كَيْفَ قُوِّضْتَ يَا عَلَمْ

وَانْطَوَى ذَلِكَ العَلَمْ

How are you broken, O flag,

As that flag folds,

ثَكِلَ الطَّوْدُ لَيْثَهُ

فَهْوَ فِي مَأْتَمٍ عَمَمْ

The towering mountain laments its lion,

So it is in deep mourning.

لَهْفَ نَفْسِي عَلَى الفَقِي

دِ فَتَى الْبَأْسِ وَالْكَرَمْ

My soul yearns for the virtuous youth,

The brave and noble man.

أَرْوَعٌ وَجْهُهُ أَغَرُّ

وَعِرْنِينُهُ أَشَمْ

His face is most beautiful,

His speech most fragrant.

لَوْ تَجَلَّى إِبَاءُ لُبْنَ

انَ فِي شَخْصِهِ ارْتَسَمْ

If the glory of Lebanon was personified in him,

It would have been embodied.

أَنْصَبَتْ دَمْعَهَا العُيُو

نُ وَلانَتْ صَفَا الأَكَمْ

Eyes rain their tears

And the firm mountains soften.

وَدَجَا فِي القُلُوبِ صُبْحُ الْ

أَمَانِي وَادْلَهَمّْ

And the dawn of hopes shines

In hearts and thoughts.

مَنْ تُرَى بَعْدَ خَطْبِهِ

حَامِلاً ذَلِكَ الْقَلَمْ

Who after him

Will wield that pen,

قَلَمَ النَّاصِحِ الْجَرْي

ءِ الَّذِي يُوقِظُ الْهِمَمْ

The pen of the candid adviser

That awakens determination,

أَلصَّريحِ الَّذِي إِذَا

نَاصَرَ الْحَقَّ مَا احْتَشَمْ

The pen of the outspoken

That reveals injustice when supporting truth.

كَانَ فِي المَعْرِضِ السِّرَا

جَ الَّذِي يَكْشِفُ الظُّلَمْ

Pure in opinion, never

Placing himself in suspicion's position.

طَاهِرَ الرَّأْيِ لَمْ يَضَعْ

نَفْسَهُ مَوْضِعَ التُّهَمْ

Balanced in action, his values

Weighed when values are weighed.

رَاجِحَ الفِعْلِ قِيمَةً

عِنْدَ مَا تُوزَنُ الْقِيَمْ

He taught the people how

Pacts are honored and commitments kept.

عَلَّمَ الشَّعْبَ كَيْفَ تُرْ

عَى عُهُودٌ وَتُلْتَزَمْ

He taught the people that whoever

Dislikes tyranny does not oppress.

عَلَّمَ الشَّعْبَ أَنَّ مَنْ

كَرِهَ الضَّيْمَ لَمْ يَضُمْ

He taught the people how

Ideals are attained and summits stormed.

عَلَّمَ الشَّعْبَ كَيْفَ تُرْ

قَى المَعَالِي وَتُقْتَحَمْ

He taught the people that

Cowardice's miserable end is regret.

عَلَّمَ الشَّعْبَ أَنَّ لِلْ

جُبْنِ غِبّاً هُوَ النَّدَمْ

He taught the people that a free man

Is worth a thousand slaves.

عَلَّمَ الشَّعْبَ أَنَّ حُرّاً

بِأَلْفٍ مِنَ الْخَدَمْ

He taught the people that with determination

What fate dictates can be matched.

عَلَّمَ الشَّعْبَ أَنَّ بِالسَّ

عْيِ مَا يَعْدِلُ القِسَمْ

A guardian like him, if

The nation bows, it will rise.

صُحُفِيٌّ بِمِثْلِهِ

إِنْ كَبَتْ تَنْهَضُ الأُمَمْ

A deputy who awakened fervor

And from truth did not sleep.

نَائِبٌ أَيْقَظَ الْحِمَى

وَعَنِ الْحَقِّ لَمْ يَنَمْ

Firm in peril, ascendant

At the highest of peaks.

رَابِطُ الْجَأْشِ ثَابِتٌ

وَهْوَ فِي أَرْفَعِ الْقِمَمْ

He was not the cunning

Minister who rouses resentment.

لَمْ يَكُنْ ذَلِكَ الْوَزِي

رِ الَّذِي يَحْفِزُ الذِّمَمْ

Deceiving the people with pretense

And what is underneath the surface.

يَخْدَعُ النَّاسَ بِالْبُرو

قِ وَمَا تَحْتَهَا دِيَمْ

But when the Most High's decree descends

And He does not toss,

فَإِذَا أَدْرَكَ المَرَا

مَ تَعَالَى وَلَمْ يَرِمْ

After Zakkour who can

Match the lion's leap into the fray,

بَعْدَ زَكُّورَ مَنْ لَهُ

وَثْبَةُ اللَّيْثِ فِي الْقُحَمْ

And who has the insight of the wise

When making the choice.

وَلَهُ صَوْلَةُ المُطَا

عِ اخْتِيَاراً إِذَا حَكَمْ

A breeze humbling the winds,

For the resolute and firm.

لأُولِي العَزْمِ وَالنُّهَى

نَسَمٌ تُخْضِعُ النَّسَمْ

The people have no leader

Guiding with truth, though some pretend.

لَيْسَ لِلشَّعْبِ قَائِداً

بِالهُدَى كُلُّ مَنْ زَعَمْ

And most beloved are those who shepherd

Nations, after shepherding sacred bounds.

وَأَحَبُّ الأُولَى رَعَوْا

أُمَماً مَنْ رَعَى الحُرَمْ

I lament a family

Whose firm pillar collapsed.

أَنَا أَرْثِي لأُسْرَةٍ

رُكْنُهَا الرَّاسِخُ انْهَدَمْ

A loyal wife

Whose rope of hope snapped.

وَلِزَوْجٍ وَفِيَّةٍ

حَبْلُ آمَالِهَا انْفَصَمْ

And little children

Stung by the pain of orphanhood.

وَصِغَارٍ يُحَنَّكُو

نَ بِصَابٍ مِنَ اليَتَمْ

Then I complain, anguished,

Of the pain I suffer.

ثُمَّ أَشْكُو مُفَجَّعاً

مَا أُعَانِي مِنَ الأَلَمْ

He was a bosom friend I lost,

So I lost boundless bounty.

هُوَ خِدْنٌ فَقَدْتُهُ

فَقَدْ مَأْثُورَةِ النِّعَمْ

My solace when distant,

My joy when nearby.

كَانَ شَجْوِي إِذَا نَأَى

وَسُرُورِي إِذَا أَلَمْ

O you who deny the moon

Can be diminished, beware!

أَيُّهَا المُنْكِرُونَ أَنْ

يَنْقُصَ الْبَدْرُ تَمّْ

No blame, as this

Is the way of fate since ancient times.

لا عِتَابٌ وَهَذِهِ

سُنَّةُ الدَّهْرِ مِنْ قِدَمْ

Michel aimed for a goal

That whoever contended, collided.

رامَ مِيشَالُ غَايَةً

مَنْ تَصَدَّى لَهَا ارْتَطَمْ

Liberating a homeland is not

Easy for whoever pretends.

لَيْسَ تَحْرِيرُ مَوْطِنٍ

بِيَسِيرٍ لِمَنْ زَعَمْ

Except by both parties spending wealth

And shedding blood,

دُونَهُ الْحَازِبَانِ مِنْ

بَذْلِ مَالٍ وَسَفْكِ دَمْ

Or a sudden onslaught

With no warning or illness.

أَوْ حِمَامٌ مُفَاجِيءٌ

لا نَذِيرٌ وَلا سَقَمْ

The departed persevered stubbornly

Without wearying.

شَدَّ مَا كَابَدَ الْفَقِي

دُ دَؤُوباً بِلا سَأَمْ

Certain that the life of ignominy

Is not better than oblivion.

مُوقِناً أَنَّ عِيشَةَ الذَّ

لِّ لا تَفْضُلُ الْعَدَمْ

So he passed while exerting himself

And what he sought were nations.

فَقَضَى وَهْوَ فِي الْجِهَا

دِ وَمَطْلُوبُهُ أَمَمْ

With his soul, then with his soul

He began life and ended it.

بِالْفِدَى ثُمَّ بِالفِدَى

بَدَأَ الْعُمْرَ واخْتَتَمْ

So his share today

Is of eternity and glory.

فَلَهُ الْيَوْمَ قِسْطُهُ

مِنْ خُلودٍ وَمِنْ عِظَمْ