إِذَاif مَاemphatic particle فَرَنْسَاFrance قَلَّدَتْكَshe decorated you with وِسَامَهَاher medal
إِذَا مَا فَرَنْسَا قَلَّدَتْكَ وِسَامَهَا
فَخَاراًout of pride بِمِصْريٍّin an Egyptian يَجِيدُmasters لِسَانَهَاher tongue
فَخَاراً بِمِصْريٍّ يَجِيدُ لِسَانَهَا
If France has decorated you with her medal,
When France adorns you with her medal
out of pride in an Egyptian who masters her tongue,
Take pride, O Egyptian versed in her tongue!
فَكَيْفَthen how فَخَارُpride الضَّادِḍād (the Arabic language) بِالعِلْمِin learning الَّذِيthat
فَكَيْفَ فَخَارُ الضَّادِ بِالعِلْمِ الَّذِي
نَمَتْهُshe nurtured it فَأَعْلَىand thus exalted فِيin البَيَانِeloquence بيَانَهَاher speech
نَمَتْهُ فَأَعْلَى فِي البَيَانِ بيَانَهَا
how proud, then, is the tongue of ḍād of the learning that
Yet how take pride in the emphatic Dād by knowledge
she nurtured, which in turn heightened the eloquence of her speech!
Whose growth made supreme her expression?
وَهَلْand (question particle) كَانَwas غَيْرُother than العِلْمِlearning وَهْوَand it is وَلِيدُهَاher offspring
وَهَلْ كَانَ غَيْرُ العِلْمِ وَهْوَ وَلِيدُهَا
مُعِيداًrestoring إِلَيْهَاto her فِيamong اللُّغَاتِthe languages مكَانهاher standing
مُعِيداً إِلَيْهَا فِي اللُّغَاتِ مكَانها
And was it anything but learning—her own offspring—
Could aught but knowledge, its fosterling,
that restored her standing among the languages?
Restore her place among tongues?
تَدَارَكَهَاrescued her فِيin البِدْءِthe beginning وَالعَوْدِand the return رَبُّهَاher Lord
تَدَارَكَهَا فِي البِدْءِ وَالعَوْدِ رَبُّهَا
بِنَصْرٍwith aid عزِيزٍmighty صَانَهَاHe protected her ثُمَّthen صَانَهَاHe protected her
بِنَصْرٍ عزِيزٍ صَانَهَا ثُمَّ صَانَهَا
Her Lord came to her rescue, in the beginning and anew,
Her Lord saved her at first and last
with mighty aid: He protected her, then protected her again.
With mighty, protecting victory,
بِطَهَthrough Taha قَدِيماًlong ago عظَّمَexalted الوَحْيُrevelation شَأْنَهاher standing
بِطَهَ قَدِيماً عظَّمَ الوَحْيُ شَأْنَها
وَطَهَand Taha حَدِيثاًin modern times عَزَّزَstrengthened العِلْمُlearning شَأْنَهَاher standing
وَطَهَ حَدِيثاً عَزَّزَ العِلْمُ شَأْنَهَا
Through Taha, long ago, revelation exalted her standing;
Anciently by Tā-Hā who revelation magnified,
and through Taha, in modern times, learning strengthened her standing.
Modernly by Tā-Hā whom science magnified.
Sol 6.1