خَرْسَاءُ لَا تُبْدِي خطابْ
صَمَّاءُ لَا رَدَّتْ جَوَابْ
The mute woman utters no discourse,
The deaf woman returned no response.
هِيَ وَحْيُ فَنٍّ خَالِدٍ
أَحْيَا الْأُلُوهَةَ فِي التراب
She is a revelation of immortal art,
That gave life to divinity in the soil.
قد أُنْزِلَتْ آياتهُ
عَمَدًا هي العَجَبُ العجاب
Her verses were revealed so clearly,
Yet their marvel remains an awesome marvel.
لم يهدِنَا قُرَّاؤُهَا
فِي فهمها سُبُلَ الصواب
Her reciters did not guide us,
To understand them in the right way.
فَهُنَا كتابُ الأوَّلِينَ
وَبعلبك أُمُّ الكتاب
And Baalbek is the mother of books.
It is as if it were the limbs of a giant,
فكَأَنَّهَا أَشْلَاءُ جبار
صريعٍ وسط غاب
Strewn about in the forest.
Around it are columns standing,
من حولها عَمَدٌ قِيَامٌ
للصلاةِ ولا ثواب
For prayer but without reward.
Its walls wherein are gardens,
جدرانها فيها الجنانُ
تضمُّ مَا احلولى وطاب
Containing whatever is beautiful and pure.
Fruits are hung in it,
قد عُلِّقَتْ فيها الثمار
تُسيل رؤيتها الرضاب
Their sight makes mouths water.
As if its grapes were shining,
وكأنَّمَا أعنابها
برَّاقَة، في شهر آب
In the month of August.
So wonder at gardens over which
فاعجب لجنَّاتٍ عليها
الأُسْد رابضة غضاب
The lion crouches in wrath.
Baring fangs without
تبدي نيوبًا دون ما
فتكٍ إذا ما الخطب ناب
Ferocity when matters get serious.
Lion-like shapes erected
أَشباه أُسدٍ نصَّبتْ
رَمْزًا لأشباهِ الشباب
As symbols of lionhearted youth.
Who fell into oppression and hardship,
أقعت على ضيمٍ ونمنا
مكرهين على المصاب
Forced into misfortune.
O Baalbek, though you are old,
يا بعلبك وإن هرمتِ
عليك سيماءُ الشباب
The traits of youth are upon you.
However weathered you are,
لله حسنك هازئًا
مهما تقادم بالخضاب
Your beauty still dazzles.
Through you modern art touches
بك يلمسُ الفنُّ الحديث
المعجزاتِ بلا حساب
Miracles beyond counting.
Making the Eiffel Tower seem
وترين «إيفلَ» كالصبيِّ
وإن تنطَّق بالسحاب
Like a child prattling about clouds.
Most wondrous creation in the world
أَعَجيبةَ الدنيا التي
لعبتْ بها أيدي الخراب
Played with by destructive hands.
All the nations of the world
إنَّ الشعوب جميعَهَا
مرَّتْ أمامك بالحراب
Marched before you bearing arms.
As if you were the sultan displaying
فكأنَّكِ السلطان يعرِض
جيشه يوم الضراب
His army on parade day.
O daughter of Phoenicia and O
يا بنت فونيقي ويا
أُخْتَ الخلود المستطاب
Sister of everlasting purity.
You resembled our world, so explain
أَشْبهتِ دنيانا فسرْ
رَ كما كبحرٍ ذي عباب
It as an ocean full of waves.
You were subdued, O daughter of epochs,
ذُلِّلتِ يا بنتَ الدهور
وكنتِ أمنع من عقاب
Yet you were safer from punishment.
