لِلَّهِ حصنٌ بَبعلَبَكَّ وَلا

لِلَّهِ حصنٌ بَبعلَبَكَّ وَلا

بدعَ اذا سَمّيناهُ بالجبلِ

بدعَ اذا سَمّيناهُ بالجبلِ

What a fortress at Baalbek! And no

God has a fortress in Baalbek, and there is

wonder if we call it a mountain.

No harm in calling it a mountain.

بَرجٌ عَظيمٌ كل البروجُ لَهُ

بَرجٌ عَظيمٌ كل البروجُ لَهُ

حجارةٌ تستهين بالقُللِ

حجارةٌ تستهين بالقُللِ

A mighty tower—all towers are to it

A great tower, the greatest of all towers,

stones that scorn the mountain peaks.

With stones that scorn the peaks.

لَو كانَ للجنّ صحَّةٌ لنسبنا

لَو كانَ للجنّ صحَّةٌ لنسبنا

هُ اليهم في سالف الازلِ

هُ اليهم في سالف الازلِ

If the jinn were real, we would ascribe

If jinn had any truth, we would attribute

it to them in the remotest past.

Its origin to them in ancient times.

كَيفَ بناهُ القوم الَّذين مضوا

كَيفَ بناهُ القوم الَّذين مضوا

ومن هُم يا تُرى من الدوَلِ

ومن هُم يا تُرى من الدوَلِ

How did the people who are gone build it?

How did the people who passed build it,

And who were they, I wonder, among the nations?

And who were they, I wonder, among the nations?

قَومٌ هم الأُسد وَالورى نَعَمٌ

قَومٌ هم الأُسد وَالورى نَعَمٌ

ان كان شأن العُمّال كالعملِ

ان كان شأن العُمّال كالعملِ

A people who are lions, while other mortals are cattle—

A people who were lions and eagles, yes,

if the workers' stature matches their work.

If the work of laborers was like the work itself.

كأَنَّما الجاذبيَّةُ انقطعت

كأَنَّما الجاذبيَّةُ انقطعت

حيناً فَلَم يَبقَ ثَمَّ من ثِقَلِ

حيناً فَلَم يَبقَ ثَمَّ من ثِقَلِ

As though gravity had ceased

It is as if gravity itself had ceased

for a time, so that no weight remained there.

For a time, leaving no weight there.