عَادَreturned عَهْدُthe age الشَّقَاmisery إِلَيْهِto it فَعُودِيso return
عَادَ عَهْدُ الشَّقَا إِلَيْهِ فَعُودِي
وَانْدُبِيهِand mourn it يَاO طَيْرُbird فَوْقَupon العُودِthe bough
وَانْدُبِيهِ يَا طَيْرُ فَوْقَ العُودِ
The age of misery has returned to it; so return,
The days of woe have returned, so return
And mourn it, O bird upon the bough.
And lament it, O bird, above the branch
حَوَّلَتْturned شَدْوَكِyour song اللَّيَالِيthe nights نُوَاحًاinto lamentation
حَوَّلَتْ شَدْوَكِ اللَّيَالِي نُوَاحًا
فارْجِعِيso desist … فارْجِعِيso desist عَنِfrom التَّغْرِيدِsinging
فارْجِعِي ... فارْجِعِي عَنِ التَّغْرِيدِ
The nights have turned your song into lamentation;
Your singing has turned the nights into wailing
So desist—desist from singing.
So go back...go back from twittering
كَانَwas رَوْضَthe garden المُنَىhopes فَبَاتَthen it became وَأَهْلُوand the people of
كَانَ رَوْضَ المُنَى فَبَاتَ وَأَهْلُو
هُit لُحُودٌtombs تَسِيرُwalk بَيْنَamong لُحُودِtombs
هُ لُحُودٌ تَسِيرُ بَيْنَ لُحُودِ
It was the garden of hopes; now its people
The garden of wishes has become desolate
Are tombs walking among tombs.
It is now barren plains amid barren plains
يُرْهِقُoppresses الدَّهْرُtime كُلَّevery حَرٍّfree man عَلَيْهِupon it
يُرْهِقُ الدَّهْرُ كُلَّ حَرٍّ عَلَيْهِ
فَهوَso he is فِيهِin it المَسِيحُChrist بَيْنَamong اليَهُودthe Jews
فَهوَ فِيهِ المَسِيحُ بَيْنَ اليَهُود
Time oppresses every free man there;
Time wears down all the free
So there he is Christ among the Jews.
So He is among them like Messiah among Jews
إِيهِAh لُبْنَانَLebanon! كَمْhow much بَكَيْتَyou wept وَتَبْكِيand you weep
إِيهِ لُبْنَانَ! كَمْ بَكَيْتَ وَتَبْكِي
بَيْنَbetween عَهْدٍan age مَضَىpassed، وَعَهْدٍand an age جَدِيدِnew
بَيْنَ عَهْدٍ مَضَى، وَعَهْدٍ جَدِيدِ
Ah, Lebanon! How much you have wept and still weep,
Oh Lebanon! How much you cried and still cry
Between an age gone by and a new age.
Between a past era and a new one
كُنْتَyou were تَبْكِيweeping فِيهِin it وَهَاand behold أَنْتَyou تبْكِيـyou mourn
كُنْتَ تَبْكِي فِيهِ وَهَا أَنْتَ تبْكِيـ
ـهِit عَلَىin رغْمِspite of بُؤْسِهِits misery المَعْهُودِfamiliar
ـهِ عَلَى رغْمِ بُؤْسِهِ المَعْهُودِ
You used to weep within it; now, behold, you mourn
You cried then and here you are crying
It, despite its familiar misery.
Over its misery despite its familiarity
يَاO حَنِينِيmy longing إِلَىfor مغَانِيكَyour haunts لَوْلَاwere it not for
يَا حَنِينِي إِلَى مغَانِيكَ لَوْلَا
صَارِمٌa sharp sword فِيكَwithin you سُلَّwas drawn للتَّهْدِيدِto threaten
صَارِمٌ فِيكَ سُلَّ للتَّهْدِيدِ
O my longing for your haunts, were it not for
My yearning for your songs, if not for
A sharp sword drawn within you to threaten;
A blade among you unleashed for threats
وَإِلَىand for الأُفقِthe horizon صَافِيًاclear فِيكَwithin you لَوْلَاwere it not for
وَإِلَى الأُفقِ صَافِيًا فِيكَ لَوْلَا
مَاwhat بِهِupon it اليومَtoday مِنْof غَمَائِمَclouds سُودِblack
مَا بِهِ اليومَ مِنْ غَمَائِمَ سُودِ
And for your clear horizon, were it not for
And for the sky clear in you, if not for
The black clouds upon it today;
The clouds of gloom it holds today
وَإِلَىand for الماءِthe water طيِّبَsweet الوِرْدِthe draught لَوْلَاwere it not for
وَإِلَى الماءِ طيِّبَ الوِرْدِ لَوْلَا
مَاwhat جَرَىflowed فِيهِin it مِنْof سُمُومِpoisons الوَعِيدِmenace
مَا جَرَى فِيهِ مِنْ سُمُومِ الوَعِيدِ
And for the water, sweet to drink, were it not for
And for the pure water of roses, if not for
The poisons of menace that have flowed through it;
The poisons of threats that have flowed in it
وَإِلَىand for الريحِthe wind مِنْfrom صُرودِكَyour highlands لَوْلَاwere it not for
وَإِلَى الريحِ مِنْ صُرودِكَ لَوْلَا
نفثَاتُbreaths الفسادِcorruption بَيْنَamong الصُّرودِthe highlands
نفثَاتُ الفسادِ بَيْنَ الصُّرودِ
And for the wind from your highlands, were it not for
And for the wind from your peaks, if not for
The breaths of corruption among the highlands;
The breaths of corruption among the peaks
وَإِلَىand for البحرِthe sea فِيalong شَوَاطِيكَyour shores لَوْلَاwere it not for
وَإِلَى البحرِ فِي شَوَاطِيكَ لَوْلَا
أَنَّهُthat it نَمَّgave signs بِالعَدَاءِof hostility الشديدِfierce
أَنَّهُ نَمَّ بِالعَدَاءِ الشديدِ
And for the sea along your shores, were it not
And for the sea on your shores, if not for
That it betrayed fierce hostility;
That it has slept with intense enmity
وَإِلَىand for الأَرْزِthe cedar شَامِخَheld high الرأسِthe head لَوْلَاwere it not for
وَإِلَى الأَرْزِ شَامِخَ الرأسِ لَوْلَا
أَنَّهُمْthat they حَمَّلُوهُburdened it with ذُلَّhumiliation السُّجُودِprostration
أَنَّهُمْ حَمَّلُوهُ ذُلَّ السُّجُودِ
And for the cedar, its head held high, were it not
And for the defiant cedar, if not for
That they burdened it with the humiliation of prostration.
They burdened it with the humiliation of prostration
وَضَعُوهُthey placed it طَيَّwithin the folds of المُثَلَّثِthe tricolor، تَحْتَbeneath الـthe
وَضَعُوهُ طَيَّ المُثَلَّثِ، تَحْتَ الـ
ـبِيضِwhite blades، بينَbetween الدِّمَاblood وبينand between الحديدِiron
ـبِيضِ، بينَ الدِّمَا وبين الحديدِ
They placed it in the folds of the tricolor, beneath the
They placed it under the triangle, between the
White blades, between blood and iron.
White, between the blood and the iron
لَهَفِيmy grief للرُّبوعِfor the dwellings تُضْحِيpass the morning وَتُمْسِيand pass the evening
لَهَفِي للرُّبوعِ تُضْحِي وَتُمْسِي
وَهْيَand they are خُلوٌempty إِلَّاexcept مِنَof التنكيدِaffliction
وَهْيَ خُلوٌ إِلَّا مِنَ التنكيدِ
Alas for the dwellings, at morning and evening
My craving for the meadows that rise and set
Empty of all but affliction.
Devoid except for frustration
يَنْزَحُdepart السَّاكِنُونَthe inhabitants عَنْهَاfrom them وَوَجْهُand the face of الـthe
يَنْزَحُ السَّاكِنُونَ عَنْهَا وَوَجْهُ الـ
أَرْضِearth رَحْبٌvast إِلَىto المَزَارِthe destination البَعِيدِdistant
أَرْضِ رَحْبٌ إِلَى المَزَارِ البَعِيدِ
The inhabitants depart from them—the face of the
The inhabitants evacuate them and the face of
Earth is vast—for a far-off destination:
The land is vast towards the distant tomb
مِنْfrom among فَتَاةٍa maiden، وَمِنْand from among فَتًىa youth، وَغَنِيٍّand a rich man
مِنْ فَتَاةٍ، وَمِنْ فَتًى، وَغَنِيٍّ
وَفَقِيرٍand a poor man، وَوَالِدٍand a father وَوَلِيدِand a newborn child
وَفَقِيرٍ، وَوَالِدٍ وَوَلِيدِ
Maiden and youth, and rich man,
Of a girl, a boy, a rich man, a poor one, a father and a newborn
And poor man, and father, and newborn child,
As birds evacuate the land when it's flowers have withered
مِثْلَمَاjust as تَنْزَحُdepart الطُّيُورُthe birds عَنِfrom الروthe gar-
مِثْلَمَا تَنْزَحُ الطُّيُورُ عَنِ الرو
ضِ-den وَقَدْand already رَاعَهَاalarmed them ذُبُولُthe withering الوُرُودِthe roses
ضِ وَقَدْ رَاعَهَا ذُبُولُ الوُرُودِ
Just as the birds depart from the garden,
Or as gazelles flee a pond
Alarmed by the withering of the roses;
When the wolf has come for the flowers
أَوْor كَمَاas تَنْفُرُflee الظِّبَاthe gazelles عَنْfrom غَدِيرٍa pool
أَوْ كَمَا تَنْفُرُ الظِّبَا عَنْ غَدِيرٍ
أمَّهُapproached it الذِّئْبُthe wolf طَالِبًاseeking لِلْوُرُودِto drink
أمَّهُ الذِّئْبُ طَالِبًا لِلْوُرُودِ
Or as gazelles flee from a pool
They left it with tears filling the valleys
Which the wolf approached, seeking to drink.
For its groves, and flames filling the livers
وَدَّعوهَاthey bade it farewell والدَّمْعُand tears مِلْءُthe fullness of المَآقِيthe eye corners
وَدَّعوهَا والدَّمْعُ مِلْءُ المَآقِي
لِنَوَاهَاbecause of separation from it، وَالنَّارُand fire مِلءُthe fullness of الكُبودِthe livers
لِنَوَاهَا، وَالنَّارُ مِلءُ الكُبودِ
They bade it farewell, tears filling their eyes,
And if the deaf could hear a sound
At parting from it, fire filling their livers.
They would scream aboard the silent ships: Return!
وَلَوand if انَّthat الأَصَمَّthe deaf one يَسْمَعُhears صَوْتًاa voice
وَلَو انَّ الأَصَمَّ يَسْمَعُ صَوْتًا
صَرَخُواthey would cry out بِالبَوَاخِرِto the steamships الصُّمِّthe deaf: عُودِيreturn
صَرَخُوا بِالبَوَاخِرِ الصُّمِّ: عُودِي
And if the deaf could hear a voice,
They would cry to the deaf steamships: “Return!”
Partial English translation: 38 of 40 Arabic lines translated.