في مثلِ ذاتِكَ حَقاً تَفخَرُ الدُوَلُ

وَمِثلُ فَضلِكَ ما يَسري بِهِ المثلُ

In ones like you nations truly boast,

And the like of your superiority tales fail to match.

أَنتَ الهِمامُ الَّذي جَلَّت مَهابَتُهُ

حَتّى تَجَلل مِنها السَهلُ وَالجَبَلُ

You are the resolute one, so mighty his aura,

That it looms over peaks and valleys alike.

ما زِلتَ تَرمقنا بِالحُبِّ عَن بُعُدٍ

وَنَستَمليكَ حَتّى أُدرِكَ الأَمَلُ

You kept caring for us from afar,

And we yearned until hopes came to fruition.

فَقَد قَرَبتَ وَقَرَّبنا حَشاشَتنا

إِلَيكَ تَقدِمَةً لَم يَثنِها بُخُلُ

So you came close and we brought our affection

To you, unhindered by stinginess.

لَما رَآكَ مَليك الأَرض شَمسُ هُدىً

في مَشرِقَ السَعدِ لَم يَعهَد لَهُم طفَلُ

When the King of the World saw you as the sun of guidance

Rising in the horizon of bliss - unexpected for them ever before,

أَلقى إِلَيكَ مَقاليد العُلى ثِقَةً

بِأَن حَزمكَ تَستشفي بِهِ العُلَلُ

He handed you the reins of supremacy in trust

That your wisdom will remedy afflictions.

وَقَد لَبستَ طِرازاً مِن وِزارَتِهِ

وَمثل شَخصِكَ مَن تَزهو بِهِ الحُلَلُ

And you have worn his cloak of ministry,

And the like of you makes gowns proud.

فَجئتَ في عَرَباتِ النور راكِضَةً

تَحتَ الأَثيرِ وَخَدُّ الشَرق يَشتَعِلُ

So you came in chariots of light galloping

Under the ether, the cheek of the east aflame,

تَسعى مِن الحَرَمِ الأَقصى إِلى حَرَمٍ

شَيَّدتَهُ فَغَدا بِالأُفقِ يَتَصِلُ

Speeding from the Farthest Sanctuary to a sanctum

You built, connected by the horizon.

حَلَلتَ في قُطرِنا تَزهو عَلى فَلَكٍ

مِن السَعادَةِ فَاعتَزَت بِكَ الحِلَلُ

You have descended in our country blazing a trail

Of happiness, so glories boasted of you.

فَإِلقِ الصِيانَةِ في أَقطار مَملَكَةٍ

أَلقَت إِلَيكَ يَدَيها وَهِيَ تَبتَهِلُ

So bestow protection on the states of a kingdom

That yielded to you, pleading.

إِن الإِصابَة في أَعمالِكَ اِمتَزَجَت

فَلا يَدَنِسُها لَومٌ وَلا عَزلُ

Accuracy in your deeds has intertwined,

So no blame or dismissal can taint it.

يَجلى الظَلامُ بِفَيضٍ مِن هَداكَ وَمِن

إِقدامِ حَزمِكَ يُنفي الحادِثُ الجَلَلُ

Darkness is lit by the splendor of your guidance and

The resolve of your wisdom dispels even the greatest dangers.

في أُفُقِ كَفكَ فَوقَ الخَلقِ مُرتَفِعٌ

يَراعُ فَضلٍ فَماذا تَنفَع الأَسلُ

Above creation lies exalted in your capable hands

A superiority no weapons can diminish.

سَكران في الطُرسِ يَجري وَهُوَ مُنضَغِطٌ

لِأَنَّهُ مِن سَلاف الحَق مُنتَهِلُ

Intoxicated by the law you flow constricted,

For you are an earnest supplicant of the truth’s libations.

مُجَرَّدٌ في يَمين الشَرعِ مُشتَهِرٌ

إِذا قَضا فَالقَضا لِلأَمرِ مُمتَثِلُ

Unencumbered by the canon of law, revered,

If you decree, the order readily complies.

مَولاي خُورشيدُ لِلعَلياء أَنتَ فَتىً

مِن الرَجاء إِلَيهِ تَنتَهي السُبُلُ

My Lord Khourshid you are to the noble ones a gallant

To whom hopes from every path lead.

أَنّي بَدَوتَ تَرى التَأمينَ مُنتَشِراً

مَع السُكونِ فَلا طَيشٌ وَلا خَلَلُ

How excellent you are! I see security has spread

With stability, without folly or fault.

شَيدتَ لِلمَجدِ بَيتاً مِن دُعائِهِ

رُكن التُقى وَالهُدى يا أَيُّها البَطَلُ

You built a house of glory made from His invocation,

Bastion of piety and guidance O hero.

وَلِلعَفافِ مَناراً فَوقَهُ لَمَعَت

أَنوار فَضلكَ فَاِستَهدَت بِها المُقَلُ

And for chastity a beacon atop which have shone

The lights of your superiority that guide the misled.

ما أَنتَ فيما بَدَوتَ الآنَ مُتَشِحاً

فَفي صِفاتك حارَ الفكر يَشتَغِلُ

You now have donned a new cloak,

Perplexing minds busy pondering your traits.

بَحرٌ سَحابٌ غَمامٌ نَعمَةٌ أَسدٌ

بَدرٌ شِهابٌ حُسامٌ دُرَّةٌ رَجُلُ

A sea, a cloud, a mist, a grace, a lion,

A full moon, a flame, a sword, a pearl, a man!

وافيتَ بِالمَجدِ وَالإِقبال فَاِبتَهَجَت

بِكَ العِباد وَفاضَ السَعدُ يَنهَمِلُ

You have attained glory and favor, so the servants rejoiced,

And good fortune came pouring profusely.

مَسَرَةٌ في قُلوبِ الخَلقِ لاعِبَةٌ

خَليل عُلياكَ مِنها شارِدٌ ثَملُ

It plays in the hearts of people, your friend,

Without you, it recoils, weary.

بُشراكِ بَيروتُ قَد وافاكِ رَبُّ ذَكاً

شُجاعُ قَلبٍ بِهِ مِن رَبِّهِ وَجَلُ

Beirut, good tidings! Your Lord has granted you His servant Intelligent,

Brave at heart - awed by his Lord.

يَسقي الجَميعَ شَراباً مِن عَدالَتِهِ

وَقَد تَساوَت إِنصافِهِ لَدى المِلَلُ

He serves everyone a drink from his justice,

And his evenhandedness is equal before doctrines.

لا يَسبِقُ السَيفُ في أَعمالِهِ عَزلاً

وَيَسبقُ القَولَ مِن أَفعالِهِ العَمَلُ

His sword does not precede evidence in his deeds,

And words precede actions among his acts.

لَما أَتى وَبَدَت أَقمار دَولَتِنا

عَلى التَداوُلِ في الأَبراج تَنتَقِلُ

When the moons of our state came to take

Turns circulating through the mansions,

قالَ المَليكُ كَما قَد أَرّخوهُ لَهُ

الشَمسُ أَنتَ وَصيدا بِالعُلى الحَملُ

The King said, as they recorded it for him:

“You are the sun, and Sidon the Exaltation.”