وشاحُكَ فخرٌ في الأنام جليلُ

وتاجُكَ عزٌّ في الشعوب أصيلُ

Your veil is pride among people, glorious,

And your crown is might among nations, noble.

أيا شَعبَ مارونَ الذي قام أُسُّهُ

على صخرة الإيمان وهو صقيل

O people of Maron, whose founder

Stood on the rock of faith, smooth and polished.

فإيمانه ينبيك عنه اتحادُه

ببطرس والأعمالُ فيه دليل

For his faith indicates to you his unity

With Peter, and his deeds are evidence.

فما وطئته قطُّ أقدامُ بدعةٍ

ولا ضل منه حيث كان سليل

The feet of heresy never trod him,

Nor did any stray where he was a descendant.

ولا شانه مذ قام تعليم مُفسدٍ

ولا غشه في النائبات عذول

Nor did the teaching of a corrupter touch him

Nor did he incline in deputies to injustice.

ولا قال لا أرضى تعاليم بُطرسٍ

وما جاءنا بالبينات رسول

Nor did he say: “I do not accept the teachings of Peter

And what the Messenger brought us in proofs.”

ولا قال إني خائفٌ عند طاعتي

وفي الناس منهم قاتلٌ وقتيل

Nor did he say: “I fear when obeying,

And among the people are some who kill and are killed.”

ولم يغوه قولُ المماذق خادعاً

رويدَك إن تكفرْ فأنت خليل

And the saying of deceitful hypocrites did not tempt him:

“Go slowly, if you disbelieve, you will be a friend.”

ولم يَستعن إيمانُه سيفَ كافرٍ

كما يستعين الغير وهو ذليل

And his faith did not seek the aid of an infidel’s sword,

As others seek aid, while humiliated.

على أنه باللَه أصبحَ ظافراً

بأعدائه واللَهُ فيه وكيل

But he became victorious over his enemies by God,

And God was his protector.

وفاز من المولى ببرٍّ ونعمةٍ

كما فاز بالآلاء إسرائيل

And he attained from the Lord righteousness and bounty,

As Israel attained grace.

وجاءته منه بالبشائر رحمة

كما جاء بالتبشير جبرائيل

And mercy came to him with good tidings,

As Gabriel brought glad tidings.

فغارَ على حفظ الوداد لربه

كما غار نحو اللَه ميخائيل

So he was jealous in keeping affection for his Lord,

As Michael was jealous for God.

وذا نُجحُهُ أعمال برٍّ موطَّدٍ

ومَسندُه التوراة والإنجيل

And this, his success, is deeds of firm righteousness,

Supported by the Torah and the Gospel.

فلا تخشَ يا سِرباً صغيراً لأنه

مقامك في ملك السماء جليل

So do not fear, O little flock, for your place

In the kingdom of Heaven is glorious.

لأن صغير الدر يفضل قيمةً

على المعدن المسبوك وهو ثقيل

For the small pearl exceeds in value

The molded metal, though it be heavy.

يَشينُ حسودٌ أصلَنا فتَزينُه

مآثرُنا إن الفعال أصول

An envious person maligns our origin, but

Our achievements adorn it. Verily deeds are roots.

فما شينَ أيوبٌ لخسَّةِ أصله

ولا زين إسرائيل وهو أصيل

Job was not disgraced due to the lowness of his origin,

Nor was Israel adorned, though he was noble.

ولو كان عزُّ المرء عِلَّةَ أصله

لما كان جاء الفادي وهو ذليل

Had a person's honor been due to his lineage,

The Redeemer would not have come, while humiliated.

يُعيِّرنا أنّا قليلٌ عديدنا

وقد فاته أنَّ الكرام قليل

He reproaches us for being few in number,

Though the noble ones are few.

ويَثلبُنا أنّا نحبُّ عدوَّنا

وقد فاته أن الأمين فضيل

And he backbites us for loving our enemy,

Though loyalty is a virtue that escaped him.

ويَعذلنا أنّا نفي بعهودنا

وقد فاته أن الوفاء جميل

And he blames us for being true to our covenants,

Though faithfulness is beautiful, and he knows not.

وينقم منا أن نقوم بودنا

ولم يدر أن الود ذا إكليل

And he resents that we keep our affection,

Unaware that affection bears a crown.

ويوسعنا وهماً بعجزٍ يُكِلُّنا

ولم يدر إِنَّ لسانَه لَكليل

And he imagines our weakness makes us helpless,

Not knowing his own tongue is helpless.

وما ضرنا منه سوى أن كيده

يُذيع مزايانا وهُوَّ خَذيل

And he has not harmed us, except that his deceit

Spreads our virtues, while he remains despised.

كبلعامَ لما قال أنت مباركٌ

ونسلُك يا يعقوب إسرائيل

Like Balaam, when he said "You are blessed

And your offspring, O Israel."

ويَنشرُ من آدابنا وهو صادقٌ

على أن شانَ الأكثرين ذليل

And he spreads our morals, while truthful,

That the ways of the masses are despised.

فهذا هو الشعب الجليل بفضله

وكلٌّ سواه فضلةٌ وفُضول

This is the glorious people, by their merit,

While all others are excess and superfluous.

إذا اشتغل الحسّاد عنا بدائهم

فنحن لنفع الحاسدين نَجول

When the envious are preoccupied with their own affliction,

We go about benefiting the envious.

فقلَّتُنا تنبي بصدق انتخابنا

وكُثْرُهُم يُنفَى وهوَّ رذيل

Our fewness indicates the sincerity of our election,

While their multitude is denied, and it is vile.

كالشمس إلّا أنها لمنيرةٌ

كالنجم إلّا أنَّه لضئيل

Like the sun, except that it is illuminating,

Like a star, except that it is small.

كذا نحن ثمَّ الغيرُ ما بين معشرٍ

رأوا نورنا لا يعتريه أفول

So we are, then the rest, between a group

Who saw our light, not subject to setting.

ولا عيب فينا غيرَ أن لساننا

به عن مذمّات الأنام فلول

We have no fault other than our tongue,

With which we avoid the reproaches of people.

ولا فضل إلا وهو فينا متمَّمٌ

ونحن بإحكام الأمور كهول

Every merit is perfected in us,

And we are mature in commanding matters.

تذل الجبال الراسيات لحلمنا

فيندك منه ظالمٌ وجهول

Steadfast mountains bow to our forbearance,

So the unjust collapse from it, ignorant.

وتُفحِمُ أربابَ العقول علومُنا

فيُخمَلُ منها عالمٌ وفضيل

Our knowledge silences the intelligent,

So the scholar is perplexed by it.

فنحن بنو بيت الإله وإننا

ذوو الإرث أما غيرنا فدخيل

For we are the house of God, and we

Are the heirs; as for others, they are newcomers.

ونحن بنو مارون بكرِ ابن مريمٍ

وبِكرٌ لبِكرٍ أُمُّه لَبتول

We are the Maronites, first-born of Mary’s son,

And the first-born’s mother was a virgin.

ولا غرو أن البكر يفضُلُ إرثُه

على الدون كالصنديد حين يصول

It is no wonder the first-born’s inheritance

Excels the lesser ones, as the torrent surges.