رُفَيْدَةُ عَلِّمِي النَّاسَ الحَنانا

وَزِيدي قومَكِ العالينَ شانا

Rufaydah, teach the people tenderness,

And increase your nation’s highness,

خُذِي الجرحَى إليكِ فأكرمِيهم

وَطُوفِي حولهم آناً فآنا

Take in the wounded, honor them,

And visit them time and again.

وإن هَجَعَ النِّيامُ فلا تَنامِي

عَن الصّوتِ المردَّدِ حيثُ كانا

And if slumber descends, do not sleep

From the reverberating sound wherever it is found.

أعيني السّاهِرينَ على كُلومٍ

تُؤرِّقُهُم فمثلُكَ مَن أعانا

Relieve the eyes of those staying up

Whose suffering is like no other’s suffering.

هُمُ الأهلون ما عرفوا أنيساً

سِوَاكِ لهم ولا وَجَدُوا مكانا

They are the most deserving, who found no comfort

Except you, and no place for them was found.

حَبَاكِ اللَّهُ من تقواهُ قلباً

وَسَوَّى من مراحمِهِ البَنَانا

God has granted you a heart of piety,

And constructed your fingers to caress.

رَفعتِ لأسلمٍ ذِكراً جليلاً

يُزاحِمُ في مواكبِهِ الزمانا

You have raised Aslam’s name up high,

Rivaling time’s processions.

ضُيوفُ اللَّهِ عِندَكِ في مَحَلٍّ

تُذكِّرُنا مَحاسِنُه الجِنانا

God’s guests are with you in a place,

Reminding us of Paradise’s goodness.

فيا لكِ خَيْمَةً للِبرِّ فيها

جَلالٌ لا يُرامُ ولا يُدَانى

How excellent is your tent of righteousness,

Of unmatched and peerless majesty.

جلالُ اللَّهِ ألقاه عليها

فَجَمَّلَها بروعتِهِ وزانا

God’s majesty cast upon it,

Beautifying it with its splendor and grace.

نَسيجٌ من شُعاعِ الحقِّ بِدْعٌ

نَزِيدُ على الزمانِ بهِ افتتانا

A fabric of the light of truth it is,

We are still infatuated with it beyond time.

تَقِلُّ بَدائِعُ النُّسّاجِ عنه

وإن نسجوا اللُّجَيْنَ أوِ الجُمانا

The innovations of weavers fall short of it,

Even if they weave the finest silk or brocade.

وما يَجِدُ الأديبُ الفردُ وصفاً

يُحيطُ به ولو أفنى البيانا

The unmatched poet cannot find a description,

That encompasses it even if eloquence is exhausted.

له في الذّهنِ ترجمةٌ ومعنىً

جَليلُ الشأنِ يُعيِي التُّرجمانا

It has in the mind a translation and meaning,

Lofty in status, exhausting interpreters.

لساني مُوثَقٌ يا ربِّ هَبْ لي

جَنَاحَ الرِّيحِ أجعلُهُ لسانا

My tongue is tied, O Lord grant me,

The wings of wind to make it a tongue.

فأذهبُ حيثُ شِئْتُ من القوافي

وأُرسلُها مُحَبَّبَةً حِسانا

So I may go wherever I wish with rhymes,

And send them lovingly and gently.

وأُلبِسُهَا رُفَيْدَةَ مُعجباتٍ

ضَوامِنَ أن تُجَلَّ وأن تُصانا

And dress them upon Rufaydah’s wonders,

As careful preservation and protection.

رُفَيْدَةُ جاهِدِي وَدَعِي الهُوَيْنَى

فما شَرَفُ الحياةِ لمن تَوَانى

Rufaydah, fight my passions and leave vanity behind,

For there is no noble life for one who falters.

وَرُبَّ مُجاهدٍ بَلَغَ الثُريَّا

وما عَرَفَ الضِّرابَ ولا الطِّعانا

Many a warrior has reached distinction,

Without knowing striking or thrusting of spears.

وكم هَزَّ الممالكَ في عُلاها

فَتىً ما هزَّ سَيفاً أو سِنانا

How many a kingdom in its supremacy,

Was shaken by a lad who never brandished a sword or lance.

ومن لم يَمْتَحِنْ دُنيا المعالي

فما امتحَنَ الشُّجَاعَ ولا الجبانا

One who has not experienced the world of grandeur,

Has not been tested for valor or cowardice.

رُفَيْدَةُ ذَلِكَ الإسلامُ حَقّاً

تَبَارَكَ مَن هَداكِ ومن هدانا

Rufaydah, such is Islam indeed,

Blessed is He who guided you and us.

تَبَارَكَ ربُّنا ألقَى علينا

سَنا الوَحْيِ المنزَّلِ واصطفانا

Blessed is our Lord who bestowed upon us,

The blessed revelation and chose us.

هَدَيْنَا العالَمِينَ بِهِ وإنّا

لَنحنُ القومُ لا هادٍ سِوَانَا

We have guided the worlds through it, and we

Are the guided people, none else.