قَد أَسفَرَ البدرُ الظّريفُ
وتظاهر الحسْنُ الطريف
The bright full moon has risen
And beautiful features have appeared
وَالضّوءُ كانَ عَلامَةً
في أَنّه البدرُ الشَّريف
The light was a sign
That it is the noble full moon
وَتَزاهَرَت زُهرُ السّما
وَتَراقَصَت ولَها دَليف
The flowers of the sky have blossomed
And they sway with allure
وَتَبلَّج الصّبحُ الصّبي
حُ بِوَجهِهِ يَعلو الرّفيف
The radiant dawn has smiled
With a face above the gentle breeze
وَسَطا عَلى جَيشِ الدّجى
فَتَلامَعَت مِنهُ السّيوف
It has advanced upon the army of darkness
So swords flashed from it
وَالفجرُ قَد فَجرَ الدّجى
فَعَنِ النّهار هوَ الكَشوف
And dawn has broken the darkness
Revealing the day
وَلَكم تَغَنّى بِالغصو
نِ مِنَ الصَّبا الريحُ العَصوف
And how the zealous wind sang
With the whistling branches
وَتَهلّلَت بَيروتُنا
وَتَخضَّبَت مِنها الكفوف
Our Beirut has sparkled
And hands have been stained by it
وَتَطوَّقَت عقدَ السّرو
ر وفوقَه منه الشّنوف
It has been adorned with a necklace of cypress
With pine above it
وَتَشرَّفَت إذ حلَّها
بدرٌ يناقضُه الخُسوف
When a full moon visited it
That opposes the eclipse
شَمسُ المَعالي وَالكَما
لِ وَلا مِثالَ وَلا كُسوف
The sun of glory and perfection
With no equal or eclipse
الجَوهَرُ الفَردُ الّذي
سُرُرُ المعالِ لَهُ ظُروف
The unique gem
Whose nobility has conditions
مَن لا تُعادِلُه الألو
فُ فَلا تعدُّ بِهِ الأُلوف
One whom multitudes do not equal
So do not count him among thousands
ما الشَّمسُ تَعدِلُها النّجو
مُ فَلا تَكُنْ مِمَّنْ يَحيف
The sun does not equal him
So do not be one who is unjust
الماجِدُ الصدرُ الرّحي
بُ خِباؤُهُ السّامي المنيف
The glorious, generous breast
His hidden self is high and supple
السّيّدُ العالي الذُّرى
وَالكيِّسُ الحالي الظّريف
The supreme master
And the wise judge
العالِمُ الفَذُّ الّذي
فيهِ اِعتَلى الدينُ الحَنيف
The prominent scholar
In whom the true religion was exalted
الجَهبَذُ الحَبْرُ الإِما
مُ مَنِ اِقْتَدَتْ فيهِ الصّفوف
The prodigious expert, the immense scholar
Whom ranks have imitated
الكامِلُ البحرُ البسي
طُ حَلا بِهِ البحرُ الخَفيف
The complete sea, the lucid pool
The sea was mixed with it gently
رَوضُ الفَضائِلِ وَالنّدى
فَلَكَم دَنَت مِنهُ القُطوف
A meadow of virtues and dew
How the twigs have bent over it
هوَ كَعبَةُ الجودِ الّتي
فيها يُطافُ وَلا تَطوف
It is the Kaaba of munificence
Which is circumambulated but does not circumambulate
يَسعى لَها رَكبُ الوُفو
دِ يَؤمُّ ساحَتَها الضّيوف
The caravan of seekers travels to it
And guests fill its field
وَهُناكَ طابَ عَلى المُقا
مِ لَها الشّتاءُ كَذا المَصيف
There, winter and summer,
Have been pleasant in the dwelling
الأَهيَبُ الفَخمُ الوَقو
رُ وَإِنّهُ الشّهمُ الرّؤوف
The awe-inspiring, splendid pillar
He is the magnanimous, compassionate one
الأُسْدُ مِنهُ لِخَوفها
ما بَينَ أَيديهِ وُقوفُ
The lion, in fear of it
Stands still before it
وَهوَ الأَمينُ وَكَم بِهِ
زالَ الخِيانةُ وَالمخيف
And he is the trustee, through whom
Betrayal and terror have vanished
مِن طَبعِهِ الطبعُ السّلي
مُ وَإِنّه الطّبعُ اللّطيف
From his nature comes a peaceful nature
He has a gentle disposition
الشّاعِرُ الفَحلٌ البلي
غُ وَمَن لَه قسٌّ وَصيف
The accomplished poet, the eloquent one
Who has a powerful, swift style
رَبُّ القَوافي وَالبيا
نِ وَمَن لَهُ النّظمُ الرّصيف
The lord of rhyme and expression
Whose prosody is well-arranged
لا بِدعَ لَو خَطَفَ العُقو
لَ فَإِنّهُ السّحر الخَطوف
It would not be hyperbole if minds were captivated
For his is sorcery that captivates
أَقلامُهُ سُمر القَنا
بِسنانِها تَبدو الحُروف
His pens are the hyacinth’s stalk
With teeth through which letters appear
وَحُروفُها ظلّ المَعا
نِ وَإِنّه الظلُّ الوَريف
And its letters are the shadow of meaning
A gentle, prestigious shadow
وَشَرابُها مِسكُ الوِدا
دِ وَإِنّه المِسكُ الشّريف
Its drink is the musk of affection
A noble, prestigious musk
بِلِسانِها تَبدو الحتو
فُ وفي الظُّبى تبدو الحُتوف
With it words appear enchanting
And in wild places appear enchantments
ما هَزَّها في كاغدٍ
إِلّا وَذَلَّ لَها السّيوف
When set down on paper
Even swords are humbled by it
وَلَكَم لِشِدّةِ بَأسِها
قَد هابَها مَتنٌ وَشوف
And how often, because of the intensity of its might
Have compositions and odes recoiled
وَإِلَيك بِكراً غادَةً
يا أَيّها المَولى العَطوف
And to you, in the morning, a gift has come
O most generous, compassionate patron
أَهدَيتَني بَحرَ النّدى
بِكراً تُزانُ بِها الشّنوف
You have gifted me an ocean of dew
A gift that equals cypresses
مُختالَة في مَشيِها
مِن حُسنِها أَضحَت تزيف
Walking proudly
Her beauty made her sway
أَخدَمتها بِقَصيدةٍ
جِسم البديعِ بِها نَحيف
I have served it with a poem
Whose slender form contains splendor
فَاِعذُر لِفِكرٍ زَفّها
إِذ أَنَّهُ الفِكر الضّعيف
So excuse the mind that presented it
Since it is a weak mind
وَاِسلَم وَدُم بِالعزِّ ما
قَد أَسفَرَ البدرُ الظّريف
And submit, and persist in glory, for
The bright full moon has risen
