ياO حظFortune ليسis not بواهنweak جلديmy endurance
يا حظ ليس بواهن جلدي
ولوand even if انthat فجركyour dawn غايةthe utmost limit الأبدeternity
ولو ان فجرك غاية الأبد
O Fortune, my endurance is not frail,
O fate, my patience is not weak
Even if your dawn lies at eternity's end.
Even if your dawn is endless
قدindeed طالhas grown long ليلكyour night طوىconsumed صبريmy patience والاثنانand both
قد طال ليلك طوى صبري والاثنان
ينتهيانboth end فيin أمدa span of time
ينتهيان في أمد
Your night has grown long and consumed my patience; and both
Your night has been long, it wore out my patience, and the two
Will come to an end in time.
Will end in a period
فمداهماso the end of both رمسa grave احنI yearn إلىfor
فمداهما رمس احن إلى
مثواهits resting place فيin بلدa land سوىother than بلديmy land
مثواه في بلد سوى بلدي
Their end is a grave; I yearn for
Their extent traced a more tender inclination
Its resting place in a land other than my own.
To its abode in a country other than my country
ياO حظFortune ماnot لبنانLebanon منكfrom you علىon
يا حظ ما لبنان منك على
أملa hope يعللهconsoles it بخيرwith goodness غدtomorrow
أمل يعلله بخير غد
O Fortune, Lebanon looks to you for no
O fate, what Lebanon has from you
Hope to console it with tomorrow's good.
A hope that excuses it with good tomorrow
والشيخand the old man علتهhis illness إذاwhen رسختtakes root
والشيخ علته إذا رسخت
لاnot تستطبcan be cured كعلةlike the illness of الولدa child
لا تستطب كعلة الولد
And an old man's illness, once deep-rooted,
And the old man, if his illness settles
Cannot be cured like a child's illness.
It does not heal like the illness of the boy
والبيتand the house انif أمسىhas become بلاwithout عمدpillars
والبيت ان أمسى بلا عمد
هيهاتhow impossible تثبتهyou steady it بلاwithout عمدpillars
هيهات تثبته بلا عمد
And if a house is left without pillars,
And the house, if it becomes without pillars
You cannot possibly steady it without pillars.
Alas, you cannot stabilize it without pillars
ياO حظFortune ماnot صافيتyou befriended فيin وطنيmy homeland
يا حظ ما صافيت في وطني
إلاexcept الحريَّthe one deserving بذلةof abasement الوتدthe peg
إلا الحريَّ بذلة الوتد
O Fortune, in my homeland you have befriended none
O fate, you only clarified in my homeland
But those deserving the abasement of a peg.
Liberty in the humiliation of the peg
تلكthose الثعالبfoxes ماnot تزالcease كماas
تلك الثعالب ما تزال كما
كانتused to تحلoccupy مناصبposts الأسدthe lion
كانت تحل مناصب الأسد
Those foxes still, as
Those foxes are still as they were
They did before, occupy the lion's posts.
Taking over the positions of the lion
والظالمand the oppressor السفاحthe slaughterer فيin رغدease
والظالم السفاح في رغد
والمرهقand the overburdened one المسكينthe poor man فيin نكدmisery
والمرهق المسكين في نكد
And the murderous oppressor lives in ease,
And the unjust killer is in luxury
And the overburdened poor man lives in misery.
And the weary poor man is in misery
ياO حظFortune لمnot تضحكyou smiled لباكيةon a weeping woman
يا حظ لم تضحك لباكية
غرثىfamished ولاnor اضحكتyou made laugh ذاone with كمدgrief
غرثى ولا اضحكت ذا كمد
O Fortune, you have not smiled on a weeping woman,
O fate, you did not laugh at a weeping
Famished, nor made a sorrowful man laugh.
Pauper, nor did you laugh at one with clenched fists
اينwhere الأمانيthe hopes التيthat انتظرتI awaited
اين الأماني التي انتظرت
للآنuntil now لمnot تطلعthey have dawned علىupon أحدanyone
للآن لم تطلع على أحد
Where are the hopes I awaited?
Where are the hopes that I waited for
To this day, they have not dawned on anyone.
To this day, it did not appear to anyone
ماnot الوعدa promise يستبقيpreserves الحياةlife لناfor us
ما الوعد يستبقي الحياة لنا
والروحand the soul زاهقةis departing منfrom الجسدthe body
والروح زاهقة من الجسد
No promise can keep us alive,
What is the promise that keeps life for us
While the soul is departing from the body.
While the soul is dead from the body
ياO حظFortune لاno سهمarrow اصيبwas struck بهby it
يا حظ لا سهم اصيب به
لبنانLebanon الاexcept that مرّit passed فيthrough كبديmy liver
لبنان الا مرّ في كبدي
O Fortune, no arrow has struck
O fate, no arrow hit
Lebanon without passing through my liver.
Lebanon except it passed through my liver
والنفسand the soul تمسكنيholds me علىto خلقيmy character
والنفس تمسكني على خلقي
والحزمand resolve يمسكنيholds me علىto جلديmy endurance
والحزم يمسكني على جلدي
And my soul keeps me true to my character,
And my soul holds me back because of my nature
And resolve keeps me firm in my endurance.
And my determination holds me back because of my patience
انيindeed I امدI extend يديmy hand إلىto قلميmy pen
اني امد يدي إلى قلمي
وإلىand to سواهanything other than it لاnot أمدI extend يديmy hand
وإلى سواه لا أمد يدي
Indeed, I extend my hand to my pen,
I extend my hand to my pen
And to nothing else do I extend my hand.
And to anything else I do not extend my hand
Sol 6.1