1. عادةُ الشَمسِ ذَهابٌ وَمَعاد

    وَاِنتِقالٌ فَوقَ آفاقِ البِلاد

    The sun's custom is departure and return,

    and passage over the horizons of the lands.

  2. وَلِذا خورشيدُ مَولانا غَدا

    طائِفاً يُسعَدُ أَحوالَ العِباد

    And so our lord Khurshid went forth,

    making his rounds, improving the people's lot.

  3. سارَ بِالإِقبال وَالإِجلال في

    مَوكِبِ المَجدِ وَبِالإِسعادِ عاد

    He set out amid good fortune and reverence, in

    glory's procession, and returned bringing joy.

  4. أنقذ المَظلومَ مِن ظالِمِهِ

    وَأَزالَ البَغي مَع شَرِ العِناد

    He rescued the oppressed from their oppressor,

    and banished tyranny along with the evil of obstinacy.

  5. أَمنَ الأَقطارَ في أَرهابِهِ

    وَنَفى عَن سَطحِها شَوكَ القِتاد

    He secured the regions through the fear he inspired,

    and cleared their surface of tragacanth thorns.

  6. ساحِقاً لِلخَطبِ عَزماً ماحِقاً

    ظُلمات الجَهلِ في نور الرَشاد

    Crushing adversity with resolve, dispelling

    ignorance's darkness in the light of right guidance;

  7. ساكِباً لِلفَضلِ حُلماً واهِباً

    كُلَما يَخجلُ مَن مَنَّ وَجاد

    pouring forth bounty with forbearance, bestowing

    all that shames those who bestow favors and give freely.

  8. سَيدٌ يَنهَبُ أَرواحَ المَلا

    بِأَكُفِّ اللُطفِ لا سَيفِ الجِلاد

    A lord who steals the souls of the multitude

    with the hands of kindness, not the sword of combat.

  9. تَنفثُ الحِكمَة في أَقلامِهِ

    كَلِمات الحَقِ عَن رَأي السَداد

    Wisdom breathes through his pens

    words of truth drawn from sound judgment.

  10. أَيُّها الحامِلُ سَيفاً لِلهُدى

    تَعقدُ العَدلَ لَهُ فَوقَ النِجاد

    O you who bear a sword for guidance,

    you bind justice to it above the baldric.

  11. مسعدي عَودي لِعلياكَ كَما

    عَودَكَ السامي نَفى عَني السُهاد

    My return to your exalted presence gladdens me, just as

    your exalted return banished sleeplessness from me.

  12. كُنتُ في مَصرٍ وَكانَت فَكرَتي في

    رُبى الشام وَقَلبي بِإِتِقاد

    I was in Egypt, while my thoughts were on

    the hills of the Levant, and my heart was aflame.

  13. أَشكُرُ النِعمَةَ فيها شاكِياً

    بَعَ أَيامٍ شَجَتني بِالبُعاد

    There I gave thanks for the blessing, while lamenting

    some days that grieved me with separation.

  14. أَرشف النَيلَ وَظَنّى أَنَّهُ

    مِن نَدى لُبنانَ قَطرٌ مُستَفاد

    I sipped the Nile, believing it

    a drop drawn from Lebanon's dew.

  15. ما جُنوبُ الأَرضِ عِندي منبَعٌ

    لَلهَنا وَالشَرقُ سُؤلي وَالمُراد

    For me, the earth's south is no wellspring

    of happiness; the East is my wish and aim.

  16. في حِماكَ اليَوم سَعدي يَنجَلي

    أَملي فيهِ عَلى أَعلى عِماد

    Under your protection today my good fortune shines forth;

    there my hope rests upon the loftiest pillar,

  17. إِذ رَجَعتَ الآنَ في جَيشِ الهَنا

    لَحماً بَيروتَ يَزهو بِالمَعاد

    for now you have returned in the army of joy

    to Beirut's sanctuary, exulting in the homecoming.

  18. وَجدَ الفَضلُ إِلَيها مَهبَطاً

    فَغَدا يَهمي وَيَروي كُل صاد

    Bounty found in her a place to descend,

    and began pouring down, quenching all who thirst,

  19. وَشَدا بِاليَمن أَرّخ وَالسَنى

    آيت الشَمسُ إِلى آفقِ البِلاد

    and sang of good fortune and radiance—record the date:

    The sun has returned to the land's horizon.