لغةُ الضَّادِ آمَنَتْ بِعُلاها

لغةُ الضَّادِ آمَنَتْ بِعُلاها

كلُّ نفسٍ سَوِيَّةٍ في رُؤاها

كلُّ نفسٍ سَوِيَّةٍ في رُؤاها

In the loftiness of the language of Ḍād has believed

The language of ḍād—its loftiness is believed in

every sound soul, sound in its vision.

By every soul of sound vision.

إنما الضَّادُ أحرُفٌ مُشرِقاتٌ

إنما الضَّادُ أحرُفٌ مُشرِقاتٌ

بضياءِ الهدَى لِمَن يَهواها

بضياءِ الهدَى لِمَن يَهواها

Ḍād is nothing but radiant letters,

Ḍād is but radiant letters,

lit by the light of guidance for whoever loves her.

With the light of guidance for whoever loves it.

هي بالقرآنِ الكريمِ تسامَتْ

هي بالقرآنِ الكريمِ تسامَتْ

شرَّفَ اللهُ قَدْرَها واصطفاها

شرَّفَ اللهُ قَدْرَها واصطفاها

Through the Noble Qur’an she rose sublime;

Through the noble Qur'an it rose high;

God honored her rank and chose her.

God honored its standing and chose it.

يرتوي مِن آدابِها كلُّ صَبٍّ

يرتوي مِن آدابِها كلُّ صَبٍّ

مُغرَمٍ لا يملُّ مِن نجواها

مُغرَمٍ لا يملُّ مِن نجواها

Every ardent lover drinks from her literature,

Every passionate lover drinks his fill of its literature,

enamored, never wearying of intimate converse with her.

Enamored, never tiring of its confidences.

حَمَلَتْ لُبَّ العِلم ثُمَّ تباهَتْ

حَمَلَتْ لُبَّ العِلم ثُمَّ تباهَتْ

وتأبَّتْ على مُرِيدِ سِواها

وتأبَّتْ على مُرِيدِ سِواها

She bore the very core of knowledge, then gloried,

It bore the essence of knowledge, then took pride,

and held herself aloof from whoever sought another.

And resisted anyone seeking something other than it.

هي بين اللُّغاتِ شمسٌ تجلَّتْ

هي بين اللُّغاتِ شمسٌ تجلَّتْ

قُمْ فسبِّحْ باسمِ الذي جلَّاها

قُمْ فسبِّحْ باسمِ الذي جلَّاها

Among languages she is a sun revealed;

Among languages, it is a sun that shone forth;

rise, then glorify the name of Him who made her shine.

Rise, then glorify the name of Him who made it shine.

جمعتْ أحسنَ المعاني وحازتْ

جمعتْ أحسنَ المعاني وحازتْ

سِدرةَ الحُسن في أجلِّ حُلاها

سِدرةَ الحُسن في أجلِّ حُلاها

She gathered the finest meanings and attained

It gathered the finest meanings and attained

beauty’s Sidra, in the most majestic of her adornments.

The lote-tree of beauty in its most splendid adornments.

صانها الله مِن قُصورٍ ونقصٍ

صانها الله مِن قُصورٍ ونقصٍ

وحَبَاها مِن فضلِه ما حَبَاها

وحَبَاها مِن فضلِه ما حَبَاها

God guarded her from deficiency and flaw,

God preserved it from shortcoming and deficiency,

and lavished on her, from His bounty, all He lavished.

And bestowed on it from His bounty what He bestowed on it.

أبَتِ الضَّادُ أنْ يُبَرَّزَ فيها

أبَتِ الضَّادُ أنْ يُبَرَّزَ فيها

غيرُ صَبٍّ متيَّمٍ بِهواها

غيرُ صَبٍّ متيَّمٍ بِهواها

Ḍād refused to let anyone excel in her

Ḍād refused to let anyone be distinguished in it

but an ardent lover, enthralled by love of her.

But a passionate lover enthralled by love for it.

ليس يعلو في الضَّاد إلَّا خَبِيرٌ

ليس يعلو في الضَّاد إلَّا خَبِيرٌ

منذُ عهدِ الصِّبا بها يتباهَى

منذُ عهدِ الصِّبا بها يتباهَى

None rises high in Ḍād but one well-versed,

None excels in ḍād but an expert,

who has taken pride in her since childhood.

Who has taken pride in it since childhood.

ليس يعلو في الضَّاد إلَّا وَفِيٌّ

ليس يعلو في الضَّاد إلَّا وَفِيٌّ

لِعطاياها مُقْتَفٍ لِخُطاها

لِعطاياها مُقْتَفٍ لِخُطاها

None rises high in Ḍād but one who is faithful,

None excels in ḍād but one faithful

to her gifts, following in her footsteps.

To its gifts, following its footsteps.

منذُ عهدِ الصِّبا تَشَرَّبَ منها

منذُ عهدِ الصِّبا تَشَرَّبَ منها

فارتوَى مِن رحيقِها ورَواها

فارتوَى مِن رحيقِها ورَواها

Since childhood he has drunk her into himself,

From childhood, he imbibed from it,

then drank his fill of her nectar and transmitted her.

So he drank his fill of its nectar and watered it.

هي كنزٌ مِن الكنوز ثمينٌ

هي كنزٌ مِن الكنوز ثمينٌ

فالتمِسْ منها مِن جزيل نَداها

فالتمِسْ منها مِن جزيل نَداها

She is a treasure, precious among treasures;

It is a precious treasure among treasures;

seek from her, then, some of her abundant largesse.

So seek from it a share of its abundant bounty.

إنَّما الضَّادُ والفصاحةُ شيءٌ

إنَّما الضَّادُ والفصاحةُ شيءٌ

واحدٌ، لا يَقوم دُونَ عُراها

واحدٌ، لا يَقوم دُونَ عُراها

Ḍād and eloquence are but a single thing,

Ḍād and eloquence are but one thing,

one whole that cannot stand without her bonds.

One that cannot stand without its bonds.

حَفرتْ في الزمان مجدًا أصيلًا

حَفرتْ في الزمان مجدًا أصيلًا

ثُمَّ قامت لِمَن يُجيب نِداها

ثُمَّ قامت لِمَن يُجيب نِداها

Through time she carved an ancient-rooted glory,

It carved a deep-rooted glory into time,

then rose up for whoever answers her call.

Then rose for whoever answers its call.

غايةُ الحُسنِ والجمالِ لدَيها

غايةُ الحُسنِ والجمالِ لدَيها

هي حقًّا قد بُلِّغتْ مُنتهاها

هي حقًّا قد بُلِّغتْ مُنتهاها

The utmost beauty and loveliness are hers;

The ultimate in loveliness and beauty is its own;

truly, she has reached their furthest limit.

It has truly been brought to its utmost height.

هبةٌ مِن هِباتِ ربِّكَ فاعلَمْ

هبةٌ مِن هِباتِ ربِّكَ فاعلَمْ

ليس إلَّا بفضلِه تُؤتاها

ليس إلَّا بفضلِه تُؤتاها

A gift among your Lord’s gifts—know this—

A gift among your Lord's gifts—so know:

granted only through His grace.

It is granted to you only through His bounty.

أصبَحَ اليومَ يَدَّعِيها أناسٌ

أصبَحَ اليومَ يَدَّعِيها أناسٌ

مِن ذَوِي الجهل قصَّروا عن مَداها

مِن ذَوِي الجهل قصَّروا عن مَداها

Today, some people have begun to claim her,

Today some people have come to claim it,

ignorant people who fall short of her reach.

From among the ignorant, who fell short of its reach.

هي منهم عندَ الإله بَراءٌ

هي منهم عندَ الإله بَراءٌ

تَلتجِي للهِ الذي أعلاها

تَلتجِي للهِ الذي أعلاها

Before God, she is innocent of them;

Before God, it disavows them;

she seeks refuge in God, who raised her high.

It seeks refuge in God, who exalted it.

قتلوها بِسُوءِ درسٍ ولكنْ

قتلوها بِسُوءِ درسٍ ولكنْ

ربُّكَ اللهُ ضامنٌ مَحياها

ربُّكَ اللهُ ضامنٌ مَحياها

They killed her through wretched teaching—but

They killed it through poor study, yet

your Lord, God, guarantees her revival.

Your Lord, God, guarantees its life.

هم أضاعوها بالجهالةِ حقًّا

هم أضاعوها بالجهالةِ حقًّا

حينَ ضلُّوا أمجادَها وقُواها

حينَ ضلُّوا أمجادَها وقُواها

They truly squandered her through ignorance,

They truly squandered it through ignorance,

when they lost the way to her glories and strengths.

When they lost sight of its glories and its powers.

فَدَعُوا مَن تخاذَلُوا اليومَ حتَّى

فَدَعُوا مَن تخاذَلُوا اليومَ حتَّى

عجزوا عنها فاستباحوا أذاها

عجزوا عنها فاستباحوا أذاها

So leave those who faltered today, until

So leave those who faltered today to the point

they proved unequal to her and made free to harm her.

That they proved unequal to it and so deemed harming it permissible.

وأقِيموا لسانَكم لا تَضِلُّوا

وأقِيموا لسانَكم لا تَضِلُّوا

وانهَلُوا منها ما يحوزُ رضاها

وانهَلُوا منها ما يحوزُ رضاها

Keep your tongue upright; do not go astray,

And set your tongue straight; do not go astray,

and drink deeply from her whatever wins her favor.

And drink from it whatever wins its approval.