يَا مَنْ يُقِيمونَ لاِسْتِقْلاَلِهِمْ عِيداً

لَنْ تُسْرِفُوا فِيهِ تَعْظِيماً وتَمْجِيداً

O you who are celebrating their independence

You will not glorify it too much with veneration and praise

وَلَنْ تُوَفُّوهُ حَقَّا مِنْ مَوَاجِبِهِ

لَو جُزْتُمُ الْحَدَّ تَزيِيناً وَتَشْييدا

And you will not fulfill its rightful duties

Even if you suffice by decorating and building

أَوْحَى إِلَيْكُمْ هَوَى لُبْنَانَ عَاطِفَةً

لَمْ تُبْقِ في الأَرْضِ تَقْرِيباً وَتَبْعِيدا

Lebanon's affection has inspired in you

Leaving no land in the world unreached

فَفِي النَّوَى تَسْتَقِي مِنْهُ نَوَاظِرُكُمْ

طِيباً وَأَسْمَاعُكُمْ تَروَى أَغَارِيدَا

So from its sapling your sights are watered

And your ears satiated by its melodies

للهِ في لُبْنَانُ مَا أَبْهَاهُ مِنْ جَبَلٍ

يَمْشِي بِهِ الْحُسْنُ تَصْويْباً وَتَصْعِيدا

Lebanon has what God has made it of glorious mountains

Upon which beauty walks erect and climbs

فِي كُلِّ مَوْقِعِ طَرْفِ آيَةٌ عَجَبٌ

تَكْفِي المُنَى وَتُرِيحُ الذِّهْنَ مَكْدُودا

At every spot there is a verse that amazes

Satisfying wishes and resting tired minds

تُرَابُهُ يُخْرِجُ الأَزْهَارَ مُونِقَةً

وَمَاءُهُ قَرْقَفٌ يُنْشِي الأَمالِيدا

Its soil grows delicate flowers

Its water is a flask that revives withered hopes

لاَ يَسْتَعِيضُ بِهِ الْجَنَّاتِ بَائِسُهُ

وَقَدْ يَكُونُ عَنِ الأَقْوَاتِ مَصْدُودَا

The miserable gardens cannot compensate it

And it may forbid foods altogether

أَحْمَدْتُ هِمَّتكُمْ بِراً بِهِ وَرِضىً

عَنْهُ وَمَا زَالَ رَاعِي الْعَهْدِ مَحْمُودَا

I praised your righteous intention towards it and satisfaction

With it and its keeper of the covenant continues to be praiseworthy

لَكِنَّني مُوجِسٌ خَوْفَاً لِغَاشِيَةٍ

تَبُثُّ فِي جَذَلِي حُزْناً وَتَنْكِيدَا

But I fear an overwhelming disaster

That sows in my heart grief and anguish

أَخْشَى شَظَايَا أَرَاهَا مِنْ تَفَرُّقِّكمْ

إِنْ تَصْدُقَ الصُّحفَ تَرْجِيعاً وتَرْدِيدَا

I fear the shattering fragments I see from your division

If the papers speak truly of reversal and repetition

فإِن تكونُوا كَمَا تُبْدِي فَوَا حَرَبَا

أَنْ تَكْذِبُوا اللهَ وَالأَوْطَانَ تَعْيِيدَا

For if you are as you pretend, what a war

That you belie God and the homelands with renewal

بَعْضُ الأَسَى إِنْ طَغَى يَدْعُونَه طَرَباً

وَلِلأَذَى نَوْبَةٌ يَدْعُونَهَا عِيدَا

Some of the grief, if overwhelming, they call it confusion

And for harm they call a festival celebration

تَرَوْنَ لٌبْنَانَ إنْ عَقَّتهُ فِتيَتُهُ

إِلا العُيُونَ تَبَاكتْ وَالْجَلاَمِيدَا

You would see Lebanon, if its youth become unwise

Save the eyes crying and the pens

إِني أُعِيذ وَفَاءً تَجْهَرُونَ بِهِ

كَمَا أُعِيذُ أُلِي الرَّأْي الأَمَاجِيدَا

I seek refuge in a loyalty you proclaim

As I seek refuge in the elite of opinion and glory

لاَ يَعْصِمُ الْعِيدُ أَوْطَاناً مُمَزَّقَةً

وَلاَ تَقِي الزِّينَةُ الْقَوْمَ الأَبَابِيدَا

The festival does not protect fragmented homelands

Nor do adornments protect the ignorant tribes

بِلاَدُكُمْ فَاجْعَلُوهَا نُصبَ أعْيُنِكُمْ

وَأَيِّدُوها عَلى الأحْدَاثِ تَأْييدَا

Make your countries the object of your eyes

And support them against events with support

وَلاَ تَضَنُّوا عَلَيْهَا بِاتِّحادِكُمُ

فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الْهَوَى مَا كَانَ تَوْحِيدَا

Do not be stingy towards them with your unity

For the best love is what is unifying

هّذَا كِتَابِيَ تَنْبِيهَا لِطَائِفَةٍ

مِنْكُمْ تُؤوِّدُهَا الأَحْقَادُ تَأْوِيدَا

This is my letter, a warning to a group

Whose hatreds fuel them continuously

أَمَّا الأولَى مَنَحُوا لُبْنَانَ حُبَّهمُ

وَلَمْ يُبِيدُوهُ بِالاَغْرَاضِ تَبْدِيدَا

As for the first ones who gave Lebanon their love

And did not destroy it with motives and dispersion

فَلْيَمْجُدِ الْجَبَلُ الْحُرُّ المَنِيعُ بِهِمْ

وَلْيَشْتَمِلْ ظِلُّهُ الأَمْصَارَ وَالْبِيدَا

Let the free, steadfast mountain glorify them

And let its shade encompass cities and ruins

وَلْيَرْفَعِ الْجِيدَ كُلُّ مِنْ بَنِيهِ كَمَا

يَرَوْنَهُ رَافِعاً فَوْقَ الُّربَى جِيدَا

And let each of its children raise the banner

As they see it raised above the heights, as a hand

وَلْيَعْلَمِ النَّاسُ فِي اَقْصَى البَسِيطَةِ مَا

قَدْ أحْرَزُوهُ لَهُ عِزَّا وتَوْطِيدَا

And let people know in the furthest plain what

They have secured for it of honor and steadfastness

تَدَبَّرُوا قَصْدَكُمُ وَاللهُ يَمْنَحُكُمْ

فِي نَهْجِ تَحْقِيقِهِ قَصْداً وَتَسْدِيدَا

Deliberate your intention, and God will grant you

In the path of its realization, deliberation and guidance