دَعْ مَا ظَفِرْتَ بِهِ مِنَ الأَزْهَارِ

وَخُذِ الْكرِيمَةَ مِنْ يَدِ الزَّهَّارِ

Leave what flowers you have grasped,

And take the generous one from the florist's hand.

حَسْنَاءَ قَدْ عَقَدُوا نَظَائِرَهَا لهَا

تاجاً وَهُنَّ وَلائِدُ الأَسْحَارِ

They have made for the beautiful one her like

A crown, and they are the new moons of the dawn.

يَا أَيهَا الإِلْفانِ قَدْ أَزْمَعْتُمَا

سَفَراً وَطِيبُ النَّفْسِ فِي الأَسْفَارِ

O two companions, you have intended

A journey, and a good soul on journeys,

فتَوَلَّيَا تَرْعَاكُمَا عَيْنُ الَّذِي

هُوَ فِي الْوُجُودِ مُصَرِّفُ الأَقْدَارِ

May the eye of Him who

In existence disposes fates watch over you.

وتَلقَّيا فِي بَعْلَبَكَّ مَحَبَّةً

وَكرَامَةً مِنْ أُمَّة أَبْرَارِ

And may you find in Baalbek love

And bounty from a nation of the devout.

إِنِّي لأَهْوى بَعْلَبَكَّ وَأَهْلَهَا

أَوَلا وَهُمْ أَهْلِي وَتِلْكَ دِيَاري

I do yearn for Baalbek and its people

Foremost, and they are my people and that is my home.

وَأُحِبُّ فِتْيَتَهَا الكِرَامَ فإِنَّهُمْ

سُمَحَاءُ فِي الإِعْلانِ وَالإِسْرَارِ

And I love its generous youths, for they

Are easygoing in public and private.

يَسْعَوْنَ بَيْنَ يَديْكمُا وَهُمُ الأُولى

يسْعَى الْكِبَارُ لَهُمْ مِنَ الإِكْبَارِ

They hasten before you, though the elders

Hasten to them out of reverence.

وَيقَابِلُونَكِ يَا عَرُوسَ عَزِيزِهِمْ

بِعَفَافِ أَطْفَالٍ وَرِفْقِ كِبارِ

And they receive you, O precious bride,

With the chastity of children and the gentleness of elders.

ويُسَيِّجونَكِ فِي المَسِيرِ كرَامَةً

وَتَجِلَّةً لكِ بِالْقنا الْخَطّارِ

And they guard you on the march out of chivalry

And veneration for you with sharp swords.

وَيُكَلِّلُونَكِ بِالنِّصالِ تَشابَكَتْ

كَمِظَلَّةٍ صُنِعَتْ مِنَ الأنْوَارِ

And they crown you with intertwined blades

Like a canopy made of lights.

هَذِي هِيَ الدَّارُ الَّتِي اسْتوْطَنْتِهَا

وَأُولَئِكَ الأَمْجَاد أَهْلُ الدَّارِ

This is the house you inhabited

And those glories are the people of the house.

رُدِّي لَهَا عَهْدَ السَّرُورِ وَجَدِّدِيْ

عَزْمَ الشَّبابِ لِعَاثِرِ الآثارِ

Give it back the era of joy and renew

The resolve of youth for the trace of ruins.

وتَفَقَّدِي تِلْكَ المَعَابِدَ وَاسْأَلِي

فِيهَا الصَّدَى عَنْ صامِتِ الأَسْرَارِ

And inquire in those temples

And ask the echo about the taciturn secrets.

تَرَى الأَوَالِهَ وَالمُلُوكَ وَكُلَّ ذِي

عِلْمٍٍ وَكُلَّ مُحَنَّك جَبَّارِ

You will see the notables, kings and all who

Have knowledge and every formidable tyrant

يَتَحَرَّكُون على انْتِقالِ ظِلالِهِمْ

وَكَأَنَّهمْ وَثَبُوا مِنَ الأَحْجَارِ

Moving at the transition of their shadows

As if they sprang from the stones.

فإِذا هُم ضَحِكوا إِلَيْكِ وَأَبْرَقَتْ

فِيهِمْ أَسَارِيرٌ لِلاسْتِبْشارِ

So they smile at you and flashes of joy

Beam at you from them.

كُونِي لَهُمْ أَمَلاً بِأَنَّ بَنِيكِ لا

يَدَعُونُ كُسْوَتَهُمْ غُبَارَ الْعَارِ

Be for them a hope that your children will not

Let their garments be the dust of disgrace.

وَإِذَا تَفقَّدْتِ الدُّمَى وَعَجِبْتِ مِنْ

تِلْكَ المَحَاسِنِ فِتْنَةِ النُّظارِ

And when you examine the statues and wonder at

Those beauties, the seductions of the onlookers,

أَلْفَيْتِهِنَّ لَبِسْنَ مِنَ فَوْقِ الْبِلى

حُلَلاً مُذَهَّبةً مِنَ الأَنْوَارِ

You will find them wearing, above decay,

Robes gilded with light.