لغةlanguage القرآنthe Qur'an ياO شمسsun الهدىguidance
لغة القرآن يا شمس الهدى
صانكprotected you الرحمنthe Most Merciful منfrom كيدplotting العدىthe foes
صانك الرحمن من كيد العدى
Language of the Qur'an, O sun of guidance,
O tongue of the Quran, O sun of guidance
The Most Merciful has protected you from the plotting of foes.
Protected by the Most Merciful from the guile of enemies
هلis there علىon وجهthe face الثرىthe earth منany لغةlanguage
هل على وجه الثرى من لغة
أحدثتproduced فيin مسمعthe hearing الدهرtime صدىan echo
أحدثت في مسمع الدهر صدى
Is there any language on the face of the earth
Is there any language on the face of earth
That has stirred an echo in time's hearing
That made an echo in the hearing of time
مثلماjust as أحدثتهyou produced it فيin عالمa world
مثلما أحدثته في عالم
عنكof you لاnot يعلمknows شيئاًanything أبداًever
عنك لا يعلم شيئاً أبداً
As you stirred it in a world
As you made in the world
That knew nothing of you at all,
About you, one knows nothing at all
فتعاطاكthen took you up فأمسىand then became عالمlearned
فتعاطاك فأمسى عالم
بكthrough you أفتىgave rulings وتغنىand sang وحداand chanted to camels
بك أفتى وتغنى وحدا
Then took you up and became learned,
So mastering you, one becomes a scholar
Through you gave rulings, sang, and chanted to camels,
With you he gives legal opinions, sings poetry, and recites solo
وعلىand upon ركنكyour foundation أرسىanchored علمهits knowledge
وعلى ركنك أرسى علمه
خبرlearned التوكيدemphasis بعدafter المبتداthe grammatical subject
خبر التوكيد بعد المبتدا
And on your foundation anchored its knowledge,
And on your pillar he built his knowledge
Learning emphasis after the grammatical subject?
Reporting definitive information after the subject
أنتyou علمتtaught الألىthose people أنthat النهىreason
أنت علمت الألى أن النهى
هيit عقلthe intellect المرءa person لاnot ماwhat أفسداcaused corruption
هي عقل المرء لا ما أفسدا
You taught people that reason
You taught people that prohibition
Is a person's intellect, not what causes corruption.
Is one's intellect, not what corrupts
ووضعتand you established الاسمthe noun والفعلand the verb ولمand did not
ووضعت الاسم والفعل ولم
تتركيleave الحرفthe particle طليقاًunfettered سيداa master
تتركي الحرف طليقاً سيدا
And you established the noun and the verb, and did not
And you put the noun and verb and didn't
Leave the particle unfettered, a master.
Leave the particle uncontrolled, O master
أنتyou منthe one who قومتstraightened منهمamong them ألسنtongues
أنت من قومت منهم ألسن
تجهلare ignorant of المتنthe text وتؤذيand harm السنداthe chain of transmission
تجهل المتن وتؤذي السندا
You are the one who straightened tongues among them
You are the one who enabled tongues
That know nothing of the text and harm the chain of transmission.
That don't know the text and harm the authority
بكthrough you نحنwe الأمةthe nation المثلىexemplary التيthat
بك نحن الأمة المثلى التي
توجزmakes concise القولspeech وتزجيand offers الجيداwhat is excellent
توجز القول وتزجي الجيدا
Through you we are the exemplary nation that
With you we are the ideal nation
Speaks concisely and offers excellent speech.
That summarizes speech and pours forth the bounty
بينwithin طياتكyour folds أغلىthe most precious جوهرa jewel
بين طياتك أغلى جوهر
غردwarbled الشاديthe singer بهاthrough it وانتضداand was strung
غرد الشادي بها وانتضدا
Within your folds lies the most precious jewel;
Within your folds is the most precious essence
The singer warbled through it, and it was strung
With which the happy one sang and became impassioned
فيin بيانeloquence واضحclear غارgrew jealous الضحىthe morning light
في بيان واضح غار الضحى
منهof it فاستعدىthen sought aid عليكagainst you الفرقداthe star al-Farqad
منه فاستعدى عليك الفرقدا
In clear eloquence; the morning light grew jealous
In clear eloquence the cave of dawn
Of it, and sought al-Farqad's aid against you.
Envied you and so the butterflies attacked you
نحنwe علمناtaught بكthrough you الناسpeople الهدىguidance
نحن علمنا بك الناس الهدى
وبكand through you اخترناwe chose البيانeloquence المفرداpeerless
وبك اخترنا البيان المفردا
Through you we taught people guidance,
We taught people guidance through you
And through you chose peerless eloquence.
And with you we chose the singular eloquence
وزرعناand we planted بكthrough you مجداًglory خالدeverlasting
وزرعنا بك مجداً خالد
يتحدىdefies الشامخاتthe towering heights الخلداthe everlasting ones
يتحدى الشامخات الخلدا
And through you we planted everlasting glory
And planted through you lasting glory
That defies the towering, everlasting heights.
That defies the towering eternities
فوقabove أجوازthe expanses الفضاspace أصداؤهits echoes
فوق أجواز الفضا أصداؤه
وبكand through you التاريخhistory غنىsang وشداand chanted
وبك التاريخ غنى وشدا
Its echoes are above the expanses of space,
Above the breadths of space its echoes
And through you history sang and chanted.
And through you history sang and captivated
ماnot اصطفاكchose you اللهGod فيناamong us عبثwithout purpose
ما اصطفاك الله فينا عبث
لاno ولاnor اختاركchose you للدينfor the faith سدىin vain
لا ولا اختارك للدين سدى
God did not choose you among us without purpose,
God did not choose you among us in vain
No, nor did He choose you for the faith in vain.
Nor select you for the religion fruitlessly
أنتyou منfrom عدنانAdnan نورٌlight وهدىand guidance
أنت من عدنان نورٌ وهدى
أنتyou منfrom قحطانQahtan بذلgenerosity وفداand sacrifice
أنت من قحطان بذل وفدا
You are light and guidance from Adnan;
You are from Adnan, light and guidance
You are generosity and sacrifice from Qahtan.
You are from Qahtan, self-sacrifice and ransom
لغةa language قدindeed أنزلsent down اللهGod بهin it
لغة قد أنزل الله به
بيناتclear signs منfrom لدنهHis presence وهدىand guidance
بينات من لدنه وهدى
A language in which God has indeed sent down
The tongue in which God sent down
Clear signs from Him, and guidance.
Clear proofs from Himself and guidance
والقريضand poetry العذبsweet لولاهاwere it not for it لمdid not
والقريض العذب لولاها لم
نغمintoned المدلجthe night-traveler بالليلat night الحداthe camel-driving chant
نغم المدلج بالليل الحدا
And sweet poetry—without this tongue, never would
And sweet versification, without which
The traveler at night have intoned the camel-driving chant.
The well-constructed ode would not have sung by night
حمحماتwhinnies الخيلhorses منamong أصواتهits sounds
حمحمات الخيل من أصواته
وصليلand the clang المشرفياتthe Mashrafi swords الصدىthe echo
وصليل المشرفيات الصدى
The whinnies of horses are among its sounds,
The neighing of horses from its sounds
And the clang of Mashrafi swords is the echo.
And ringing of the lofty minarets’ echo
كنتI used to أخشىfear منfrom شباsharp points أعدائهits enemies
كنت أخشى من شبا أعدائه
وعليهاand for it اليومtoday لاnot أخشىI fear العداthe foes
وعليها اليوم لا أخشى العدا
I once feared the sharp blades of its enemies,
I used to fear the youth of its enemies
Yet today I do not fear enemies on its behalf.
But today I do not fear hostility
إنماonly أخشىI fear شباsharp points جُهالهthose ignorant of it
إنما أخشى شبا جُهاله
منthose who رعىfostered الغيerror وخلىand forsook الرشداright guidance
من رعى الغي وخلى الرشدا
I fear only the blades of those ignorant of it,
Rather I fear the youth of its ignorant ones
Who fostered error and forsook right guidance.
Who neglected virtue and abandoned righteousness
ياO ولاةrulers الأمرaffairs هلis there منany سامعlistener
يا ولاة الأمر هل من سامع
حينماwhen أدعوI call إلىto هذاthis النداcall
حينما أدعو إلى هذا الندا
O rulers, is anyone listening
O guardians of authority, is there a listener
When I make this appeal?
When I call to this appeal
هذهthis الفصحىeloquent Arabic التيwhich نشدوwe sing بهin it
هذه الفصحى التي نشدو به
ونُحييand we honor منthose who بشجواهاwith its plaintive strains شداsang
ونُحيي من بشجواها شدا
This is the eloquent tongue in which we sing,
This eloquence we chant with
And honor those who sang its plaintive strains.
And revive from its thrilling, captivation
هوit روحthe spirit العربthe Arabs منwhoever يحفظهpreserves it
هو روح العرب من يحفظه
حفظhas preserved الروحthe spirit بهاthrough it والجسداand the body
حفظ الروح بها والجسدا
It is the Arabs' spirit; whoever preserves it
It is the soul of the Arabs, he who protects it
Has preserved both spirit and body through it.
Protects the soul and body through it
إنif أردتمyou wish for لغةa language خالصةpure
إن أردتم لغة خالصة
تبعثrevives الأمسyesterday كريماًwith dignity والغداand tomorrow
تبعث الأمس كريماً والغدا
If you wish for a pure language
If you want an unadulterated tongue
That brings yesterday to life in honor, and tomorrow too,
To send yesterday honorably and tomorrow
فلهاthen for it اختارواchoose لهاfor it أربابهits masters
فلها اختاروا لها أربابه
منthose who إذاwhen حدثspoke عنهاof it غرّداsang melodiously
من إذا حدث عنها غرّدا
Then choose for it its masters,
Then for it choose its masters
Those who, when speaking of it, sing,
Those who, when they speak of it, trill
وأتىand came بالقولwith speech منfrom معدنهits mine
وأتى بالقول من معدنه
ناصعاًgleaming كالدُرlike pearls حلىadorned العسجداthe gold
ناصعاً كالدُر حلى العسجدا
And bring forth speech from its mine,
And bring speech from its source
Gleaming like pearls that adorn gold.
Shining like a pearl, adornment of assemblies
ياO وعاءvessel الدينthe faith والدنياand the world معtogether
يا وعاء الدين والدنيا مع
حسبكenough for you القرآنthe Qur'an حفظاًmemorization وأداand recitation
حسبك القرآن حفظاً وأدا
O vessel of the faith and the world together,
O vessel of religion and world together
The Qur'an suffices you, in memorization and recitation,
The Qur'an suffices you for protection and performance
بلسانin a tongue عربيArabic، نبعهits wellspring
بلسان عربي، نبعه
ماwater الفراتthe Euphrates العذبsweet أوor ماwater بردىBarada
ما الفرات العذب أو ما بردى
In an Arabic tongue, whose wellspring
In the Arabic tongue, whose source
Is the sweet Euphrates' water, or Barada's water.
Is neither the sweet Euphrates nor the Nile
كلماwhenever قادكled you شيطانthe devil الهوىdesire
كلما قادك شيطان الهوى
للرّدىto ruin نجاكsaved you سلطانthe power الهدىguidance
للرّدى نجاك سلطان الهدى
Whenever the devil of desire led you
Whenever the devil of passions
To ruin, the power of guidance saved you.
Took you towards ruin, the sultan of guidance saved you