يا أمير البيان أيد جدك

من أتى أيده اباك وجدك

O prince of eloquence, may your good fortune be strengthened

by him whose might reached your father and grandfather.

يا حفيد الأولى حموا مجد لبنا

ن وان صنته فقد صنت مجدك

O descendant of those who guarded Lebanon's glory,

and if you have guarded it, you have guarded your own glory.

ذاك عهد للمشرفية زانو

ه كما زنت باليراعة عهدك

That was an age of Mashrafi swords; they adorned

it, as you adorned your age with the reed pen.

عهد فخرٍ من يوم سركيس حتى

يومنا كله يصعر خدك

An age of glory, from Sarkis's day to

our day—all of it turns your cheek in pride.

بالسلاحين مرقمٍ وحسامٍ

أيها الخازني حررت مهدك

With the two weapons, a stylus and a sword,

O Khazeni, you liberated your cradle.

قد صحبت المعني خير رفيقٍ

وصحبت القيل الشهابي ندك

You accompanied the Maʿni as the finest companion,

and accompanied the Shihabi ruler, your peer.

وركبت الحصان في عهد حصنٍ

معليا في مواقف الروع بندك

And you rode the steed in Hisn's time [reading uncertain],

raising your banner amid scenes of terror.

كنت كالرمح طاعناً لبة الحيف

وكالسيف لا تقارب غمدك

You were like a spear, piercing injustice's upper breast,

and like a sword, never nearing your sheath.

ووردت الحمام شنقاً ولم

تجزع لتندي ببذل روحك وردك

And you went to death by hanging, and did not

flinch, that by giving your soul you might bedew your roses.

ورأيناك تشرب الصاب مختاراً

لتبقي لقوم لبنان شهدك

And we saw you willingly drink bitter sap,

to preserve your honey for Lebanon's people.

شدت في كسروان ما شاده كسرى

وفيه اقمت بالعدل حدك

You built in Kesrouan what Kisra had built,

and there, with justice, you set your bounds.

أين ملت تلق آثارك الغراء

في كسروان تنشد حمدك

Wherever you turn, you find your illustrious traces

in Kesrouan, chanting your praise.

يا أبا نادرٍ سلاحك يا يفني

وهذا يراعُ يوسف بعدك

O Abu Nadir, your weapon [does not perish?],

and this is Yusuf's reed pen after you.

ومضاء البيان في عصرنا م

مثل مضاءٍ به جلوت فرندك

And the keenness of eloquence in our age is

like the keenness with which you burnished your patterned blade.

ان هذا الحفيد احياك حتى

خلته من غياهب الموت ردك

Indeed, this grandson has revived you, so that

I thought he had brought you back from death's dark depths.

قد وجدنا فيه اباءك حقاً

ووجدنا فيه نهاك ورشدك

We have truly found your proud defiance in him,

and found in him your reason and sound judgment.

ووجدناه في السياسة ينحو

نحوك المقتفى ويقصد قصدك

And we found him, in politics, following

your emulated course and pursuing your aim.

لك يا ابن الشجيع عهد على

قوم باكبادهم يصونون عهدك

To you, O son of the valiant, a pledge binds

a people who guard your covenant with their very vitals:

قوم لبنان من ابحت لهم عمرك

رفداً فاكبر الأرز رفدك

Lebanon's people, to whom you offered your lifetime

as a gift; and the cedars honored your gift.

فملكت القلوب حتى رأينا

حرها صاد بالمودة عبدك

So you won the hearts, until we saw

their free one [become?] your slave through affection.

واراك الزعيم حقاً ولكنك

تأبى تيهاً وتلزم زهدك

And I see you as the true leader, yet you

reject conceit and hold fast to your self-denial.

حملٌ انت غير انك تمسى

قائداً من شباب لبنان اسدك

A lamb you are, yet you become

a leader whose lions are drawn from Lebanon's youth.

تتهادى بك المنابر زهواً

ليتك المجلس النيابي وحدك

The rostrums sway proudly as they bear you;

would that you alone were the parliament!