حيgreet عناon our behalf ياO نسيمbreeze الوطناthe homeland
حي عنا يا نسيم الوطنا
فلقدfor indeed ذُبناwe have melted away عليهfor it شجناin sorrow
فلقد ذُبنا عليه شجنا
Greet the homeland for us, O breeze,
Awaken in me, oh breeze of the homeland
For we have melted away in sorrow for it.
For we have yearned for it in anguish
منfrom ضفافthe banks of النيلthe Nile حنّتyearned للشآمfor al-Sham
من ضفاف النيل حنّت للشآم
أنفسٌsouls تُهديsend علىacross البعدthe distance السلامgreetings
أنفسٌ تُهدي على البعد السلام
From the banks of the Nile, yearning for al-Sham,
From the banks of the Nile, hearts have longed for Damascus
Souls send greetings from afar.
Souls that send their peace from afar
لاdo not تلمهاblame them ياO عذوليmy reproacher هلcan ...? يلامbe blamed
لا تلمها يا عذولي هل يلام
مَنone who سلاhas forgotten الدنياthe world وحبَّand loved الوطناthe homeland
مَن سلا الدنيا وحبَّ الوطنا
Do not blame them, O my reproacher; can one be blamed
Do not blame them, oh critic, can one be blamed
Who has forgotten the world and loved the homeland?
For leaving the world and loving their homeland?
منfrom رُبىthe hills of الاهرامthe pyramids للارزfor the cedars صباyearned
من رُبى الاهرام للارز صبا
مغرمٌa lovesick man يذكرُrecalls أيامَthe days of الصباyouth
مغرمٌ يذكرُ أيامَ الصبا
From the hills of the pyramids, longing for the cedars,
One who was raised among the pyramids to the cedars
A lovesick man recalls the days of his youth
An enamored one, recalling the days of youth
فيin ربوعٍlands أهلهاtheir people أيديhands (idiomatically, scattered bands) سباSaba (Sheba)
في ربوعٍ أهلها أيدي سبا
ذهبواdeparted والبؤسand misery فيهاin them استوطناsettled
ذهبوا والبؤس فيها استوطنا
In lands whose people, scattered like those of Saba,
In meadows inhabited by the hands of morning
Have departed, and misery has settled there.
They left, and misery settled therein
ياO ربوعاًlands كلماwhenever دارcirculated لهاof them
يا ربوعاً كلما دار لها
فيin فميmy mouth ذكرٌa mention شجانيgrieved me وَلهاwith ardent longing
في فمي ذكرٌ شجاني وَلها
O lands, whenever mention of you passes
O meadows, whenever you turn to them
My lips, it grieves me with longing.
In my mouth, a painful memory of them lingers
عنكِfrom you قلبيmy heart قطُّever يوماًfor a day ماnot لهاwas distracted
عنكِ قلبي قطُّ يوماً ما لها
كيفhow ألهوI become distracted عنكِfrom you ياO كلّall of المنىdesires
كيف ألهو عنكِ يا كلّ المنى
Never for a single day has my heart been distracted from you.
My heart has never turned away from you
How could I be distracted from you, O all I desire?
How can I be distracted from you, O summit of wishes?
أنتَyou ياO لبنانُLebanon معشوقيmy beloved القديمof old
أنتَ يا لبنانُ معشوقي القديم
وفؤاديand my heart بكَfor you لمhas not يبرحceased يهيمis lost in love
وفؤادي بكَ لم يبرح يهيم
You, O Lebanon, are my beloved of old,
You, oh Lebanon, are my lifelong beloved
And my heart has never ceased to be lost in love for you.
And my heart does not cease to roam your realm
ولىdeparted مَنthose who فيكَin you منof أهليmy family مقيمresiding
ولى مَن فيكَ من أهلي مقيم
ذُبتُI have melted away شوقاًwith longing والتياعاًand anguish وضنىand wasting sickness
ذُبتُ شوقاً والتياعاً وضنى
Gone are those of my family who lived in you;
I have melted in longing, weariness, and pining
I have melted away with longing, anguish, and wasting sickness.
For those of my family who dwell within you
طودُكَyour mountain الساميlofty الذُّرىthe peaks الفخمُgrand المهيبawe-inspiring
طودُكَ السامي الذُّرى الفخمُ المهيب
تحتهُbeneath it سفحٌa slope علىabove وَادٍa valley خصيبfertile
تحتهُ سفحٌ على وَادٍ خصيب
Your mountain, with towering peaks, grand and awe-inspiring—
Your lofty, splendid mountains, imposing and sublime
Beneath it lies a slope above a fertile valley.
Below them a hillside on a fertile valley
كلماwhenever أذكرهُI recall it عنيfrom me تغيبvanishes
كلما أذكرهُ عني تغيب
هذهthis الدنياthe world وأنسىand I forget منwho أناI am
هذه الدنيا وأنسى من أنا
Whenever I recall it, I lose sight of
Whenever I recall it, my eyes grow dim
This world, and forget who I am.
This world fades, and I forget who I am
فيكin you أحبابيmy loved ones الأعزاءُdear الكرامnoble
فيك أحبابي الأعزاءُ الكرام
ضنكهمtheir hardship عنof وصفهdescribing it ضاقfell short الكلامwords
ضنكهم عن وصفه ضاق الكلام
In you dwell my dear and noble loved ones;
In you are my dear, noble loved ones
Words fall short of describing their hardship.
Speaking of their plight, words fail me
فمتىso when عنهمُfrom them ينجابُis dispelled الظلامthe darkness
فمتى عنهمُ ينجابُ الظلام
وينالونand they attain الهناhappiness بعدafter العناhardship
وينالون الهنا بعد العنا
So when will the darkness lift from them,
When will their darkness be dispelled?
And when will they attain happiness after hardship?
When will they enjoy good fortune after adversity?
عنafter قليلa little while سنرىwe shall see هذاthis النداthe plea
عن قليل سنرى هذا الندا
مستجاباًanswered غيرnot متروكٍleft سُدَىin vain
مستجاباً غير متروكٍ سُدَى
Before long we shall see this plea
Before long we will see this call
Answered, not left in vain.
Answered, not neglected in vain
واذاand when الساريthe night traveler رأىsees النجمthe star بداappear
واذا الساري رأى النجم بدا
صاحcried out ياO قومُpeople ابشرواrejoice الصحthe dawn (apparently intended: الصبح) دناis near
صاح يا قومُ ابشروا الصح دنا
And when the night traveler sees the star appear,
And when the banner sees the star appear
He cries, "O people, rejoice! Dawn is near!"
It will proclaim, "O people, good tidings have come near!"