أحَنَنْتَ مِنْ شَوْقٍ إِلَى لُبْنَانِ

وَارَحْمَتَا لَكَ مِنْ رَمِيمٍ عَانِ

You languished in yearning for Lebanon

And had mercy on a wretch in pain

شَوْقٌ تُكابِدُهُ وَيَثْوِي مِنْكَ فِي

مَثْوَى الرُّؤى مِنْ مُهْجَةِ الْوَسْنَانِ

A yearning you endure as it finds refuge

In the abode of visions, from the tenderness of beauty

جُسُّوا مِظَنَّةَ حِسِّهِ أَفَنَابِضٌ

فِيهَا فُؤَادُ مُتَيَّمٍ وَلْهَانِ

They examined the place of his passion - is there

Within it a throbbing heart, humble and subdued?

وَاسْتَطْلِعُوا الرَّسْمَ المُحِيلَ فَهَلْ بِهِ

يَوْمَ المَآبِ لِقُرَّة عَيْنَانِ

And they examined the inimitable drawing - can it

On the day fate strikes, comfort two eyes?

أَرُفَاتُ حِيٍّ كَانَ فَرْدَ زَمَانِهِ

بِذَكَائِهِ بَلْ فَرْدَ كُلِّ زَمَانِ

The remains of one alive who was unique in his time

Nay, unique in all time, in his intelligence

هَلْ يَسْتَطِيعُ إِشَارَةً أَوْ نَبْأةً

أَوْ رَمْزِ طَرْفٍ أَوْ حَرَاكَ بَنَانِ

Can it make a sign or news

Or the wink of an eye or the movement of a fingertip?

لا شَيْءَ بَاقٍ مِنْكَ إِلاَّ أَسْطُراً

خَلَدَتْ بِحُسْنِ الصَّوْغِ وَالتَّبْيَانِ

Nothing remains of you but lines

Made immortal by excellent composition and clarity

وَجَمِيلُ ذِكْرٍ لَمْ يُفِدْ فِي دَفْعِ مَا

يَتَبَشَّعُ التَّحْوِيلُ فِي الجُثْمَانِ

And beautiful mention which was no use in dispelling what

Mutation makes rag in the body

إِنِّي لأَنْظُرُ كَيْفَ بِتَّ فَلا أَرَى

فِي المَجْدِ مَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الإِنْسَانِ

I look at how you were brought low, but I see

No glory in it to benefit a human

وَأَرَاكَ قَدْ أَمْسَى فُؤَادُكَ خَالِياً

أَبَداً مِنَ الأَفْرَاحِ وَالأَحْزَانِ

And I see your heart has become empty

Forever of joys and sorrows

لَكِنْ تَوَهَّمْنَا قَرَارَكَ فِي الحِمَى

أَشْفَى لِغلَّةِ عَوْدِكَ الظَّمْآنِ

But we imagined your rest in the protected realm

More healing for your returning eager passion

لُبْنَانُ يَا جَبَلاً كَأَنَّ نَزِيلَهُ

إِنْ يَرْتَحِلْ عَنْهُ طَرِيدُ جِنَانِ

O Lebanon, a mountain as if its inhabitant

When exiled from it, is expelled from gardens

لَوْ أَنَّ أَطْوَاداً مَعَانٍ جُسِّمَتْ

مَا كَنْتُ غَيْرَ الشَّوْقِ وَالتَّحْنَانِ

If hardships with meaning were rendered

I would be naught but longing and affection

تَتَنَفَّلُ الْبَهَجَاتُ فِيكَ زَوَاهِياً

بِأَشِعَّةٍ يَرْفُلْنَ فِي أَلْوَانِ

Joys bloom in you, luxuriantly

With rays that glow in colors

أَمَّا ظِلالُكَ فَهْيَ أَشْبَاحٌ لِمَا

فِي أَنْفُسِ النَّائِينَ مِنْ أَشْجَانِ

As for your shadows, they are specters of what is

In the souls of those distant from passions

هَذَا ابْنُكَ الْعَلَمُ الأَشَمُّ قَدِ انْطَوَى

فِي بَرْزَخٍ مُتَطَامِنِ الأَرْكَانِ

This is your son, the sublime mark, who has now folded

Into a firmament fortified at its pillars

تِلْكَ الْعَظَائِمُ كُلُّهَا قَدْ أَصْبَحَتْ

شَيْئاً مِنَ الْعَظْمِ المَهِيضِ الْفَانِي

All those great deeds have now become

Some transient, crumbling greatness

مَاذَا تَقُولٌ ذُرَاكَ وَهْيَ شَوَاهِدٌ

هَذِي الْبَقِيَّةَ مِنْ نَهًى وَبَيَانِ

What do your ruins say - they are witnesses

To this remainder of interdiction and clarification

مَاذَا يَقُولُ السَّفْحُ أَنْكَرَ سَمْعُهُ

هَذَا السُّكُوتَ عَلَى الصَّدَى الرَّنَانِ

What does the mountainside say? Its hearing is denied

This silence over the melodious echo

بَيْرُوتُ يَا بَلَداً عَزِيزاً طَيِّباً

سَمْحَ السَّرِيرَةِ صَادِقَ الْشُّكْرَانِ

O Beirut, beloved honest land

Of easy nature, true in gratitude

بَيْرُوتُ هَذَا مَنْ بَلَغْتِ مِنَ العُلَى

بِمَكَانِهِ السَّامِي أَعَزَّ مَكَانِ

Beirut, this is who attained through loftiness

The most precious position in rank

حَيِّي مَثُوبَتَهُ إِلَيْكِ وَأَكْرِمِي

مَا شِئْتِ زَائِرَكِ الرَّفِيعِ الشَّانِ

Greet abundantly his emissary to you, and honor

However you wish your eminent, glorious visitor

وَتَذَكَّرِي أَيَّامَهُ الْغُرَّ الَّتِي

كَانَتْ عُقُودَ بَدَائِعٍ وَمَعَانِ

And remember the days of his youth that were

Necklaces of wonders and meanings

جَعَلَتْ شُمُوسَكِ فِي الشُّمُوسِ فَرَائِداً

بِالآيَتَيْنِ النُّورِ وَالعِرْفَانِ

That made your suns the banners of the lights

With the two signs: enlightenment and mystic knowledge

كَانَت لَنَا بِالْقُرْبِ مِنْهُ سَلْوَةٌ

فَأَزَالَهَا هَذَا الْفِرَاقُ الثَّانِي

Being near him gave us consolation

Then this second separation removed it

أَيْ نَعْشَهُ فِيكَ الْعَفافُ مُشَيِّعاً

وَالْعِلْمُ مَبْكِياً بِكُلِّ جنَانِ

In you chastity escorts his bier

And knowledge weeps in every garden

أَبْلِغْ وَدِيعَتَنَا إِلَى أَحْبابِنَا

وَاحْمِلْ تَحِيَّتَنَا إِلَى الأَوْطَانِ

Convey our trust to our loved ones

And carry our greeting to the nations

كُنَّا نَوَدُّ بِكَ المَصِيرَ إِلَى الْحِمَى

وَتَأَسِّيَ الإِخْوَانِ بِالإِخْوَانِ

We wanted to journey with you to the protected realm

And gather the brethren round the brethren

لَكِنْ عَدَانَا الْبَيْنُ دون عِنَاقِهِمْ

فَتَولَّ وَلْيَتَعَانَقِ الدَّمْعَانِ

But distance prevented us from embracing them

So depart, and let two tears embrace