يَا بِنْتَ بَيْرُوتَ وَيَا نَفْحَةً

يَا بِنْتَ بَيْرُوتَ وَيَا نَفْحَةً

مِن رُوحِ لُبْنَانَ القَدِيمِ الوَقُورْ

مِن رُوحِ لُبْنَانَ القَدِيمِ الوَقُورْ

O daughter of Beirut, O breath

O daughter of Beirut, and O breeze

From the spirit of ancient, dignified Lebanon,

From the spirit of ancient, dignified Lebanon

إِلَيْكِ مِنْ أَنْبَائِهِ آيَةً

إِلَيْكِ مِنْ أَنْبَائِهِ آيَةً

عَصْرِيةً أَزْرَتْ بِآي الْعُصُورْ

عَصْرِيةً أَزْرَتْ بِآي الْعُصُورْ

Here for you is a marvel from his tales—

To you, from its news, a sign

A modern one that put the marvels of the ages to shame.

Modern, adorned with the signs of eras

مَرَّتْ بِذَاكَ الشَّيخِ فِي لَيْلَةٍ

مَرَّتْ بِذَاكَ الشَّيخِ فِي لَيْلَةٍ

ذِكْرَى جَمَالٍ وَعَبِيرٍ وَنورْ

ذِكْرَى جَمَالٍ وَعَبِيرٍ وَنورْ

One night, there passed by that old man

There passed by that old man one night

A memory of beauty, fragrance, and light—

A memory of beauty, fragrance and light

ذِكْرَى صِباً طَابَتْ لَهَا نَفْسُهُ

ذِكْرَى صِباً طَابَتْ لَهَا نَفْسُهُ

وَافْتَرَّ عَنْهَا رَأْسُهُ مِنْ حُبُورْ

وَافْتَرَّ عَنْهَا رَأْسُهُ مِنْ حُبُورْ

A memory of youth in which his soul delighted,

A memory of youth that delighted his soul

And his head beamed with joy at the thought.

And from which his head overflowed with dreams

أَسَرَّ نَجْوَاهَا إِلى أَرْزِهِ

أَسَرَّ نَجْوَاهَا إِلى أَرْزِهِ

فَلمْ يُطِقْهَا فِي حِجَابِ الضَّمِيرْ

فَلمْ يُطِقْهَا فِي حِجَابِ الضَّمِيرْ

He confided its secret to his cedars,

He confided its whisper to the cedars

So they could not bear to keep it behind the heart's veil,

But they could not contain it in the heart's veil

وَبَثَّها فِي زَفْرَةٍ فَانْبَرَتْ

وَبَثَّها فِي زَفْرَةٍ فَانْبَرَتْ

بِخِفَّة البُشْرَى وَلُطْفِ السرُورْ

بِخِفَّة البُشْرَى وَلُطْفِ السرُورْ

And breathed it out in a sigh; so it set forth

So he released it in a sigh and it rushed out

With the lightness of glad tidings and the gentleness of joy,

With the quickness of good news and gentleness of joy

دَارِجَةً فِي السَّفحِ مُرْتَادَة

دَارِجَةً فِي السَّفحِ مُرْتَادَة

كُلَّ مَكَانٍ فِيهِ نَبْتٌ نَضِيرْ

كُلَّ مَكَانٍ فِيهِ نَبْتٌ نَضِيرْ

Walking along the mountain slope, seeking out

Meandering on the slopes, roaming

Every place with fresh green growth.

Every place in it has peerless vegetation

فَضَحِكَ النَّبتُ ابْتِهَاجاً بِهَا

فَضَحِكَ النَّبتُ ابْتِهَاجاً بِهَا

عَنْ زَهَرٍ رَطْبٍ ذَكِيٍّ قَرِيرْ

عَنْ زَهَرٍ رَطْبٍ ذَكِيٍّ قَرِيرْ

So the plants laughed in delight at it,

So the plants laughed with joy at it

Revealing blossoms fresh, fragrant, and serene—

At moist, ripe, eloquent blossoms

عَنْ زَهَرٍ حُمِّل رِيحَ الصَّبا

عَنْ زَهَرٍ حُمِّل رِيحَ الصَّبا

تَبَسُّماً مُسْتَتِراً فِي عَبِيرْ

تَبَسُّماً مُسْتَتِراً فِي عَبِيرْ

Blossoms from which the east wind was charged to bear

At blossoms which the morning breeze carried

A smile concealed in fragrance;

A concealed smile in fragrance

سَرَى لِبَيْرُوتَ وَلاَقَى شَذاً

سَرَى لِبَيْرُوتَ وَلاَقَى شَذاً

مِنْ بَحْرِهَا رَأْدَ الصَّبَاحِ المُنِيرْ

مِنْ بَحْرِهَا رَأْدَ الصَّبَاحِ المُنِيرْ

It traveled by night to Beirut and met a scent

It flowed to Beirut and met a scent

From her sea at the first light of radiant morning.

From its sea, the radiance of dawn

فَعَقَدَا فِي ثَغْرِهَا دُرَّةً

فَعَقَدَا فِي ثَغْرِهَا دُرَّةً

أَجْمَلَ شيءٍ بَيْنَ دُرِّ الثُّغورْ

أَجْمَلَ شيءٍ بَيْنَ دُرِّ الثُّغورْ

So together they fashioned a pearl in her mouth—

So they formed in its mouth a pearl

The loveliest thing among the pearls of mouths.

The most beautiful thing between the pearls of seas

أَسْمَاءُ هَلْ أَبْصَرْتِهَا مَرَّةً

أَسْمَاءُ هَلْ أَبْصَرْتِهَا مَرَّةً

تَزِينُ مِرْآتِكِ وَقْتَ الْبُكُورْ

تَزِينُ مِرْآتِكِ وَقْتَ الْبُكُورْ

Asma, have you ever seen it

Asma, have you ever seen it

Adorning your mirror in the early morning?

Adorn your mirror at dawn?