يَا لِسَانَ الْعُرْبِ هَلَّا

يَا لِسَانَ الْعُرْبِ هَلَّا

جُدْتَ مَنًّا بِالْبَيَانِ

جُدْتَ مَنًّا بِالْبَيَانِ

O tongue of the Arabs, would you not

O tongue of the Arabs, why not

Graciously bestow eloquence,

Become a flowing spring of eloquence

سَاحِرَ الْأَلْبَابِ إِلَّا

سَاحِرَ الْأَلْبَابِ إِلَّا

أَنَّهُ سِحْرُ الْمَعَانِي

أَنَّهُ سِحْرُ الْمَعَانِي

Enchanting minds—yet

Enchanting minds, though by

It is the magic of meanings.

The sorcery of meanings, not magic spells

وَهَبِ الْقَلْبَ ضِيَاءً

وَهَبِ الْقَلْبَ ضِيَاءً

يَتَجَلَّى مِنْ لِسَانِي

يَتَجَلَّى مِنْ لِسَانِي

And grant the heart a radiance

And grant my heart an illumination

That shines forth from my tongue,

That shines from my tongue

فَيُضِيءَ اللَّيْلَ نُورٌ

فَيُضِيءَ اللَّيْلَ نُورٌ

وَيْكَأَنْهُ قَمَرَانِ

وَيْكَأَنْهُ قَمَرَانِ

So that a light may illuminate the night,

So it sheds on the night a light

Lo, as though it were two moons!

As if a dual moon

فَتَرَى الْأُمَّةُ بِشْرًا

فَتَرَى الْأُمَّةُ بِشْرًا

فِي دُجَى هَذَا الزَّمَانِ

فِي دُجَى هَذَا الزَّمَانِ

So the nation beholds gladness

And so the nation sees good news

In the darkness of this age.

In the gloom of this age

عَلِّمَنِّي الْقَوْلَ نَهْرًا

عَلِّمَنِّي الْقَوْلَ نَهْرًا

رَاوِيًا أَرْضَ الْأَمَانِي

رَاوِيًا أَرْضَ الْأَمَانِي

Teach me speech as a river,

Teach me speech like a river

Watering the land of wishes,

Quenching the earth of desires

يَنْصُرُ الْحَقَّ مُبِينًا

يَنْصُرُ الْحَقَّ مُبِينًا

بِكَلامٍ كَالْجُمَانِ

بِكَلامٍ كَالْجُمَانِ

Upholding the truth, making it plain,

That champions the clear truth

With words like pearls,

With words like spears

يَهَبُ الْمَظْلُومَ فُلْكًا

يَهَبُ الْمَظْلُومَ فُلْكًا

مَاخِرًا بَحْرَ الْهَوَانِ

مَاخِرًا بَحْرَ الْهَوَانِ

Giving the oppressed a ship

That gives the wronged a ship

Cleaving the sea of humiliation.

Sailing the sea of humiliation

عَلِّمَنِّي اللَّفْظَ رُمْحًا

عَلِّمَنِّي اللَّفْظَ رُمْحًا

وَعَلَى الطُّغْيَانِ دَانِ

وَعَلَى الطُّغْيَانِ دَانِ

Teach me the word as a spear,

Teach me words like a lance

And close upon tyranny,

Against the tyrants, a protector

فَيَرَى الْكِلْمَةَ رُعْبًا

فَيَرَى الْكِلْمَةَ رُعْبًا

وَسِلَاحُ الْبَطْشِ وَانِ

وَسِلَاحُ الْبَطْشِ وَانِ

So it sees the word as terror,

So that the word seems dreadful

While the weapon of violence is feeble.

And an arm of might and glory

فَيَرَى بَأْسًا شَدِيدًا

فَيَرَى بَأْسًا شَدِيدًا

مِنْ بَيَانٍ كَالسِّنَانِ

مِنْ بَيَانٍ كَالسِّنَانِ

So it beholds fierce might

So it sees terrible power

From eloquence like a spearhead.

In eloquence like a blade

عَلِّمَنِّي الْفِكْرَ حُرًّا

عَلِّمَنِّي الْفِكْرَ حُرًّا

وَأَبِيًّا، مَا بِعَانِ

وَأَبِيًّا، مَا بِعَانِ

Teach me thought that is free

Teach me thought that is free

And unbowed, not captive,

And rebellious, owing nothing

فَيَجُولَ الْفِكْرُ صَفْوًا

فَيَجُولَ الْفِكْرُ صَفْوًا

وَكَأَنِّي فِي جِنَانِ

وَكَأَنِّي فِي جِنَانِ

So thought may roam, unclouded,

So thought wanders pure

And as though I were in gardens,

As if I were in gardens

يَنْتَقِي أَحْلَى جَنَاهَا

يَنْتَقِي أَحْلَى جَنَاهَا

مِنْ بُنَيَّاتٍ حِسَانِ

مِنْ بُنَيَّاتٍ حِسَانِ

Choosing their sweetest fruit

Culling their sweetest fruits

From beautiful little daughters.

From fine, beautiful structures

لَا أَرُومُ الْعِلْمَ قَوْلًا

لَا أَرُومُ الْعِلْمَ قَوْلًا

بَلْ كَرُوحِي وَكِيَانِي

بَلْ كَرُوحِي وَكِيَانِي

I do not seek knowledge as mere words,

I do not seek knowledge in words

But as my soul and my being,

But like my spirit and my being

وَحَيَاةٍ فِي نَعِيمٍ

وَحَيَاةٍ فِي نَعِيمٍ

يَا لَهُ! لَيْسَ بِفَانِ

يَا لَهُ! لَيْسَ بِفَانِ

And a life in bliss.

And a life of blissful joy

Oh, what bliss! It is imperishable.

Oh, that has no end!

هَلْ تَرَى الدُّنْيَا جَمَالاً

هَلْ تَرَى الدُّنْيَا جَمَالاً

مِثْلَ حُسْنٍ فِي الْبَيَانِ؟!

مِثْلَ حُسْنٍ فِي الْبَيَانِ؟!

Does the world behold any beauty

Do you see in this world a beauty

Like the beauty in eloquence?

Like the grace found in eloquence?!