لمن النجومُ رقصنَ فوقَ خميلةٍ

لمن النجومُ رقصنَ فوقَ خميلةٍ

قُبلاً وأحلاماً تَرف طويلا

قُبلاً وأحلاماً تَرف طويلا

For whom have the stars danced above a leafy grove,

For whom did the stars dance above a dreamy night

as kisses and dreams that flutter long,

With kisses and dreams that gently waft

وخفقنَ ألواناً حملنَ عواطفاً

وخفقنَ ألواناً حملنَ عواطفاً

وأضأنَ أنغاماً تردُ جميلا

وأضأنَ أنغاماً تردُ جميلا

and fluttered as colors bearing emotions,

And fluttered colors, carried emotions

and shone as melodies that repay kindness?

And lit up melodies that flow beautifully

لمن التهَّللُ في الغصون نواعساً

لمن التهَّللُ في الغصون نواعساً

سَكرىَ فأيقظها النسيمُ بليلا

سَكرىَ فأيقظها النسيمُ بليلا

For whom is the glad radiance in the drowsy boughs,

For whom did the branches sway happily

intoxicated, then awakened by the moist breeze?

Drunk, till the breeze awakened them at night

لمن الثلوجُ وقد نُثرنَ جواهراً

لمن الثلوجُ وقد نُثرنَ جواهراً

بِيدِ الألوهةِ تستحث بخيلا

بِيدِ الألوهةِ تستحث بخيلا

For whom are the snows, scattered as jewels

For whom were the snows strewn like gems

by the hand of divinity, spurring the miser?

By the hand of God, generously scattered

ساوت فما تركت عزيزاً مُفرداً

ساوت فما تركت عزيزاً مُفرداً

وَحَبت فلم تَذرَ الفقيرَ ذليلا

وَحَبت فلم تَذرَ الفقيرَ ذليلا

They made all equal, leaving no mighty person set apart,

They equalized, left no one eminent alone

and bestowed gifts, leaving no poor person abased.

And loved, did not abandon the poor humiliated

لِمن الحمائمُ قد طلعن عرائساً

لِمن الحمائمُ قد طلعن عرائساً

سَفرت وأرسلت النشيدَ هَديلا

سَفرت وأرسلت النشيدَ هَديلا

For whom have the doves appeared as brides,

For whom did the doves take off like brides

unveiled, sending forth their song in coos?

Travel and send the chant flowing

كانت يُحجِّبها الصقيعُ فردَّهَا

كانت يُحجِّبها الصقيعُ فردَّهَا

للناسِ تعييدٌ يَعُّز مثيلا

للناسِ تعييدٌ يَعُّز مثيلا

Frost had veiled them, then they were restored

The frost had been veiling them, but it receded

to the people by a celebration scarcely matched.

Bringing them to the people, a feast like no other

ورأت حُبور الناسِ دفأ مُنعشاً

ورأت حُبور الناسِ دفأ مُنعشاً

من بَعدِ ما كان الجليدُ ثقيلا

من بَعدِ ما كان الجليدُ ثقيلا

And they saw the people's joy as reviving warmth,

And they saw the people's warmth a refreshing comfort

after the ice had weighed so heavily.

After the ice had been so burdensome

لمن الطفولةُ في تحُّررِ بهجةٍ

لمن الطفولةُ في تحُّررِ بهجةٍ

لم تَرضَ عنها في السرورِ بديلا

لم تَرضَ عنها في السرورِ بديلا

For whom is childhood in unfettered joy,

For whom is childhood in the joy of freedom

accepting no substitute for it in delight?

Never satisfied with it in happiness anything else

غُصَّت حوانيتُ الهدايا حولها

غُصَّت حوانيتُ الهدايا حولها

بجميع ما فد جاوزَ التخييلا

بجميع ما فد جاوزَ التخييلا

The gift shops around it were crammed

The gift shops around it were crammed

with everything that had surpassed imagination.

With everything that surpasses imagination

وكأنّما اللعُّبُ استقلت مثلها

وكأنّما اللعُّبُ استقلت مثلها

بالعيدِ واحتفلت به تمثيلا

بالعيدِ واحتفلت به تمثيلا

And as though the toys had gained freedom, like childhood,

And it's as if toys took it over

through the festival, they celebrated it in make-believe.

And celebrated the feast theatrically

لمن المعابدُ والمسارحُ اشرقت

لمن المعابدُ والمسارحُ اشرقت

أَمماً تقدّسُ رائعاً وجميلا

أَمماً تقدّسُ رائعاً وجميلا

For whom have temples and theaters shone

For whom did the temples and theaters shine

with multitudes revering the wondrous and the beautiful?

Nations sanctify the wondrous and beautiful

لمن الأناشيدُ الحبيبةُ رَدَّدت

لمن الأناشيدُ الحبيبةُ رَدَّدت

لحنَ السلامِ مُسلسلاً ونبيلا

لحنَ السلامِ مُسلسلاً ونبيلا

For whom have the beloved hymns repeated

For whom did the beloved anthems echo

the melody of peace, unbroken and noble?

The melody of peace, continuous and noble

لمن الهوىَ والفُّن حينَ تألقَّا

لمن الهوىَ والفُّن حينَ تألقَّا

طُهراً وحين تباريا تقبيلا

طُهراً وحين تباريا تقبيلا

For whom were love and art, when they shone

For whom did passion and art shine pure

in purity, and when they vied in kisses?

And compete in a kiss

لمن التَّهلُّلُ والجميعُ كأنَّهم

لمن التَّهلُّلُ والجميعُ كأنَّهم

أطفالُ لم يستمرئوا التحويلا

أطفالُ لم يستمرئوا التحويلا

For whom is the rejoicing, with everyone as though they were

For whom is the joy as if all of them

children who had not found change palatable?

Were children who never fancied changing

دُنيا السماحةِ والتحُّررِ والنَّدى

دُنيا السماحةِ والتحُّررِ والنَّدى

شَعَّت وما خَذلت بها تأميلا

شَعَّت وما خَذلت بها تأميلا

A world of tolerance, freedom, and generosity

The world of benevolence, freedom, and dew

shone forth, betraying no hope placed in it.

Shone and did not fail any hope

وَكَسا منازِلنا نعيماً سابِغا

وَكَسا منازِلنا نعيماً سابِغا

رُوحٌ باشهى الصفوِ كانَ كفيلا

رُوحٌ باشهى الصفوِ كانَ كفيلا

And our homes were clothed in abundant bliss

And clothed our homes in abundant bliss

by a spirit that ensured the sweetest serenity.

A spirit in the finest company guaranteed

لمن المظاهرُ والحقائقُ هذهِ

لمن المظاهرُ والحقائقُ هذهِ

عَجباً كأنَّ البؤسَ رُدَّ قَتيلا

عَجباً كأنَّ البؤسَ رُدَّ قَتيلا

For whom are these outward signs and realities—

For whom are these sights and truths

how wondrous!—as though misery had been slain,

A wonder, as if misery was struck dead

وَكَأنمَّا الظلمُ الرهيبُ قد انتفى

وَكَأنمَّا الظلمُ الرهيبُ قد انتفى

والعدلُ أصبحَ كالجمالِ ظليلا

والعدلُ أصبحَ كالجمالِ ظليلا

and as though dreadful oppression had vanished,

And as if frightening injustice ceased to be

and justice, like beauty, had become a sheltering shade?

And justice became beautiful like shade

هي بعضُ وجدانِ الوجودِ يَزفه

هي بعضُ وجدانِ الوجودِ يَزفه

حُبَّاً لمن هو أطلعَ الإنجيلا

حُبَّاً لمن هو أطلعَ الإنجيلا

They are part of existence's feeling, which it joyfully bears

It is part of the conscience of existence

in love to him who brought the Gospel to light;

Offered in love to the one who revealed the Gospel

من لا تزالُ على السماءِ عظاتُه

من لا تزالُ على السماءِ عظاتُه

هذى الشموسُ تُواكبُ التنزيلا

هذى الشموسُ تُواكبُ التنزيلا

him whose exhortations still abide in the sky—

Whose teachings are still in the sky

these suns that keep pace with revelation;

The suns chant his revelation

من روُحه روحُ الإِله وِسُّرهُ

من روُحه روحُ الإِله وِسُّرهُ

سرُّ الحياةِ على الأبُودِ نزيلا

سرُّ الحياةِ على الأبُودِ نزيلا

him whose spirit is God's spirit, and whose mystery

Whose spirit is God's spirit and whose secret

is life's mystery, dwelling through the ages;

Is the secret of life, hosted on heights

من عَلَّمَ الإنسانَ قيمةً نفسه

من عَلَّمَ الإنسانَ قيمةً نفسه

لو شاءَ حَظَّاً في الحياةِ جليلا

لو شاءَ حَظَّاً في الحياةِ جليلا

him who taught humankind its own worth,

Who taught man his value

should it desire a noble lot in life.

Had he sought high fortune in life

بُوركتَ ميلادَ المسيحِ وبُوركت

بُوركتَ ميلادَ المسيحِ وبُوركت

مُثلٌ رُفعتَ لنا وجئتَ مُنيلا

مُثلٌ رُفعتَ لنا وجئتَ مُنيلا

Blessed are you, birth of Christ, and blessed

Blessed is the birth of Christ, and blessed

are the ideals you raised for us and came to bestow.

Are the ideals you raised and came fulfilling

من عاشَ يُكرِمها فما ضاقت به

من عاشَ يُكرِمها فما ضاقت به

دُنيا ولا وَجدَ السلامَ ضئيلا

دُنيا ولا وَجدَ السلامَ ضئيلا

Whoever lived honoring them was never hemmed in

Who lived honoring them, the world never narrowed for him

by the world, nor did he find peace meager.

Never found peace deficient