لئن تم رشد المرء من بعد عشرةٍ

لئن تم رشد المرء من بعد عشرةٍ

وبضع من لاأعوام إذ جاوز الطوقا

وبضع من لاأعوام إذ جاوز الطوقا

Though a man’s maturity may come only after ten

If indeed a person's judgment matures after ten

and several more years, once he has outgrown the collar,

and a few more years, once he has outgrown the collar,

فإنا لقوم يبلغ الرشد طفلنا

فإنا لقوم يبلغ الرشد طفلنا

رضيعا كأن الرشد قد سبق النطقا

رضيعا كأن الرشد قد سبق النطقا

we are a people whose child attains maturity

we are indeed a people whose child attains judgment

while still a suckling—as though maturity had preceded speech.

while still nursing, as though judgment had preceded speech.

ولا عيب أن الحظ ناء بجانب

ولا عيب أن الحظ ناء بجانب

كإن لنا في كل ناحية سبقا

كإن لنا في كل ناحية سبقا

There is no shame if fortune has withdrawn to one side,

Nor is it a fault that fortune has turned aside,

as though in every quarter the lead were ours.

as though we were foremost in every sphere.

ولكنما العيب الزرى بشعبنا

ولكنما العيب الزرى بشعبنا

هو العيب في الأخلاق لا عيبنا خلقا

هو العيب في الأخلاق لا عيبنا خلقا

But the defect that has brought disgrace upon our people

But the shameful fault in our people

is a defect of morals—not a defect in how we were made.

is a fault in morals, not a flaw in how we were made.

والم يكن للشعب من مجد أمسه

والم يكن للشعب من مجد أمسه

دعاء لعود المجد فليحرم الرزقا

دعاء لعود المجد فليحرم الرزقا

And was not the people’s glory of yesterday

And if their past glory gives the people no

a summons for glory’s return? If not, let that people be denied sustenance.

call for glory's return, let them be denied sustenance.

وهذا كتاب اللَه للخلق داعيا

وهذا كتاب اللَه للخلق داعيا

فهل سيظل المسلمون به غرقى

فهل سيظل المسلمون به غرقى

And here is the Book of God, calling to all creation;

And this is God's Book, calling to humankind—

will Muslims, even with it, remain submerged—

will Muslims then remain drowned in it?

خلاف ولا جمع ودين ولا تقى

خلاف ولا جمع ودين ولا تقى

وعلم ولا نفع مصائبنا حقا

وعلم ولا نفع مصائبنا حقا

in dissension with no unity, religion with no piety,

Discord without unity, religion without piety,

and knowledge with no benefit? Truly, these are our calamities.

and knowledge without benefit—these are truly our calamities.