إذا نحنُ هنّأناك كان لنا الهنا

إذا نحنُ هنّأناك كان لنا الهنا

فَنعدِلُ عن صَوغ الهنآءِ إلى الثنا

فَنعدِلُ عن صَوغ الهنآءِ إلى الثنا

If we congratulate you, the joy is ours;

If we congratulated you, it was our happiness

So we turn from composing congratulations to praise.

So we refrain from composing congratulations, to praise

وان نحن اثنينا عليك فاننا

وان نحن اثنينا عليك فاننا

عمدنا الى برهان ما قد تبرهنا

عمدنا الى برهان ما قد تبرهنا

And if we praise you, then we

And if we praised you, we

Have sought to prove what has already been proved.

Intended to prove what we have proven

وَهَيهات أَن نحصي ثَناك وانما

وَهَيهات أَن نحصي ثَناك وانما

نُحاوِلُ منهُ بعضَ ما كانَ مُمكِنا

نُحاوِلُ منهُ بعضَ ما كانَ مُمكِنا

And we could never count your praises; we only

Alas! We cannot enumerate your praise, but

Attempt some of it, as far as is possible.

We attempt some of what was possible

وَنذكرُهُ لا قصدَ مدحٍ وانما

وَنذكرُهُ لا قصدَ مدحٍ وانما

لنُطرِبَ أَسماعا بذاك وأَلسُنا

لنُطرِبَ أَسماعا بذاك وأَلسُنا

And we recount it, not intending praise, but only

And we mention it not intending praise, but

To delight ears and tongues with it.

To please ears with it, and our tongues

وَلِلَّه اسماءٌ كَثيرٌ عديدها

وَلِلَّه اسماءٌ كَثيرٌ عديدها

تُعادُ وَتُتلى بالأَناشيد والغنا

تُعادُ وَتُتلى بالأَناشيد والغنا

And God has names, many in number,

And God has many names, numerous

Repeated and recited in hymns and song.

Repeated and recited in songs and melodies

وَنَفخرَ ان قلنا غريغور يُس لنا

وَنَفخرَ ان قلنا غريغور يُس لنا

رَئيسٌ وَنحظى بالمسرَّة وَالمُنى

رَئيسٌ وَنحظى بالمسرَّة وَالمُنى

And we take pride when we say, “Gregorius is our

And we are proud if we said Gregory E. is for us

Leader,” and are blessed with joy and our heart’s desires.

A president, and we enjoy bliss and wishes

رَئيسٌ علينا فاضلٌ وابٌ لنا

رَئيسٌ علينا فاضلٌ وابٌ لنا

شَفيقٌ سما لطفاً وزاد تحنُّنا

شَفيقٌ سما لطفاً وزاد تحنُّنا

A virtuous leader over us, and a father to us,

A president over us, virtuous and a father to us

Compassionate, excelling in kindness and growing in tenderness.

Kind-hearted, his kindness increased our affection

أَلا أَيُّها المولى الَّذي عمَّ فضلُهُ

أَلا أَيُّها المولى الَّذي عمَّ فضلُهُ

واعظمُ حظٍّ كان من فيضهِ لنا

واعظمُ حظٍّ كان من فيضهِ لنا

Behold, O master, whose bounty has reached all,

Oh Lord, whose favor has spread

And from whose overflowing bounty the greatest share was ours:

And the greatest fortune was what came to us from his abundance

غرستَ بِبَيروت البَهيَّة روضةً

غرستَ بِبَيروت البَهيَّة روضةً

ضَفا ظِلُّها الوافي وطاب بها الجَنى

ضَفا ظِلُّها الوافي وطاب بها الجَنى

You planted a garden in splendid Beirut;

You have planted in beautiful Beirut a garden

Its ample shade spread wide, and sweet was the fruit within it.

Whose ample shade is pleasant, and its fruits are delightful

سَقاها نَداك الجمُّ فاِنتَعَشَت بِهِ

سَقاها نَداك الجمُّ فاِنتَعَشَت بِهِ

وَبَثَّت عليها شَمسُ غَيرتك السَنى

وَبَثَّت عليها شَمسُ غَيرتك السَنى

Your abundant bounty watered it, and it flourished thereby;

You watered it with your flowing spring, so it flourished

And the sun of your zeal shed radiance upon it.

And you shone your zealous sun upon it

أَزاهرُها تَحكي الثِمارَ لَذاذةً

أَزاهرُها تَحكي الثِمارَ لَذاذةً

وأَثمارُها الشهدَ المُذابَ لمن جَنى

وأَثمارُها الشهدَ المُذابَ لمن جَنى

Its blossoms resemble fruit in sweetness,

Its flowers tell of the sweetness of fruits

And its fruit resembles melted honey to whoever gathers it.

And its fruits, the melted honey, for whoever picked them

فَجآءَتكَ تُهديك التَهاني كَرَوضَةٍ

فَجآءَتكَ تُهديك التَهاني كَرَوضَةٍ

يَصوغُ حروفاً زهرُها متلوِّنا

يَصوغُ حروفاً زهرُها متلوِّنا

So it came to you, offering you congratulations, like a garden

So it came to congratulate you, like a garden

Whose multicolored blossoms fashion letters.

Whose flowers compose motley letters