The National Anthem of Mount Lebanon
The National Anthem of Mount Lebanon is inspired by a Syriac prayer to Saint Ephrem the Syriac, the 4th-century Doctor of the Church. The original melody was composed and modernized by Father Paul Mikhael Kouly, who set this ancient prayer to contemporary Syriac liturgical music. Building on this heritage, Dr. Amine Jules Iskandar wrote new lyrics dedicated to Mount Lebanon, while preserving the original opening of the chorus exactly as it appears in Father Kouly’s prayer. For the needs of the present anthem, Mario Dayba adapted and re-scored the second half of the music so that the whole piece flows as a coherent modern national anthem rooted in the Syriac tradition.
Lyrics
ܠܟ ܝܗܒܐ ܥܕܬܐ ܛܘܒܐ ܐܘ ܛܘܪ ܠܒܢܢ
Lokh Yohbo ito tuvo o Tur Levnon
To you the Church gave the Good o Tur Levnon
À toi l’Église a donné le Bien, ô Mont Liban
ܠܗܘ ܛܘܒܐ ܕܝܗܒ ܗܘܐ ܡܪܢ ܠܘܬܟ ܐܬܝܒܠ
Lhaw tuvo d yav wo moran lwotokh etyaval
The Good given by the Lord was passed to you
Le Bien donné par le Seigneur t’a été transmis
ܛܘܒܝܟ ܕܢܨܒܬ ܨܠܝܒ̈ܐ ܥܠ ܛܘܪ̈ܐ
Tuvayk da nsavt slivé 3al turé
Blissful because you planted crosses on the mounts
Bienheureux, car tu as planté des croix sur tes montagnes
ܛܘܒܝܟ ܕܩܕܫܬ ܠܐܪ̈ܙܐ ܝܪ̈ܘܩܐ
Tuvayk d qadésht l’arzé yaruqé
Blissful because you sanctified the green cedars
Bienheureux, car tu as sanctifié les cèdres verdoyants
ܛܘܒܝܟ ܕܐܣܩܬ ܦܝܪ̈ܡܐ ܩܕܝܫ̈ܐ
Tuvayk d’aseqt pirmé qadishé
Blissful because you elevated the holy incense
Bienheureux, car tu as élevé l’encens sacré
ܛܘܒܝܟ ܕܐܘܪܒܬ ܩܠ ܙܓ̈ܐ ܫܦܝܪ̈ܐ
Tuvayk d’awrevt qol zagué shapiré
Blissful because you rose the sound of beautiful bells
Bienheureux, car tu as fait monter le son de belles cloches
ܛܘܒܝܟ ܕܐܬܟܣܝܬ ܒܬܠܓܐ ܕܟܝܐ ܘܐܡܝܢܐ
Tuvayk d’étqasayt btalgo dakhyo w amino
Blissful because you’re covered with snow pure and eternal
Bienheureux, car tu es couvert d’une neige pure et éternelle
ܕܬܗܘܐ ܪܒܐ ܘܩܕܝܫܐ ܘܡܠܐ ܐܝܩܪܐ
Dtéhwé rabo w qadisho wa mlé iqoro
Be great and saint and full of glory
Sois grand, saint et rempli de gloire
ܗܠܠܘܝܗ ܠܛܘܪܐ ܕܚܝܪܘܬܐ
Hallelujah l’Turo d’ħiruto
Hallelujah to the mountain of freedom
Alléluia à la montagne de la liberté
About Father Paul Mikhael Kouly
(1932–2024)
Father Paul Mikhael Kouly was a Syriac Orthodox priest, composer and one of the foremost authorities in modern Syriac liturgical music. Born on 6 March 1932, he dedicated his life to serving the Church and preserving its musical heritage.
On 4 November 1977, he was ordained a priest for the Syriac Orthodox Diocese of Beirut at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Msaïtbé, beginning nearly five decades of pastoral, musical and educational service. From 1986 onward, his ministry and liturgical work were based in Achrafié, where he continued to form choirs, train generations of singers and compose new Syriac hymns rooted in the ancient tradition.
Father Kouly contributed significantly to Lebanon’s cultural life. He taught Syriac music at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), and co-founded alongside the late Dr. Walid Gholmieh the Department of Oriental Music at the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music, where he taught for two years. He leaves behind many compositions and recordings, including works preserved at the UNESCO library, which continue to serve as a reference for church musicians and researchers in Eastern liturgical music.
About Dr. Amine Jules Iskandar
Dr. Amine Jules Iskandar is an architect, writer and researcher known for his work on the Syriac Maronite identity of Lebanon and the historic vocation of Mount Lebanon as a Christian homeland. As founder and president of the Maronite Union – Tur Levnon, he has dedicated his efforts to rediscovering and promoting Lebanon’s Syriac spiritual, cultural and artistic heritage through books, articles, media appearances and conferences. In writing the lyrics of the National Anthem of Mount Lebanon, Dr. Iskandar brought together biblical imagery, Syriac liturgical language and the history of Mount Lebanon to express a clear, courageous and peaceful Christian mission for our land.