يَا بِنْتَ بَيْرُوتَ وَيَا نَفْحَةً

مِن رُوحِ لُبْنَانَ القَدِيمِ الوَقُورْ

O daughter of Beirut, and O breeze

From the spirit of ancient, dignified Lebanon

إِلَيْكِ مِنْ أَنْبَائِهِ آيَةً

عَصْرِيةً أَزْرَتْ بِآي الْعُصُورْ

To you, from its news, a sign

Modern, adorned with the signs of eras

مَرَّتْ بِذَاكَ الشَّيخِ فِي لَيْلَةٍ

ذِكْرَى جَمَالٍ وَعَبِيرٍ وَنورْ

There passed by that old man one night

A memory of beauty, fragrance and light

ذِكْرَى صِباً طَابَتْ لَهَا نَفْسُهُ

وَافْتَرَّ عَنْهَا رَأْسُهُ مِنْ حُبُورْ

A memory of youth that delighted his soul

And from which his head overflowed with dreams

أَسَرَّ نَجْوَاهَا إِلى أَرْزِهِ

فَلمْ يُطِقْهَا فِي حِجَابِ الضَّمِيرْ

He confided its whisper to the cedars

But they could not contain it in the heart's veil

وَبَثَّها فِي زَفْرَةٍ فَانْبَرَتْ

بِخِفَّة البُشْرَى وَلُطْفِ السرُورْ

So he released it in a sigh and it rushed out

With the quickness of good news and gentleness of joy

دَارِجَةً فِي السَّفحِ مُرْتَادَة

كُلَّ مَكَانٍ فِيهِ نَبْتٌ نَضِيرْ

Meandering on the slopes, roaming

Every place in it has peerless vegetation

فَضَحِكَ النَّبتُ ابْتِهَاجاً بِهَا

عَنْ زَهَرٍ رَطْبٍ ذَكِيٍّ قَرِيرْ

So the plants laughed with joy at it

At moist, ripe, eloquent blossoms

عَنْ زَهَرٍ حُمِّل رِيحَ الصَّبا

تَبَسُّماً مُسْتَتِراً فِي عَبِيرْ

At blossoms which the morning breeze carried

A concealed smile in fragrance

سَرَى لِبَيْرُوتَ وَلاَقَى شَذاً

مِنْ بَحْرِهَا رَأْدَ الصَّبَاحِ المُنِيرْ

It flowed to Beirut and met a scent

From its sea, the radiance of dawn

فَعَقَدَا فِي ثَغْرِهَا دُرَّةً

أَجْمَلَ شيءٍ بَيْنَ دُرِّ الثُّغورْ

So they formed in its mouth a pearl

The most beautiful thing between the pearls of seas

أَسْمَاءُ هَلْ أَبْصَرْتِهَا مَرَّةً

تَزِينُ مِرْآتِكِ وَقْتَ الْبُكُورْ

Asma, have you ever seen it

Adorn your mirror at dawn?