رُفَيْدَةُ عَلِّمِي النَّاسَ الحَنانا

رُفَيْدَةُ عَلِّمِي النَّاسَ الحَنانا

وَزِيدي قومَكِ العالينَ شانا

وَزِيدي قومَكِ العالينَ شانا

Rufaida, teach the people tenderness,

Rufaydah, teach the people tenderness,

And raise your lofty people further in stature.

And increase your nation’s highness,

خُذِي الجرحَى إليكِ فأكرمِيهم

خُذِي الجرحَى إليكِ فأكرمِيهم

وَطُوفِي حولهم آناً فآنا

وَطُوفِي حولهم آناً فآنا

Take the wounded to you, then honor them,

Take in the wounded, honor them,

And make your rounds about them, time after time.

And visit them time and again.

وإن هَجَعَ النِّيامُ فلا تَنامِي

وإن هَجَعَ النِّيامُ فلا تَنامِي

عَن الصّوتِ المردَّدِ حيثُ كانا

عَن الصّوتِ المردَّدِ حيثُ كانا

And if the sleepers slumber, do not sleep

And if slumber descends, do not sleep

Heedless of the recurring cry, wherever it may sound.

From the reverberating sound wherever it is found.

أعيني السّاهِرينَ على كُلومٍ

أعيني السّاهِرينَ على كُلومٍ

تُؤرِّقُهُم فمثلُكَ مَن أعانا

تُؤرِّقُهُم فمثلُكَ مَن أعانا

Help those who lie awake with wounds

Relieve the eyes of those staying up

That rob them of sleep, for one like you gives aid.

Whose suffering is like no other’s suffering.

هُمُ الأهلون ما عرفوا أنيساً

هُمُ الأهلون ما عرفوا أنيساً

سِوَاكِ لهم ولا وَجَدُوا مكانا

سِوَاكِ لهم ولا وَجَدُوا مكانا

They are family; they have known no companion

They are the most deserving, who found no comfort

Other than you, nor have they found a place.

Except you, and no place for them was found.

حَبَاكِ اللَّهُ من تقواهُ قلباً

حَبَاكِ اللَّهُ من تقواهُ قلباً

وَسَوَّى من مراحمِهِ البَنَانا

وَسَوَّى من مراحمِهِ البَنَانا

God endowed you with a heart of reverence for Him,

God has granted you a heart of piety,

And fashioned your fingers from His mercies.

And constructed your fingers to caress.

رَفعتِ لأسلمٍ ذِكراً جليلاً

رَفعتِ لأسلمٍ ذِكراً جليلاً

يُزاحِمُ في مواكبِهِ الزمانا

يُزاحِمُ في مواكبِهِ الزمانا

You have raised for Aslam a glorious name

You have raised Aslam’s name up high,

That vies with Time amid its processions.

Rivaling time’s processions.

ضُيوفُ اللَّهِ عِندَكِ في مَحَلٍّ

ضُيوفُ اللَّهِ عِندَكِ في مَحَلٍّ

تُذكِّرُنا مَحاسِنُه الجِنانا

تُذكِّرُنا مَحاسِنُه الجِنانا

God's guests are with you in a place

God’s guests are with you in a place,

Whose beauties remind us of Paradise's gardens.

Reminding us of Paradise’s goodness.

فيا لكِ خَيْمَةً للِبرِّ فيها

فيا لكِ خَيْمَةً للِبرِّ فيها

جَلالٌ لا يُرامُ ولا يُدَانى

جَلالٌ لا يُرامُ ولا يُدَانى

So, what a tent of charity is yours! Within it

How excellent is your tent of righteousness,

Is a majesty that cannot be attained or approached.

Of unmatched and peerless majesty.

جلالُ اللَّهِ ألقاه عليها

جلالُ اللَّهِ ألقاه عليها

فَجَمَّلَها بروعتِهِ وزانا

فَجَمَّلَها بروعتِهِ وزانا

God cast His majesty upon it,

God’s majesty cast upon it,

So He beautified it with His splendor and adorned it.

Beautifying it with its splendor and grace.

نَسيجٌ من شُعاعِ الحقِّ بِدْعٌ

نَسيجٌ من شُعاعِ الحقِّ بِدْعٌ

نَزِيدُ على الزمانِ بهِ افتتانا

نَزِيدُ على الزمانِ بهِ افتتانا

A wondrous fabric of truth's radiance,

A fabric of the light of truth it is,

With time, we grow more enchanted by it.

We are still infatuated with it beyond time.

تَقِلُّ بَدائِعُ النُّسّاجِ عنه

تَقِلُّ بَدائِعُ النُّسّاجِ عنه

وإن نسجوا اللُّجَيْنَ أوِ الجُمانا

وإن نسجوا اللُّجَيْنَ أوِ الجُمانا

The weavers' marvels fall short of it,

The innovations of weavers fall short of it,

Even if they weave silver or pearls.

Even if they weave the finest silk or brocade.

وما يَجِدُ الأديبُ الفردُ وصفاً

وما يَجِدُ الأديبُ الفردُ وصفاً

يُحيطُ به ولو أفنى البيانا

يُحيطُ به ولو أفنى البيانا

And the peerless writer finds no description

The unmatched poet cannot find a description,

That encompasses it, even were he to exhaust eloquence.

That encompasses it even if eloquence is exhausted.

له في الذّهنِ ترجمةٌ ومعنىً

له في الذّهنِ ترجمةٌ ومعنىً

جَليلُ الشأنِ يُعيِي التُّرجمانا

جَليلُ الشأنِ يُعيِي التُّرجمانا

In the mind it has a rendering and a meaning

It has in the mind a translation and meaning,

Of lofty import, baffling the interpreter.

Lofty in status, exhausting interpreters.

لساني مُوثَقٌ يا ربِّ هَبْ لي

لساني مُوثَقٌ يا ربِّ هَبْ لي

جَنَاحَ الرِّيحِ أجعلُهُ لسانا

جَنَاحَ الرِّيحِ أجعلُهُ لسانا

My tongue is bound, O my Lord; grant me

My tongue is tied, O Lord grant me,

The wind's wing, that I may make it a tongue,

The wings of wind to make it a tongue.

فأذهبُ حيثُ شِئْتُ من القوافي

فأذهبُ حيثُ شِئْتُ من القوافي

وأُرسلُها مُحَبَّبَةً حِسانا

وأُرسلُها مُحَبَّبَةً حِسانا

So I may go where I please among the rhymes,

So I may go wherever I wish with rhymes,

And send them forth, beloved and beautiful,

And send them lovingly and gently.

وأُلبِسُهَا رُفَيْدَةَ مُعجباتٍ

وأُلبِسُهَا رُفَيْدَةَ مُعجباتٍ

ضَوامِنَ أن تُجَلَّ وأن تُصانا

ضَوامِنَ أن تُجَلَّ وأن تُصانا

And clothe her, Rufaida, in wondrous verses,

And dress them upon Rufaydah’s wonders,

Ensuring that she be revered and safeguarded.

As careful preservation and protection.

رُفَيْدَةُ جاهِدِي وَدَعِي الهُوَيْنَى

رُفَيْدَةُ جاهِدِي وَدَعِي الهُوَيْنَى

فما شَرَفُ الحياةِ لمن تَوَانى

فما شَرَفُ الحياةِ لمن تَوَانى

Rufaida, strive and forsake ease,

Rufaydah, fight my passions and leave vanity behind,

For life's honor is not for one who hangs back.

For there is no noble life for one who falters.

وَرُبَّ مُجاهدٍ بَلَغَ الثُريَّا

وَرُبَّ مُجاهدٍ بَلَغَ الثُريَّا

وما عَرَفَ الضِّرابَ ولا الطِّعانا

وما عَرَفَ الضِّرابَ ولا الطِّعانا

And many a striver has reached the Pleiades

Many a warrior has reached distinction,

Without knowing swordplay or spear-thrusts.

Without knowing striking or thrusting of spears.

وكم هَزَّ الممالكَ في عُلاها

وكم هَزَّ الممالكَ في عُلاها

فَتىً ما هزَّ سَيفاً أو سِنانا

فَتىً ما هزَّ سَيفاً أو سِنانا

And how often have kingdoms at their height been shaken

How many a kingdom in its supremacy,

By a youth who never brandished a sword or spearhead!

Was shaken by a lad who never brandished a sword or lance.

ومن لم يَمْتَحِنْ دُنيا المعالي

ومن لم يَمْتَحِنْ دُنيا المعالي

فما امتحَنَ الشُّجَاعَ ولا الجبانا

فما امتحَنَ الشُّجَاعَ ولا الجبانا

And whoever has not tested the realm of lofty deeds

One who has not experienced the world of grandeur,

Has tested neither the brave man nor the coward.

Has not been tested for valor or cowardice.

رُفَيْدَةُ ذَلِكَ الإسلامُ حَقّاً

رُفَيْدَةُ ذَلِكَ الإسلامُ حَقّاً

تَبَارَكَ مَن هَداكِ ومن هدانا

تَبَارَكَ مَن هَداكِ ومن هدانا

Rufaida, that is Islam indeed;

Rufaydah, such is Islam indeed,

Blessed is He who guided you and who guided us.

Blessed is He who guided you and us.

تَبَارَكَ ربُّنا ألقَى علينا

تَبَارَكَ ربُّنا ألقَى علينا

سَنا الوَحْيِ المنزَّلِ واصطفانا

سَنا الوَحْيِ المنزَّلِ واصطفانا

Blessed is our Lord, who cast upon us

Blessed is our Lord who bestowed upon us,

The radiance of revelation sent down, and chose us.

The blessed revelation and chose us.

هَدَيْنَا العالَمِينَ بِهِ وإنّا

هَدَيْنَا العالَمِينَ بِهِ وإنّا

لَنحنُ القومُ لا هادٍ سِوَانَا

لَنحنُ القومُ لا هادٍ سِوَانَا

Through it we guided the worlds, and indeed

We have guided the worlds through it, and we

We are the people—there is no guide but us.

Are the guided people, none else.