لولا صباك لما حزنت على صبا

لولا صباك لما حزنت على صبا

يذوي ولا أرسلت دمعي صيبا

يذوي ولا أرسلت دمعي صيبا

Were it not for your youth, I would not grieve for youth

Were it not for your youth, I would not have mourned youth

that withers, nor would I pour out my tears like rain.

Withering, nor sent my tears pouring like rain.

ان المنية أذبلت بك خير من

ان المنية أذبلت بك خير من

رباه لبنان العزيز وأنجبا

رباه لبنان العزيز وأنجبا

Death has withered in you the finest of those

Indeed, death has withered, in you, the finest of those

whom beloved Lebanon reared and brought forth.

Whom beloved Lebanon reared and brought forth.

ما كنت إلا نفحةً من أرزه

ما كنت إلا نفحةً من أرزه

حملت إلى المكسيك عرفاً طيبا

حملت إلى المكسيك عرفاً طيبا

You were nothing but a breath from its cedars,

You were but a fragrant breath from its cedars,

bearing a sweet fragrance to Mexico,

Carrying a sweet scent to Mexico;

وشرارةً من ناره طارت إلى

وشرارةً من ناره طارت إلى

فلكٍ بعيدٍ فاستقرت كوكبا

فلكٍ بعيدٍ فاستقرت كوكبا

and a spark from its fire that flew

And a spark from its fire that flew into

into a distant firmament and settled there as a star,

A distant sphere, then settled as a star;

ورسالةً من روضه وغديره

ورسالةً من روضه وغديره

نضحت عليها الطيب أزهارُ الربى

نضحت عليها الطيب أزهارُ الربى

and a message from its meadow and its stream,

And a message from its garden and its pool,

over which the flowers of the hills had poured their perfume.

On which the hills' flowers sprinkled perfume.

تليت على أبنائه فرأوا بها

تليت على أبنائه فرأوا بها

سفر النبوغ محبراً بيد الصبا

سفر النبوغ محبراً بيد الصبا

It was recited to its sons, and in it they beheld

Recited to its sons, who saw in it

the volume of genius, illuminated by the hand of youth.

The book of genius, beautifully inscribed by youth's hand.

طربوا افتخاراً للشباب يزينه

طربوا افتخاراً للشباب يزينه

من حكمةٍ ما قد يفوت الأشيبا

من حكمةٍ ما قد يفوت الأشيبا

They exulted proudly in a young man adorned

They rejoiced, proud of youth adorned

with wisdom that may elude even the gray-haired.

With wisdom that may elude the gray-haired.

فأقمت والتوفيق صنوك عاملاً

فأقمت والتوفيق صنوك عاملاً

عمل الذي خبر الحياة وجربا

عمل الذي خبر الحياة وجربا

You carried on, with success as your twin, laboring

So you dwelt, with success as your twin, doing

with the labor of one who had known life and tested it.

The work of one who had known life and tested it.

قد عشت كالحمل الوديع ولم تكن

قد عشت كالحمل الوديع ولم تكن

إلا على بغي النوائب سلهبا

إلا على بغي النوائب سلهبا

You lived like a gentle lamb, yet before

You lived like a gentle lamb, and were

the tyranny of calamities you were a spirited steed.

A swift steed only against misfortune's tyranny.

ما كان حظك عاثراً الا بع

ما كان حظك عاثراً الا بع

مرك إذ قضبت ولم يحن أن تقضبا

مرك إذ قضبت ولم يحن أن تقضبا

Your fortune stumbled only upon your—

Your fortune never stumbled, except in your

—lifetime, when it was cut short before its time.

Lifespan, when you were cut down before your time.

وذهبت عن دنياك وهي تشد ذي

وذهبت عن دنياك وهي تشد ذي

ل الثوب منك تريد أن لا تذهبا

ل الثوب منك تريد أن لا تذهبا

You left your world even as it clutched your robe’s—

And you left your world while it clutched the

—hem, wanting you not to go.

Hem of your robe, wanting you not to leave.

عاصيتها وعففت عن لذاتها

عاصيتها وعففت عن لذاتها

ومضيت تطلب في سواها مطلبا

ومضيت تطلب في سواها مطلبا

You defied it and abstained from its pleasures,

You defied it and abstained from its pleasures,

and went to seek your heart’s desire beyond it.

And went on, seeking a goal beyond it.

وتركت خلفك مهجةً أخويةً

وتركت خلفك مهجةً أخويةً

في دار غربتها تذوب تلهبا

في دار غربتها تذوب تلهبا

You left behind a brother’s loving heart

And left behind you a brother's heart,

to melt with anguish in the house of its exile.

In its home of exile, melting, all aflame.

ما راع ريب الدهر في الدنيا أخاً

ما راع ريب الدهر في الدنيا أخاً

كأخيك يوم دهى ولا أبكى أبا

كأخيك يوم دهى ولا أبكى أبا

Never did the treachery of time so terrify a brother

Never have this world's turns of fate so appalled a brother

as yours the day disaster struck, nor so make a father weep.

As yours when calamity struck, nor brought such tears to a father.

هذا عليه ضاق لبنان وذا

هذا عليه ضاق لبنان وذا

ك غدا يرى المكسيك سجناً مرعبا

ك غدا يرى المكسيك سجناً مرعبا

For this one Lebanon narrowed around him, while that—

Lebanon closed in on this one, while that

—one came to see Mexico as a terrifying prison.

One came to see Mexico as a terrifying prison.

فتلاقيا يتساقيان الصبا في

فتلاقيا يتساقيان الصبا في

لبنان بعدك لا سواه مشربا

لبنان بعدك لا سواه مشربا

So the two met, giving each other the wine of youth in

So the two met, offering each other draughts of the east wind in

Lebanon after you, with no other drinking place.

Lebanon after you, with no other drinking-place.

لا روض شرتونٍ يطيب أريجه

لا روض شرتونٍ يطيب أريجه

لهما ولا بيروتُ تحلو ملعبا

لهما ولا بيروتُ تحلو ملعبا

The fragrance of Shartoun’s gardens no longer delights

Neither Shartoun's garden smells sweet

the two of them, nor is Beirut sweet to them as a playground.

To them, nor is Beirut delightful as a playground.

واللَه لولا الحلم لم يمسكهما

واللَه لولا الحلم لم يمسكهما

لتخيرا اليأس المفرق مركبا

لتخيرا اليأس المفرق مركبا

By God, had forbearance not restrained them,

And by God, had forbearance not held them back,

they would have chosen sundering despair as their vessel.

They would have chosen sundering despair as their mount.

حيتك يا انطونُ اطهرُ نفحة

حيتك يا انطونُ اطهرُ نفحة

أرزية يسري بها نفس الصبا

أرزية يسري بها نفس الصبا

May the purest breath greet you, O Anton—

May the purest waft of fragrance greet you, Antoun,

a cedar-born breath borne upon the breeze of youth.

Cedar-scented, through which the east wind's breath flows.

نم واسترح في دار غربتك التي

نم واسترح في دار غربتك التي

لم ترض فيها العيش إلا متعبا

لم ترض فيها العيش إلا متعبا

Sleep and rest in the house of your exile, where

Sleep and rest in the home of your exile, where

you accepted no life except a life of toil.

You would accept life only in toil.

يا صارماً مستوحشاً في غمده

يا صارماً مستوحشاً في غمده

صبراً فسوف تعيف ذاك المختبا

صبراً فسوف تعيف ذاك المختبا

O lonely sword within its sheath,

O keen sword, lonely in its sheath,

be patient: soon you will scorn that hiding place.

Have patience: soon you will spurn that hiding-place.

ستصيح امك يوم تنزل لحدها

ستصيح امك يوم تنزل لحدها

أهلاً وسهلاً بالحبيب ومرحبا

أهلاً وسهلاً بالحبيب ومرحبا

Your mother will cry when she descends into her grave:

Your mother will cry out the day you descend into her grave:

“Welcome, welcome, my beloved—be warmly welcomed!”

A warm welcome to the beloved—welcome!