هكذا هكذا وإلا فلا لا

هكذا هكذا وإلا فلا لا

ليسَ كُلُّ الرِّجالِ تُدعى رِجالا

ليسَ كُلُّ الرِّجالِ تُدعى رِجالا

Thus, thus—or else, no, no!

So, and only so - not otherwise, not otherwise

Not all men can be called men.

Not all men are called men

هكذا من وَفَى وبرَّ وصافَى

هكذا من وَفَى وبرَّ وصافَى

فاعلاً في غدٍ كما أمسِ قالا

فاعلاً في غدٍ كما أمسِ قالا

Such is one who keeps faith, does good, and is sincere in friendship,

So for him who fulfils and acts kindly and purely

Acting tomorrow as he said yesterday.

Active tomorrow as he said yesterday

جادَ قومٌ بالمَكرُماتِ لِساناً

جادَ قومٌ بالمَكرُماتِ لِساناً

ففتلنا منَ الهَباءِ حِبالا

ففتلنا منَ الهَباءِ حِبالا

Some people lavished noble favors in words,

Some promised goodness with their tongues

So we twisted ropes out of dust.

So we reaped from mere vapor, ropes

زرعوا الوعدَ في أراضي مِطالٍ

زرعوا الوعدَ في أراضي مِطالٍ

فحصدنا من المُحالِ مُحالا

فحصدنا من المُحالِ مُحالا

They sowed promises in fields of delay,

They sowed promises in the fields of procrastination

So we reaped impossibility from impossibility.

So we harvested from the impossible, the impossible

ما لخُرْشيدَ في الكِرامِ مثالٌ

ما لخُرْشيدَ في الكِرامِ مثالٌ

مَن تُراهُ للشَّمسِ يبغي مِثالا

مَن تُراهُ للشَّمسِ يبغي مِثالا

Khurshid has no equal among the generous.

What example of generosity does the Pleiades have

Who, do you suppose, seeks an equal to the sun?

Who do you see seeking an example for the sun

حافِظُ العَهدِ للصَّديقِ أمينٌ

حافِظُ العَهدِ للصَّديقِ أمينٌ

صادقٌ يُتبِعُ المَقالَ فَعالا

صادقٌ يُتبِعُ المَقالَ فَعالا

Trustworthy, he keeps his pledge to his friend;

The keeper of the covenant to a friend is trustworthy

Truthful, he follows his words with deeds.

Truthful, matching words with deeds

ناظِرُ المالِ نظرةٌ منهُ تُغني النْ

ناظِرُ المالِ نظرةٌ منهُ تُغني النْ

نَاسَ حتَّى تكونَ للنَّاسِ مالا

نَاسَ حتَّى تكونَ للنَّاسِ مالا

Overseer of wealth—a glance from him enriches

The one who looks at wealth with a look that enriches people

The people, until it becomes wealth for them.

Until it becomes for people, wealth

هِيَ إكسيرُنا الذي حيثما صا

هِيَ إكسيرُنا الذي حيثما صا

دَفَ صُفراً إلى النُّضارِ استحالا

دَفَ صُفراً إلى النُّضارِ استحالا

It is our elixir: wherever it encounters

It is our elixir which wherever it flowed

Brass, the brass turns into pure gold.

Yellowness turned into freshness

ضابطٌ كلَّ ما تولَّى بعينٍ

ضابطٌ كلَّ ما تولَّى بعينٍ

منهُ تطوي أبصارُها الأميالا

منهُ تطوي أبصارُها الأميالا

He masters all he undertakes with an eye

A ruler whose every undertaking is with an eye

Of his, whose glances fold up the miles,

That makes sights fold miles

ويمينٍ تكون كلُّ يمينٍ

ويمينٍ تكون كلُّ يمينٍ

عند أَعمالِها لديها شِمالا

عند أَعمالِها لديها شِمالا

And with a right hand—every other right hand becomes

And a hand that makes each oath

A left beside it when it acts.

To have for it a left hand when it acts

ويحَ بيروتَ ما اعتراها من الغَمْ

ويحَ بيروتَ ما اعتراها من الغَمْ

مِ الذي عمَّ سهلَها والجِبالا

مِ الذي عمَّ سهلَها والجِبالا

Alas for Beirut! What grief has overtaken her,

Woe to Beirut and what has afflicted it

Engulfing her plain and mountains!

From grief that filled its plains and mountains

لو دَرَى ماؤُها بما هيَ فيهِ

لو دَرَى ماؤُها بما هيَ فيهِ

جفَّ أو صخرُها لَذابَ وسَالا

جفَّ أو صخرُها لَذابَ وسَالا

If her water knew what she endures,

If its water knew what it was in

It would dry up—or, if her rock knew, it would melt and flow.

It would dry up or its rocks would melt and flow

غابَ عنها مَن ذِكرُهُ دامَ فيها

غابَ عنها مَن ذِكرُهُ دامَ فيها

وثَناهُ يطولُ ما الدَّهرُ طَالا

وثَناهُ يطولُ ما الدَّهرُ طَالا

Gone from her is he whose remembrance endures within her,

Missing from it is he whose memory lasted in it

And praise of him endures as long as time endures.

And whose praise is long as long as time continues

ذاكَ شمسٌ حلَّت زماناً فغابت

ذاكَ شمسٌ حلَّت زماناً فغابت

وكذا الشَّمسُ نَزْلةً واُنتقالا

وكذا الشَّمسُ نَزْلةً واُنتقالا

He is a sun that dwelt awhile, then set;

That was a sun which once rose and then set

And so it is with the sun: a sojourn and a departure.

And so is the sun's rising and descent

إنَّ عبدَ العزيزِ رأسٌ تولَّى

إنَّ عبدَ العزيزِ رأسٌ تولَّى

من ذويهِ الأعضاءَ والأوصالا

من ذويهِ الأعضاءَ والأوصالا

Indeed, Abd al-Aziz is a head that governs

Indeed, Abdulaziz is a head which assumed

The limbs and joints among his own people.

From his own, the limbs and joints

مَلِكٌ يقهرُ الأُلوفَ إذا قا

مَلِكٌ يقهرُ الأُلوفَ إذا قا

مَ ويُعطِي الأُلوفَ رِزقاً حَلالا

مَ ويُعطِي الأُلوفَ رِزقاً حَلالا

A king who subdues thousands when he rises,

A king who overwhelms thousands when he stands

And grants thousands lawful sustenance.

And gives thousands lawful sustenance

أيُّ شُكرٍ بهِ أَقومُ لقَومٍ

أيُّ شُكرٍ بهِ أَقومُ لقَومٍ

حمَّلوني من الجميلِ جِبالا

حمَّلوني من الجميلِ جِبالا

What thanks can I render to people

What gratitude can I perform for a people

Who have laden me with mountains of kindness?

Who have loaded me with good, mountains

هم لعَمري من أحسنِ النَّاسِ فِعلاً

هم لعَمري من أحسنِ النَّاسِ فِعلاً

جعلوني من أحسنِ النَّاسِ حالا

جعلوني من أحسنِ النَّاسِ حالا

They, by my life, are among the best of people in deeds;

By my life, they are of the best people in deed

They have made me one of the most fortunate of people.

They have made me of the best people in state