بينamong الورىmankind فتيةٌyoung men فيin رفعةthe loftiness of الشُّهبِthe shooting stars
بين الورى فتيةٌ في رفعة الشُّهبِ
أسماؤهمُtheir names رُتبٌranks علياءُexalted للرُّتبِfor the ranks
أسماؤهمُ رُتبٌ علياءُ للرُّتبِ
Among mankind are young men as lofty as shooting stars;
Among mankind are youths with lofty ambitions
Their names are ranks—the highest of ranks.
Their names are highly esteemed titles
طَهَTaha. ولاسمِكَand your name has منfrom حرفَيْهits two letters أُغنيةٌa song
طَهَ. ولاسمِكَ من حرفَيْه أُغنيةٌ
تُوحيevokes بكلِّwith every معانيmeanings المجدglory والحَسَبand ancestral honor
تُوحي بكلِّ معاني المجد والحَسَب
Taha! From your name's two letters comes a song
O Taha, your name itself is a song
That evokes every sense of glory and ancestral honor.
That evokes meanings of glory and nobility
منwhoever كانwas مثلَكlike you، لمdid not ينهضelevate بهhim لقبٌa title
من كان مثلَك، لم ينهض به لقبٌ
لكنَّbut محضَmere اسمهhis name يطغىtowers علىabove اللقبthe title
لكنَّ محضَ اسمه يطغى على اللقب
One such as you is not exalted by a title;
One like you needs no title
Rather, his name alone towers above the title.
Yet your very name surpasses any title
حرفانِtwo letters خفَّاwere light علىupon الأسماعthe ears، وانطبعاand were imprinted
حرفانِ خفَّا على الأسماع، وانطبعا
علىupon القلوبthe hearts، وهزَّاand shook الشرقَthe East منwith طربrapture
على القلوب، وهزَّا الشرقَ من طرب
Two letters fell lightly on the ears and were imprinted
Two subtle letters that fell on ears
On hearts, and made the East tremble with rapture.
And left their imprint on hearts, shaking the East in rapture
منwhoever كانwas يسعىstriving إلىtoward الغاياتthe goals يطلُبهاseeking them
من كان يسعى إلى الغايات يطلُبها
فقدyet indeed سعتhastened خلفكafter you الغاياتُthe goals فيin الطلبpursuit
فقد سعت خلفك الغاياتُ في الطلب
While others strive toward goals, seeking them,
One who aspires to high goals seeks them
The goals themselves have hastened after you in pursuit.
But goals have pursued you in their quest
ياO مُنهضuplifter of الأدبliterature المهضومslighted فيin زمنٍan age
يا مُنهض الأدب المهضوم في زمنٍ
تعيشُlive فيهin it القوافيthe rhymes عيشthe life of مُغتربan exile
تعيشُ فيه القوافي عيش مُغترب
O uplifter of slighted literature, in an age
O reviver of literature in an age
When rhymes live the life of an exile;
When rhymes lead an exiled life
وباعثَand reviver of الروحthe spirit فيin أجسادbodies of صابِئَةًapostates
وباعثَ الروح في أجساد صابِئَةً
لاnot يؤمنونthey believe بغيرin anything but القوتsustenance والذهبand gold
لا يؤمنون بغير القوت والذهب
And reviver of the spirit in the bodies of apostates,
And breathing life into lifeless bodies
Who believe in nothing but sustenance and gold.
Who believe in naught but food and gold
اليومَtoday كلُّevery أديبwriter عنwith صناعتهhis craft
اليومَ كلُّ أديب عن صناعته
راضٍcontent، وماand how كانonce was أشقىwretched حرفةَthe profession of الأدبliterature!
راضٍ، وما كان أشقى حرفةَ الأدب!
Today every writer, with his craft,
Today each writer is happy with his art
Is content—how wretched the literary profession once was!
Yet no art is more wretched than literature!
الضادArabic (the tongue of ḍād) تعتزُّtakes pride ياO طهTaha إذاwhen ذَكرتrecalls
الضاد تعتزُّ يا طه إذا ذَكرت
ماwhat ضَمَّjoined بينكماbetween you both منof لُحمةa bond of النسبkinship
ما ضَمَّ بينكما من لُحمة النسب
The tongue of ḍād takes pride, O Taha, when it recalls
When you are mentioned, o Taha, the letter Dhaad feels proud
The bond of kinship that unites you both.
Of the bond of kinship linking you both
إنindeed الشعوبthe nations إذاwhen أدلتput forward بحجَّتهاwith their case
إن الشعوب إذا أدلت بحجَّتها
فأبلغَتْand speak eloquently، كانis طهَTaha حُجَّةَthe proof of العربthe Arabs
فأبلغَتْ، كان طهَ حُجَّةَ العرب
Indeed, when nations put forward their case
For when nations present their case
And speak eloquently, Taha is the Arabs' proof.
And plead their cause, Taha pleads the cause of Arabs
Sol 6.1