قَدْ سُرًّ لُبْنَانُ بِأنُ زُرْتَهُ

لَكِنْ شَجَاهُ نَأْيُكَ العَاجِلُ

Lebanon was glad when you visited it

Yet your hasty departure saddened it

عَلَّ الَّذِي فِي عَامِهِ فَاتَهْ

يُعِيضُ مِنْهُ عَامُهُ القَابِلُ

May he who missed this year

Be compensated by the coming year

الرَّبْعُ إِنْ أَوْحَشْتَهُ مُقْفِرٌ

وَالرَّبْعُ إِنْ آنَسْتَهُ آهِلُ

The land is desolate when you abandon it

The land is populated when you settle in it

يَا حُلْيَةً قَلَّدَهَا عَصْرُهَا

وَجِيدُهُ مِنْ قَبْلِها عَاطِلُ

O jewel whom her time has adorned

While before her its excellence was idle

يَا نِعْمَةً عُلُويِّةً طَيبُهَا

عَرْفا وَعَرُفا سَابِغُ شَامِلُ

O sublime blessing, whose fragrance

Is diffused, encompassing and perfect

يَا لَمْحَةً مِنْ نُورِ رَبِّ الهُدَى

يُحَارُ فِي أَوْصَافِهَا القَائِلُ

O gleam from the light of the Lord of guidance

The speaker is perplexed in describing it

عُودِي فَمَا البِرُّ بِمُسْتَكْمِلِ

إِنْ لَمْ يَتِمُّ العَاجِلُ الآجِلُ

Return, for righteous action is not complete

Unless the immediate is connected to the deferred