يَا لِسَانَ الْعُرْبِ هَلَّا

جُدْتَ مَنًّا بِالْبَيَانِ

O tongue of the Arabs, why not

Become a flowing spring of eloquence

سَاحِرَ الْأَلْبَابِ إِلَّا

أَنَّهُ سِحْرُ الْمَعَانِي

Enchanting minds, though by

The sorcery of meanings, not magic spells

وَهَبِ الْقَلْبَ ضِيَاءً

يَتَجَلَّى مِنْ لِسَانِي

And grant my heart an illumination

That shines from my tongue

فَيُضِيءَ اللَّيْلَ نُورٌ

وَيْكَأَنْهُ قَمَرَانِ

So it sheds on the night a light

As if a dual moon

فَتَرَى الْأُمَّةُ بِشْرًا

فِي دُجَى هَذَا الزَّمَانِ

And so the nation sees good news

In the gloom of this age

عَلِّمَنِّي الْقَوْلَ نَهْرًا

رَاوِيًا أَرْضَ الْأَمَانِي

Teach me speech like a river

Quenching the earth of desires

يَنْصُرُ الْحَقَّ مُبِينًا

بِكَلامٍ كَالْجُمَانِ

That champions the clear truth

With words like spears

يَهَبُ الْمَظْلُومَ فُلْكًا

مَاخِرًا بَحْرَ الْهَوَانِ

That gives the wronged a ship

Sailing the sea of humiliation

عَلِّمَنِّي اللَّفْظَ رُمْحًا

وَعَلَى الطُّغْيَانِ دَانِ

Teach me words like a lance

Against the tyrants, a protector

فَيَرَى الْكِلْمَةَ رُعْبًا

وَسِلَاحُ الْبَطْشِ وَانِ

So that the word seems dreadful

And an arm of might and glory

فَيَرَى بَأْسًا شَدِيدًا

مِنْ بَيَانٍ كَالسِّنَانِ

So it sees terrible power

In eloquence like a blade

عَلِّمَنِّي الْفِكْرَ حُرًّا

وَأَبِيًّا، مَا بِعَانِ

Teach me thought that is free

And rebellious, owing nothing

فَيَجُولَ الْفِكْرُ صَفْوًا

وَكَأَنِّي فِي جِنَانِ

So thought wanders pure

As if I were in gardens

يَنْتَقِي أَحْلَى جَنَاهَا

مِنْ بُنَيَّاتٍ حِسَانِ

Culling their sweetest fruits

From fine, beautiful structures

لَا أَرُومُ الْعِلْمَ قَوْلًا

بَلْ كَرُوحِي وَكِيَانِي

I do not seek knowledge in words

But like my spirit and my being

وَحَيَاةٍ فِي نَعِيمٍ

يَا لَهُ! لَيْسَ بِفَانِ

And a life of blissful joy

Oh, that has no end!

هَلْ تَرَى الدُّنْيَا جَمَالاً

مِثْلَ حُسْنٍ فِي الْبَيَانِ؟!

Do you see in this world a beauty

Like the grace found in eloquence?!