قصر الجزيرة لا ضاهتك أشباهُ

قصر الجزيرة لا ضاهتك أشباهُ

ولا تنكب عن أسوارك الجاه

ولا تنكب عن أسوارك الجاه

Palace of al-Jazira, no likeness can rival you;

Palace of al-Jazira, may no peers rival you,

nor may my glory ever turn aside from your walls.

nor may prestige turn away from your walls.

يا ند يلدز في أيام دولته

يا ند يلدز في أيام دولته

أما ذووك فما ضاموا ولا تاهوا

أما ذووك فما ضاموا ولا تاهوا

O peer of Yıldız in the days of its power,

O peer of Yıldız in the days of its power,

your forefathers neither wronged others nor went astray.

as for your household, they neither oppressed nor grew arrogant.

ولا استزانوا بلطف اللَه تسميةً

ولا استزانوا بلطف اللَه تسميةً

بل اقتفوا ما أراد اللاطف اللَه

بل اقتفوا ما أراد اللاطف اللَه

“God’s grace” was no mere ornamental name for them;

Nor did they wear Lutfallah—God's kindness—as a name alone;

they followed what God, the Gracious, willed.

rather, they followed what God, the Kind One, intended.

لم يوص ربك إلا بالفقير فقد

لم يوص ربك إلا بالفقير فقد

سمى الفقير أخاه حينَ سماهُ

سمى الفقير أخاه حينَ سماهُ

Your Lord charged you with nothing but care for the poor—

Your Lord enjoined care only for the poor, for He

He called the poor man His brother when He named him.

called the poor man His brother when He named him.

واخوةُ اللَه بين الوافدين على

واخوةُ اللَه بين الوافدين على

قصر الجزيرة اخوانٌ لمولاه

قصر الجزيرة اخوانٌ لمولاه

God’s brotherhood among those who come to

And God's brothers among those arriving at

the Palace of al-Jazira makes them brothers before its master.

al-Jazira Palace are brothers to its master.

تقيلهم يده اليمنى إذا عثروا

تقيلهم يده اليمنى إذا عثروا

وتستطيل لهم باليسر يسراه

وتستطيل لهم باليسر يسراه

His right hand raises them when they stumble,

His right hand lifts them up when they stumble,

and his left reaches far toward them with ready bounty.

and his left reaches out to them with plenty.

فلا اليتيم يتيمٌ إذ يلوذُ به

فلا اليتيم يتيمٌ إذ يلوذُ به

ولا الطريدُ طريدٌ حين يلقاه

ولا الطريدُ طريدٌ حين يلقاه

No orphan is an orphan when he seeks his shelter,

Thus no orphan remains an orphan when seeking refuge with him,

nor fugitive a fugitive when he meets him;

nor an outcast an outcast when meeting him;

ولا القريبُ ذليلُ في ملاجئهِ

ولا القريبُ ذليلُ في ملاجئهِ

ولا البعيدُ بعيدٌ عن عطاياه

ولا البعيدُ بعيدٌ عن عطاياه

no kinsman is brought low within his refuge,

nor is one nearby abased in his refuges,

nor is any distant stranger beyond his gifts.

nor is the distant one far from his gifts.

إن كان من يهب المسكين مدخراً

إن كان من يهب المسكين مدخراً

في ذمة اللَه ديناً سوف يوفاه

في ذمة اللَه ديناً سوف يوفاه

Whoever gives to the poor lays up

If whoever gives to the needy is storing up

a debt in God’s keeping, a debt God shall repay.

a debt owed by God, which will be repaid to him,

فللأمير المفدى جورج اعظم ما

فللأمير المفدى جورج اعظم ما

في ذمة اللَه من دينٍ وأغلاه

في ذمة اللَه من دينٍ وأغلاه

For the redeemed Prince George, the greatest

then the cherished Prince George holds the greatest

and dearest debt is held in God’s keeping:

of all debts owed by God, and the most precious.

دينٌ يوفاه أقساطاً منوعةً

دينٌ يوفاه أقساطاً منوعةً

منها شبابٌ قشيب الثوب يكساه

منها شبابٌ قشيب الثوب يكساه

a debt repaid in many kinds of installments—

A debt repaid to him in varied installments,

fresh youth, clothed in a splendid robe;

among them youth, in whose fresh robe he is clothed;

وهمةٌ بمناط النجمِ يعقدها

وهمةٌ بمناط النجمِ يعقدها

إذا رمى القبةَ الزرقاءَ مرماه

إذا رمى القبةَ الزرقاءَ مرماه

an aspiration that binds its hopes to the star,

and ambition he anchors where the star is hung,

whenever it makes the blue vault its target;

when he aims his shot at the blue dome;

وخاطرٌ يجتلي أنواره وطنٌ

وخاطرٌ يجتلي أنواره وطنٌ

أمضهُ ليلهُ الطاغي واضواه

أمضهُ ليلهُ الطاغي واضواه

and my imagination gazes upon his radiance. My homeland

and a mind whose radiance a homeland beholds,

has been worn and wasted by its tyrannous night.

tormented and enfeebled by its tyrannous night.

ليلٌ تمطى على لبنان وانفجرت

ليلٌ تمطى على لبنان وانفجرت

في كل ناحيةٍ منه بلاياه

في كل ناحيةٍ منه بلاياه

Night lay heavy upon Lebanon, and calamities broke out

A night sprawled over Lebanon, and there erupted

from every quarter throughout it.

in every quarter of it the night's calamities.

فلا الصفا في عقيق الشوف منطلقٌ

فلا الصفا في عقيق الشوف منطلقٌ

زهواً ولا الربرب الشوفي زهزاه

زهواً ولا الربرب الشوفي زهزاه

Al-Safa no longer strides proudly through al-Shuf’s vale,

No longer does al-Safa run free through the Shouf's ravine

nor are al-Shuf’s gazelles radiant with delight.

in pride, nor is the Shouf's gazelle herd merry.

ولا العروسُ عروسٌ في البقاعِ ولا

ولا العروسُ عروسٌ في البقاعِ ولا

الوادي تغنيه ما غنته ليلاه

الوادي تغنيه ما غنته ليلاه

No bride is a bride in the Beqaa, nor does

Nor is the bride a bride in the Beqaa, nor

the valley sing what its Layla once sang.

is the valley enriched by what its Layla once sang.

ولا مناهل قاديشا مرنقةٌ

ولا مناهل قاديشا مرنقةٌ

ولا النسيم نسيم الأرزِ رياه

ولا النسيم نسيم الأرزِ رياه

Qadisha’s springs are clouded,

Nor are Qadisha's watering places turbid,

and the cedar breeze no longer bears the cedar’s scent.

nor is the breeze—the cedars' breeze—fragrant.

والروض مكتئبٌ يبكي لوحشته

والروض مكتئبٌ يبكي لوحشته

مرنح الأيك والصداح أواه

مرنح الأيك والصداح أواه

The garden, dejected, weeps in loneliness;

And the garden is dejected, weeping in its loneliness,

the swaying grove and the songbird cry, “Alas!”

its thickets swaying, its songbird sighing.

قد عقه طيره وارتادَ منتجعاً

قد عقه طيره وارتادَ منتجعاً

في غيره وتجافاه فأشجاه

في غيره وتجافاه فأشجاه

Its birds have forsaken it and sought another haven,

Its birds have forsaken it and sought a pasture

elsewhere—shunning it and filling it with grief.

elsewhere, shunning it and causing it sorrow.

كأن لبنان لم يخلق بنوه له

كأن لبنان لم يخلق بنوه له

قد وزع البين في الآفاق ابناه

قد وزع البين في الآفاق ابناه

As though Lebanon’s sons had not been created for it:

As though Lebanon's sons had not been created for it,

separation has scattered its sons across the horizons.

separation has scattered its sons across the horizons.

مضوا فلا الشوق يدنيهم إليه ولا

مضوا فلا الشوق يدنيهم إليه ولا

منهم مغيثٌ يجلي عنه جلاه

منهم مغيثٌ يجلي عنه جلاه

They departed; no yearning draws them back,

They left: longing does not draw them back to it, nor

and no rescuer clears away its misery.

is there a rescuer among them to dispel its calamity.

أما الأمير فلما جاءه نباءٌ

أما الأمير فلما جاءه نباءٌ

عما يكابده لبنان ابكاه

عما يكابده لبنان ابكاه

But when news of it reached the prince,

As for the prince, when news reached him

Lebanon’s suffering made him weep.

of what Lebanon was enduring, it made him weep.

بكى واصغى إلى لبنان مشتكياً

بكى واصغى إلى لبنان مشتكياً

يدعو مغيثاً من الدنيا فلباه

يدعو مغيثاً من الدنيا فلباه

He wept and listened as Lebanon complained,

He wept and listened to Lebanon lamenting,

calling for a rescuer from the world—and he answered.

calling to the world for a rescuer; he answered its call.

وجاش جيشة ملتاعٍ على وطنٍ

وجاش جيشة ملتاعٍ على وطنٍ

فيه رأت نور هذا الكون عيناه

فيه رأت نور هذا الكون عيناه

His heart surged, anguished for a homeland

His heart surged with the anguish of one grieving for a homeland

where his eyes first beheld the light of this world.

where his eyes first saw this world's light.

صبا إلى العيش في بيروت مجتلياً

صبا إلى العيش في بيروت مجتلياً

أحلام صبوته فيها وملهاه

أحلام صبوته فيها وملهاه

He yearned for life in Beirut, reliving

He yearned to live in Beirut, beholding

the dreams of his youth there and its delights:

his youthful dreams there and his playground,

أيام كان يغادي أشرفيتها

أيام كان يغادي أشرفيتها

والغيد بالمقل النجلاء ترعاه

والغيد بالمقل النجلاء ترعاه

those days when he went each morning to its Ashrafieh,

the days when he visited its Ashrafieh each morning,

while maidens with wide, dark eyes watched over him;

and graceful maidens watched him with wide eyes;

أيام كان إذا ما راح منتحياً

أيام كان إذا ما راح منتحياً

شورانها نحت الآرام منحاه

شورانها نحت الآرام منحاه

those days when, whenever he went to his gathering,

the days when, whenever he went at evening toward

its Chouran guided his path toward the noble.

its Shuran, the gazelles followed his course.

فلا الجزيرة تنسيه مناعمها

فلا الجزيرة تنسيه مناعمها

شرخ الشباب بلبنانٍ ونعماه

شرخ الشباب بلبنانٍ ونعماه

Al-Jazira cannot make him forget Lebanon’s delights—

Al-Jazira's luxuries cannot make him forget

the joy of youth in Lebanon and all its bliss.

youth's prime in Lebanon and its bliss;

ولا مراتع وادي النيل تصرفه

ولا مراتع وادي النيل تصرفه

عن مرتعٍ في ظلال الأرز يهواه

عن مرتعٍ في ظلال الأرز يهواه

Nor can the pastures of the Nile Valley turn him

nor can the pastures of the Nile Valley turn him away

from a pasture in the cedar’s shade that he loves.

from a pasture he loves in the cedars' shade;

ولا مرابع إسماعيل تمسكه

ولا مرابع إسماعيل تمسكه

عن مربع تحت داجي الهول ناداه

عن مربع تحت داجي الهول ناداه

Nor can Ismail’s resorts hold him back

nor can Ismail's springtime haunts keep him

from a homeland that called him beneath terror’s darkness.

from an abode beneath terror's darkness that called to him.

ناداه يا قاتل التنين قد بعث

ناداه يا قاتل التنين قد بعث

الطاغي وفاجأ قومي فاغراً فاه

الطاغي وفاجأ قومي فاغراً فاه

It called: “O slayer of the dragon, one has arisen—

It called: O dragon-slayer, he has risen,

the tyrant has surprised my people, his mouth gaping wide!”

the tyrant, and caught my people unawares, his mouth agape.

ناداه يا قاتل التنين قد بعث

ناداه يا قاتل التنين قد بعث

الطاغي وفاجأ قومي فاغراً فاه

الطاغي وفاجأ قومي فاغراً فاه

It called again: “O slayer of the dragon, one has arisen—

It called: O dragon-slayer, he has risen,

the tyrant has surprised my people, his mouth gaping wide!”

the tyrant, and caught my people unawares, his mouth agape.

أدرك ببأسك لبنان العزيز كما

أدرك ببأسك لبنان العزيز كما

أتى سميك دراكاً فأنجاه

أتى سميك دراكاً فأنجاه

Rescue beloved Lebanon with your might, just as

Save beloved Lebanon with your might, as

your namesake once hastened to rescue him.

your namesake came swiftly to the rescue and saved it.

فما يرى منقذاً إلاك ينقذه

فما يرى منقذاً إلاك ينقذه

وما ترى وطناً يصبيك إلاه

وما ترى وطناً يصبيك إلاه

It sees no deliverer but you to save it,

For it sees no deliverer but you to save it,

and you see no homeland but it to captivate you.

and you see no homeland but it to stir your yearning.

أدركه قبل تداعيه فقد عصفت

أدركه قبل تداعيه فقد عصفت

من حوله زعزعٌ مادت بمبناه

من حوله زعزعٌ مادت بمبناه

Save it before it collapses: storms have raged

Save it before it collapses, for there has raged

around it, violent winds shaking its foundations.

around it a tempest that shook its edifice.

أدركه بالمال يدني منه نعمته

أدركه بالمال يدني منه نعمته

أدركه بالحزم يقصي عنه فوضاه

أدركه بالحزم يقصي عنه فوضاه

Save it with wealth, bringing your bounty near;

Save it with wealth that brings its prosperity near;

save it with resolve, driving chaos away.

save it with resolve that drives its chaos away.

ألبيت بيتك إن لم تحمه انتهك ال

ألبيت بيتك إن لم تحمه انتهك ال

باغي حماه وعاف الحر مثواه

باغي حماه وعاف الحر مثواه

The house is yours: if you do not guard it,

The house is your house; if you do not guard it, the

the aggressor violates its sanctuary, and a free man loathes his dwelling.

aggressor violates its sanctuary, and the free man abandons his abode.

والقوم قومك ان تجمعهم اجتمعوا

والقوم قومك ان تجمعهم اجتمعوا

وان تخليت عن أحوالهم تاهوا

وان تخليت عن أحوالهم تاهوا

Its people are yours: if you unite them, they unite;

The people are your people: if you gather them, they gather;

if you neglect their affairs, they wander.

and if you abandon their affairs, they go astray.

يا بهجة النفس إذ تجلى مناقبه

يا بهجة النفس إذ تجلى مناقبه

وبهجة العين إذ يجلى محياه

وبهجة العين إذ يجلى محياه

O joy of the soul when his virtues are revealed,

O joy of the soul when his virtues are revealed,

and joy of the eye when his face is unveiled!

and joy of the eye when his face is unveiled!

ما ضر تخثاً لفخر الدين يركبه

ما ضر تخثاً لفخر الدين يركبه

فتىً إذا قيس بالأمثال ضاهاه

فتىً إذا قيس بالأمثال ضاهاه

What harm if a throne of Fakhr al-Din is mounted by

What harm is there in a throne of Fakhr al-Din being mounted by

a youth who, measured against exemplars, equals him?

a youth who, compared with his peers, proves his equal?

وما يضر الشهابي الذي درجت

وما يضر الشهابي الذي درجت

علياؤه ان يرد الدهر علياه

علياؤه ان يرد الدهر علياه

And what harm to the Shihabi whose glory rose,

And what harms the Shihabi, whose

if Time should restore his heights?

glory has passed, if time restores his glory?

لم يستقل الألى غابوا بما وهب ال

لم يستقل الألى غابوا بما وهب ال

باري ولا انحصرت فيهم مزاياه

باري ولا انحصرت فيهم مزاياه

Those who went before did not alone possess what the—

Those who have gone were not sole possessors of what was bestowed by the

Creator bestowed, nor were His gifts confined to them.

Creator, nor were His favors confined to them.

فقد تعود بفخر الدين سانحةٌ

فقد تعود بفخر الدين سانحةٌ

وقد يعود أبو سعدى وسعداه

وقد يعود أبو سعدى وسعداه

Fakhr al-Din has grown accustomed to fortune’s favor;

For a happy chance may bring back Fakhr al-Din,

Abu Sa‘da may yet return—and his good fortune too.

and Abu Sa'da may return, with his good fortune.

وقد يرد على لبنان خالقه

وقد يرد على لبنان خالقه

ما اخلق الدهر من مجد وابلاه

ما اخلق الدهر من مجد وابلاه

Lebanon’s Creator may restore to it

And Lebanon's Creator may restore to it

the glory Time once fashioned and then wore away.

the glory that time has worn out and frayed.

اني أرى قبساً في الجوِّ مؤتلفاً

اني أرى قبساً في الجوِّ مؤتلفاً

متى تبسط لم النحس ظلماه

متى تبسط لم النحس ظلماه

I see a flame gathering in the sky;

I see a gleam coalescing in the sky;

once it spreads, misfortune’s darkness will be no more.

whenever it spreads, ill fortune folds away its darkness.

نورٌ تلألأ في جو المقطم وا

نورٌ تلألأ في جو المقطم وا

لألحاظ ترقب من صنين مجلاه

لألحاظ ترقب من صنين مجلاه

A light has flashed in al-Muqattam’s air, and

A light glitters in the sky over al-Muqattam, and

eyes from Sannine watch for its unveiling.

eyes watch from Sannine for its appearance.

لا بد للساهر الولهان من قمرٍ

لا بد للساهر الولهان من قمرٍ

في ليلهِ فيلاقي وجه ولهاه

في ليلهِ فيلاقي وجه ولهاه

The lovesick watcher must have a moon

The sleepless, lovesick one must have a moon

in his night, to meet the face of the one he loves.

in his night, to meet his beloved's face.

وإن لبنان إن طالت بليته

وإن لبنان إن طالت بليته

فسوف يكشف لطف اللَه بلواه

فسوف يكشف لطف اللَه بلواه

Though Lebanon’s affliction has lasted long,

And Lebanon, though its affliction lasts long,

God’s grace will surely lift its trial.

will have its suffering dispelled by God's kindness.