دَعْ مَا ظَفِرْتَ بِهِ مِنَ الأَزْهَارِ

دَعْ مَا ظَفِرْتَ بِهِ مِنَ الأَزْهَارِ

وَخُذِ الْكرِيمَةَ مِنْ يَدِ الزَّهَّارِ

وَخُذِ الْكرِيمَةَ مِنْ يَدِ الزَّهَّارِ

Leave the flowers you have obtained,

Leave what flowers you have grasped,

and take the noble maiden from the florist's hand.

And take the generous one from the florist's hand.

حَسْنَاءَ قَدْ عَقَدُوا نَظَائِرَهَا لهَا

حَسْنَاءَ قَدْ عَقَدُوا نَظَائِرَهَا لهَا

تاجاً وَهُنَّ وَلائِدُ الأَسْحَارِ

تاجاً وَهُنَّ وَلائِدُ الأَسْحَارِ

A beauty whose counterparts they have entwined for her

They have made for the beautiful one her like

into a crown—and they are daughters of dawn.

A crown, and they are the new moons of the dawn.

يَا أَيهَا الإِلْفانِ قَدْ أَزْمَعْتُمَا

يَا أَيهَا الإِلْفانِ قَدْ أَزْمَعْتُمَا

سَفَراً وَطِيبُ النَّفْسِ فِي الأَسْفَارِ

سَفَراً وَطِيبُ النَّفْسِ فِي الأَسْفَارِ

O you two lovers, you have resolved

O two companions, you have intended

upon a journey—and the soul finds delight in travel.

A journey, and a good soul on journeys,

فتَوَلَّيَا تَرْعَاكُمَا عَيْنُ الَّذِي

فتَوَلَّيَا تَرْعَاكُمَا عَيْنُ الَّذِي

هُوَ فِي الْوُجُودِ مُصَرِّفُ الأَقْدَارِ

هُوَ فِي الْوُجُودِ مُصَرِّفُ الأَقْدَارِ

So set forth, watched over by the eye of Him

May the eye of Him who

who governs destinies throughout existence.

In existence disposes fates watch over you.

وتَلقَّيا فِي بَعْلَبَكَّ مَحَبَّةً

وتَلقَّيا فِي بَعْلَبَكَّ مَحَبَّةً

وَكرَامَةً مِنْ أُمَّة أَبْرَارِ

وَكرَامَةً مِنْ أُمَّة أَبْرَارِ

And in Baalbek receive love

And may you find in Baalbek love

and honor from a righteous people.

And bounty from a nation of the devout.

إِنِّي لأَهْوى بَعْلَبَكَّ وَأَهْلَهَا

إِنِّي لأَهْوى بَعْلَبَكَّ وَأَهْلَهَا

أَوَلا وَهُمْ أَهْلِي وَتِلْكَ دِيَاري

أَوَلا وَهُمْ أَهْلِي وَتِلْكَ دِيَاري

Indeed, I love Baalbek and its people.

I do yearn for Baalbek and its people

And why not? They are my kin, and that is my homeland.

Foremost, and they are my people and that is my home.

وَأُحِبُّ فِتْيَتَهَا الكِرَامَ فإِنَّهُمْ

وَأُحِبُّ فِتْيَتَهَا الكِرَامَ فإِنَّهُمْ

سُمَحَاءُ فِي الإِعْلانِ وَالإِسْرَارِ

سُمَحَاءُ فِي الإِعْلانِ وَالإِسْرَارِ

And I love its noble young men, for they

And I love its generous youths, for they

are generous in public and in private.

Are easygoing in public and private.

يَسْعَوْنَ بَيْنَ يَديْكمُا وَهُمُ الأُولى

يَسْعَوْنَ بَيْنَ يَديْكمُا وَهُمُ الأُولى

يسْعَى الْكِبَارُ لَهُمْ مِنَ الإِكْبَارِ

يسْعَى الْكِبَارُ لَهُمْ مِنَ الإِكْبَارِ

They attend you both, though they are those

They hasten before you, though the elders

whom the great themselves attend out of reverence.

Hasten to them out of reverence.

وَيقَابِلُونَكِ يَا عَرُوسَ عَزِيزِهِمْ

وَيقَابِلُونَكِ يَا عَرُوسَ عَزِيزِهِمْ

بِعَفَافِ أَطْفَالٍ وَرِفْقِ كِبارِ

بِعَفَافِ أَطْفَالٍ وَرِفْقِ كِبارِ

And they greet you, O bride of their beloved,

And they receive you, O precious bride,

with children's purity and elders' gentleness.

With the chastity of children and the gentleness of elders.

ويُسَيِّجونَكِ فِي المَسِيرِ كرَامَةً

ويُسَيِّجونَكِ فِي المَسِيرِ كرَامَةً

وَتَجِلَّةً لكِ بِالْقنا الْخَطّارِ

وَتَجِلَّةً لكِ بِالْقنا الْخَطّارِ

And they surround you on your way, in honor

And they guard you on the march out of chivalry

and reverence for you, with swaying lances.

And veneration for you with sharp swords.

وَيُكَلِّلُونَكِ بِالنِّصالِ تَشابَكَتْ

وَيُكَلِّلُونَكِ بِالنِّصالِ تَشابَكَتْ

كَمِظَلَّةٍ صُنِعَتْ مِنَ الأنْوَارِ

كَمِظَلَّةٍ صُنِعَتْ مِنَ الأنْوَارِ

And they crown you with interlaced spearheads,

And they crown you with intertwined blades

like a canopy fashioned from light.

Like a canopy made of lights.

هَذِي هِيَ الدَّارُ الَّتِي اسْتوْطَنْتِهَا

هَذِي هِيَ الدَّارُ الَّتِي اسْتوْطَنْتِهَا

وَأُولَئِكَ الأَمْجَاد أَهْلُ الدَّارِ

وَأُولَئِكَ الأَمْجَاد أَهْلُ الدَّارِ

This is the home where you have settled,

This is the house you inhabited

and those illustrious men are its people.

And those glories are the people of the house.

رُدِّي لَهَا عَهْدَ السَّرُورِ وَجَدِّدِيْ

رُدِّي لَهَا عَهْدَ السَّرُورِ وَجَدِّدِيْ

عَزْمَ الشَّبابِ لِعَاثِرِ الآثارِ

عَزْمَ الشَّبابِ لِعَاثِرِ الآثارِ

Restore to it the days of joy, and renew

Give it back the era of joy and renew

youth's resolve for one whose footsteps falter.

The resolve of youth for the trace of ruins.

وتَفَقَّدِي تِلْكَ المَعَابِدَ وَاسْأَلِي

وتَفَقَّدِي تِلْكَ المَعَابِدَ وَاسْأَلِي

فِيهَا الصَّدَى عَنْ صامِتِ الأَسْرَارِ

فِيهَا الصَّدَى عَنْ صامِتِ الأَسْرَارِ

And survey those temples, and ask

And inquire in those temples

the echo within them about the secrets that lie silent.

And ask the echo about the taciturn secrets.

تَرَى الأَوَالِهَ وَالمُلُوكَ وَكُلَّ ذِي

تَرَى الأَوَالِهَ وَالمُلُوكَ وَكُلَّ ذِي

عِلْمٍٍ وَكُلَّ مُحَنَّك جَبَّارِ

عِلْمٍٍ وَكُلَّ مُحَنَّك جَبَّارِ

You will see the gods, the kings, and every man of

You will see the notables, kings and all who

learning, and every seasoned, mighty man,

Have knowledge and every formidable tyrant

يَتَحَرَّكُون على انْتِقالِ ظِلالِهِمْ

يَتَحَرَّكُون على انْتِقالِ ظِلالِهِمْ

وَكَأَنَّهمْ وَثَبُوا مِنَ الأَحْجَارِ

وَكَأَنَّهمْ وَثَبُوا مِنَ الأَحْجَارِ

moving as their shadows shift,

Moving at the transition of their shadows

as though they had leapt from the stones.

As if they sprang from the stones.

فإِذا هُم ضَحِكوا إِلَيْكِ وَأَبْرَقَتْ

فإِذا هُم ضَحِكوا إِلَيْكِ وَأَبْرَقَتْ

فِيهِمْ أَسَارِيرٌ لِلاسْتِبْشارِ

فِيهِمْ أَسَارِيرٌ لِلاسْتِبْشارِ

And when they smile at you, and

So they smile at you and flashes of joy

their faces gleam with gladness,

Beam at you from them.

كُونِي لَهُمْ أَمَلاً بِأَنَّ بَنِيكِ لا

كُونِي لَهُمْ أَمَلاً بِأَنَّ بَنِيكِ لا

يَدَعُونُ كُسْوَتَهُمْ غُبَارَ الْعَارِ

يَدَعُونُ كُسْوَتَهُمْ غُبَارَ الْعَارِ

be for them a hope that your sons will not

Be for them a hope that your children will not

let the dust of shame become their garb.

Let their garments be the dust of disgrace.

وَإِذَا تَفقَّدْتِ الدُّمَى وَعَجِبْتِ مِنْ

وَإِذَا تَفقَّدْتِ الدُّمَى وَعَجِبْتِ مِنْ

تِلْكَ المَحَاسِنِ فِتْنَةِ النُّظارِ

تِلْكَ المَحَاسِنِ فِتْنَةِ النُّظارِ

And when you survey the statues and marvel at

And when you examine the statues and wonder at

those beauties, the enchantment of beholders,

Those beauties, the seductions of the onlookers,

أَلْفَيْتِهِنَّ لَبِسْنَ مِنَ فَوْقِ الْبِلى

أَلْفَيْتِهِنَّ لَبِسْنَ مِنَ فَوْقِ الْبِلى

حُلَلاً مُذَهَّبةً مِنَ الأَنْوَارِ

حُلَلاً مُذَهَّبةً مِنَ الأَنْوَارِ

you will find them clothed, over their decay,

You will find them wearing, above decay,

in gilded robes of light.

Robes gilded with light.