Lebanon’s national anthem was written by Rashid Nakhle (رشيد نخلة) and composed by Wadih Sabra (وديع صبرا) in 1925. (Or maybe not exactly – two Al Jadeed reports from 2011 suggest that its melody may have been lifted from a song dedicated to the President of the short-lived Rif Republic in Morocco (1921-1926): see here and here.) Adopted by the Lebanese government on July 12, 1927, while still under the French Mandate, it became the official national anthem with Lebanon’s independence from colonial rule in 1943.
| Āannašīd lwaTanī llubnānī | النَّشيد الوَطَني اللُّبْناني |
| kullunā lilwaTan lil3ulā lil3alam | كُلُّنا لِلْوَطَن لِلْعُلى لِلْعَلَم |
| milĀu 3ayni zzaman sayfunā walqalam | مِلْءُ عَيْنِ الزَّمَن سَيْفُنا والْقَلَم |
| sahlunā waljabal manbitun lirrijāl | سَهْلُنا والْجَبَل مَنْبِتٌ لِلرِّجال |
| qawlunā wal3amal fī sabīli lkamāl | قَوْلُنا والْعَمَل في سَبيلِ الْكَمال |
| All of us for the nation, for glory and the flag | |
| Down the ages, our sword and pen | |
| Our plain and mountain, where men are forged | |
| Our speech and work, aiming at perfection | |
| kullunā lilwaTan lil3ulā lil3alam | كُلُّنا لِلْوَطَن لِلْعُلى لِلْعَلَم |
| kullunā lilwaTan | كُلُّنا لِلْوَطَن |
| All of us for the nation, for glory and the flag | |
| All of us for the nation | |
| šayḰunā walfatā 3inda sawTi lwaTan | شَيْخُنا وَالْفَتى عِنْدَ صَوْتِ الْوَطَن |
| Āusdu ğābin matā sāwaratnā lfitan | أُسْـدُ غـابٍ مَتى ساوَرَتْنا الْفِتَن |
| šarqunā qalbuhu Āabadan lubnān | شَرْقُنا قَلْبُهُ أَبَداً لُبْنان |
| Sānahu rabbuhu limadā lĀazmān | صانَهُ رَبُّهُ لِمَدى الأَزْمان |
| Our elders and children heed the nation’s call | |
| Lions of the jungle when turbulence befalls us | |
| Our east, its heart is forever Lebanon | |
| His God preserves him to the end of time | |
| kullunā lilwaTan lil3ulā lil3alam | كُلُّنا لِلْوَطَن لِلْعُلى لِلْعَلَم |
| kullunā lilwaTan | كُلُّنا لِلْوَطَن |
| All of us for the nation, for glory and the flag | |
| All of us for the nation | |
| baHruhu barruhu durratu ššarqayn | بَحْرُهُ بَرُّهُ دُرَّةُ الشَّرْقَيْن |
| rifduhu birruhu māliĀu lqutbayn | رِفْدُهّ بِرُّهُ مالِئُ الْقُطْبَيْن |
| Āismuhu 3izzuhu munṭḥu kāna ljudūd | اِسْمُهُ عِـزُّهُ مُنْذُ كانَ الْجُدود |
| majduhu Āarzuhu ramzuhu lilḰulūd | مَجْدُهُ أَرْزُهُ رَمْزُهُ لِلْخُلود |
| His sea, his land, the pearl of the two easts | |
| His kindness and generosity fill the two poles | |
| His name, his renown, ever since the forefathers | |
| His splendor, his cedars, his symbol for eternity | |
| kullunā lilwaTan lil3ulā lil3alam | كُلُّنا لِلْوَطَن لِلْعُلى لِلْعَلَم |
| kullunā lilwaTan | كُلُّنا لِلْوَطَن |
| All of us for the nation, for glory and the flag | |
| All of us for the nation | |
References:
– Hang, Xing. Encyclopedia of National Anthems. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow, 2003.