيطانَهاits walls ذَهَباgold
كأنَّه قد طَلَى حِيطانَها ذَهَبا
Today it has been visited by one whose visit brought it honor,
For it was visited today by one whose presence honored it,
As though he had coated its walls with gold.
As if its walls were gilded with gold.
كادتalmost منَازِلُهاits chambers تَلقاهُgreet him راقِصةًdancing
كادت منَازِلُها تَلقاهُ راقِصةً
لكنَّهاbut they حَفِظَتْkept قُدَّامهُbefore him الأدَباdecorum
لكنَّها حَفِظَتْ قُدَّامهُ الأدَبا
Its chambers almost greeted him dancing,
Its dwellings almost danced to receive him,
But they kept their decorum in his presence.
Yet kept their dignity before him.
هذاthis الأمينُal-Amin, the trustworthy one الذيwho لُبنانُLebanon فيin يَدِهِhis hand
هذا الأمينُ الذي لُبنانُ في يَدِهِ
أمانةُa trust اللهِof God يَرعاهاhe safeguards it كماas وَجبَاis required
أمانةُ اللهِ يَرعاها كما وَجبَا
This is al-Amin, the trustworthy, in whose hand Lebanon lies—
This trustee, in whose hands is Lebanon,
A trust from God, which he safeguards as duty requires.
Guarding the trust of God as was His due.
ساسَhe governed البِلادَthe land بلُطفٍwith gentleness منfrom خَلائقِهِhis character traits
ساسَ البِلادَ بلُطفٍ من خَلائقِهِ
واللُطفُand gentleness اقطَعُmore cutting منthan سَيفٍa sword لمَنْfor whoever ضَرَباstruck
واللُطفُ اقطَعُ من سَيفٍ لمَنْ ضَرَبا
He governed the land with gentleness drawn from his character,
He ruled the countries with gentle disposition,
And gentleness cuts more keenly than a sword for whoever strikes.
And gentleness that severs better than a sword whoever it struck.
مُبارَكُblessed الوَجهِthe face يأتيcomes الخِصبُabundance حيثُwherever أتىhe came
مُبارَكُ الوَجهِ يأتي الخِصبُ حيثُ أتى
ويَذهَبُand goes السَّعدُgood fortune مَعْهُwith him حيثُماwherever ذَهباhe went
ويَذهَبُ السَّعدُ مَعْهُ حيثُما ذَهبا
Blessed of countenance, abundance comes wherever he comes,
Blessed of face, prosperity comes wherever he came,
And good fortune goes with him wherever he goes.
And good fortune goes with him wherever he went.
يغزوhe battles الخُطوبَcalamities برأيٍwith judgment غيرِnot مُنثلِمٍblunted
يغزو الخُطوبَ برأيٍ غيرِ مُنثلِمٍ
لوif كانَhe were ناراًfire لكانَتْthen they would be عِندَهُbefore him حَطَباfirewood
لو كانَ ناراً لكانَتْ عِندَهُ حَطَبا
He battles calamities with unblunted judgment;
He invades adversities with unyielding wisdom,
Were he fire, they would be firewood before him.
Were it fire, he would have brought timber.
لئنeven if تأخَّرَhe lagged behind فيin أيَّامِهِhis days زَمناًfor a time
لئن تأخَّرَ في أيَّامِهِ زَمناً
فقدyet indeed تَقدَّمَhe advanced فيamong أجيالهِhis generations رُتَباin rank
فقد تَقدَّمَ في أجيالهِ رُتَبا
Though he lagged for a time in the course of his days,
If his days were late in coming,
Yet he has advanced in rank among the generations of his time.
Yet he was early in the line of precedents.
قَدِindeed اختباهُkept him in reserve إلىuntil اليومِtoday الزَّمانُTime كماjust as
قَدِ اختباهُ إلى اليومِ الزَّمانُ كما
يَخْباstores away الحريصُthe provident man إلىuntil الشَيخُوخَةِold age النُخَبَاthe choicest things
يَخْبا الحريصُ إلى الشَيخُوخَةِ النُخَبَا
Time has kept him in reserve until today, just as
Time had yearned for him until this day,
The provident man stores the choicest things away until old age.
As the eager ones yearn for the choicest grapes.
أهدَيتُI offered أبياتَverses شِعريmy poetry مَنto the one بهِin him افتَخَرتْtook pride
أهدَيتُ أبياتَ شِعري مَن بهِ افتَخَرتْ
أبياتُthe chambers داريmy house فظَّنتْso they thought نَفْسَهاthemselves شُهُباshooting stars
أبياتُ داري فظَّنتْ نَفْسَها شُهُبا
I offered my verses to the one who brought pride
I offered verses of my poetry, of which I was proud,
To the chambers of my house, so they deemed themselves shooting stars.
My home’s verses deemed themselves flames.
عَلَّقتُهاI hung them اليومَtoday فيin مِحرابِthe prayer niche دَولتِهhis rule
عَلَّقتُها اليومَ في مِحرابِ دَولتِه
فخراًin pride فباهَيْتُso I vied in boasting فيin تَعليِقهاhanging them العَرَباthe Arabs
فخراً فباهَيْتُ في تَعليِقها العَرَبا
Today I hung them in the prayer niche of his rule,
Today I posted them on the altar of his state,
Proudly, I thus vied with the Arabs in hanging them.
Proudly, and in posting them shone among the Arabs.
Sol 6.1