سَمِعْتُ بِأُذْنِ قَلْبِي صَوْتَ عتْبٍ

سَمِعْتُ بِأُذْنِ قَلْبِي صَوْتَ عتْبٍ

لَهُ رقْرَاقُ دَمْعٍ مُسْتَهَل

لَهُ رقْرَاقُ دَمْعٍ مُسْتَهَل

With my heart's ear I heard a voice of reproach,

I heard with the ear of my heart a voice of reproach

Accompanied by shimmering tears pouring forth.

Whose teardrops flow

تَقُولُ لأَهْلِهَا الفُضْحَى أَعَدْلٌ

تَقُولُ لأَهْلِهَا الفُضْحَى أَعَدْلٌ

لِرَبِّكُمُ اغْتِرَابِي بَيْنَ أَهْلي

لِرَبِّكُمُ اغْتِرَابِي بَيْنَ أَهْلي

Eloquent Arabic says to her people: "Is it just

Saying to its people it is more just

In your Lord's sight, that I am a stranger among my own people?

That I feel estranged among my own folk

أَلَسْتُ أَنَا الَّتِي بدَمِي وَرُوحي

أَلَسْتُ أَنَا الَّتِي بدَمِي وَرُوحي

غَذَتْ مِنْهُمْ وَأَنْمَتْ كُلَّ طِفْل

غَذَتْ مِنْهُمْ وَأَنْمَتْ كُلَّ طِفْل

Am I not she who, with my blood and my soul,

Am I not she who with my blood and soul

Nourished and raised every child among them?

Nurtured and raised every child?

أَنَا الْعَرَبِيَّةُ المشْهُودُ فَضْلِي

أَنَا الْعَرَبِيَّةُ المشْهُودُ فَضْلِي

أَأَغْدُوا الْيوْمَ وَالمَغْمُورُ فَضْلِي

أَأَغْدُوا الْيوْمَ وَالمَغْمُورُ فَضْلِي

I am Arabic, whose merit is acknowledged;

I am the Arabic woman whose excellence is witnessed

Am I today to become one whose merit is obscured?

Must my excellence be obscured today?

إِذَا مَا القَوْمُ بِاللُّغَةِ اسْتَخَفُّوا

إِذَا مَا القَوْمُ بِاللُّغَةِ اسْتَخَفُّوا

فَضَاعَتْ مَا مَصِيرُ الْقَوْمِ قُل لِي

فَضَاعَتْ مَا مَصِيرُ الْقَوْمِ قُل لِي

If the people treat their language lightly,

When people look down on the language

And it is lost, what is the people's fate? Tell me.

The fate of the people is lost, tell me

وَمَا دَعْوى اتِّحادٍ فِي بِلاَدٍ

وَمَا دَعْوى اتِّحادٍ فِي بِلاَدٍ

وَمَا دَعْوَى ذِمَارٍ مُسْتَقِل

وَمَا دَعْوَى ذِمَارٍ مُسْتَقِل

And what of a claim to unity in a land,

What is the claim of unity in countries

And what of a claim to an independent homeland?

And the claim of independence tied together?

فَسَادُ القَوْلِ فِيهِ دَلِيلُ عَجْزٍ

فَسَادُ القَوْلِ فِيهِ دَلِيلُ عَجْزٍ

فَهَلْ مَعَهُ يَكُونُ صَلاَحُ فِعْلِ

فَهَلْ مَعَهُ يَكُونُ صَلاَحُ فِعْلِ

Corrupt speech contains a sign of incapacity;

Corruption of speech indicates incapacity

Can sound action, then, coexist with it?

Can righteousness accompany it?

بُنَيَّاتِ الْحِمَى أَنْتُنَّ نَسْلِي

بُنَيَّاتِ الْحِمَى أَنْتُنَّ نَسْلِي

فَإِنْ تَنْكِرْنَنِي أَتَكُنَّ نَسْلي

فَإِنْ تَنْكِرْنَنِي أَتَكُنَّ نَسْلي

Dear daughters of the homeland, you are my offspring;

Structures of protection, you are my progeny

If you disown me, then, can you be my offspring?

If you deny me, would you be my progeny?

وَيَا فِتْيَانَهُ إِنْ أَخْطَأَتْنِي

وَيَا فِتْيَانَهُ إِنْ أَخْطَأَتْنِي

مَبَرَّتُكُمْ فَإِنَّ الثُّكْلَ ثَكْلِي

مَبَرَّتُكُمْ فَإِنَّ الثُّكْلَ ثَكْلِي

And O its young men, if I do not receive

And you, its youth, if I wronged you

Your dutiful love, then the bereavement is mine.

I seek your forgiveness, for estrangement is my estrangement

يُحَارِبُنِي الأُولَى جَحَدُوا جَمِيلِي

يُحَارِبُنِي الأُولَى جَحَدُوا جَمِيلِي

وَلَمْ تَرْدَعْهُمُ حُرُمَاتُ أَصْلي

وَلَمْ تَرْدَعْهُمُ حُرُمَاتُ أَصْلي

Those who denied my kindness wage war on me,

The foremost assail me, denying my favor

Nor did the sanctity of my origins restrain them.

And my origin's sanctity did not restrain them

وَفِي الْقُرْآنِ إِعْجَازٌ تَجَلَّتْ

وَفِي الْقُرْآنِ إِعْجَازٌ تَجَلَّتْ

حِلاَيَ بِنُورِه أَسْنَى تَجَلِّ

حِلاَيَ بِنُورِه أَسْنَى تَجَلِّ

And in the Qur'an is inimitability; there shone forth

In the Quran is a miracle which appeared

My beauties in its light, in their brightest splendor.

Adorned in its light, the finest adornment

وَلِلْعُلَمَاءِ وَالأُدَبَاءِ فِيمَا

وَلِلْعُلَمَاءِ وَالأُدَبَاءِ فِيمَا

نَأَت غَايَاتُهُ مَهَّدْتُ سُبْلِي

نَأَت غَايَاتُهُ مَهَّدْتُ سُبْلِي

And for scholars and writers, in pursuits

And for scholars and literati in what

Whose goals lay far away, I paved my paths.

Its highest goals furnished my paths

إِذَا مَا كَانَ فِي كَلِمِي صِعَابٌ

إِذَا مَا كَانَ فِي كَلِمِي صِعَابٌ

فَلاَ تَأْخُذُ كَثِيري بِالأَقَلِّ

فَلاَ تَأْخُذُ كَثِيري بِالأَقَلِّ

If there are difficulties in my words,

If there are difficulties in my words

Then do not judge my greater part by the lesser.

Do not judge my many by my few

وَهَلْ لُغَةٌ قَدِيماً أَوْ حَدِيثاً

وَهَلْ لُغَةٌ قَدِيماً أَوْ حَدِيثاً

تُعَد بِوَفْرَةِ الحَسنَاتِ مِثِلي

تُعَد بِوَفْرَةِ الحَسنَاتِ مِثِلي

And is any language, ancient or modern,

Has any language, ancient or modern

Counted my equal in its wealth of virtues?"

Been counted with as many virtues as me?

فيَا أُمَّ اللُّغاتِ عَدَاكِ مِنا

فيَا أُمَّ اللُّغاتِ عَدَاكِ مِنا

عُقُوقُ مَسَاءَةٍ وَعُقوقُ جَهْلِ

عُقُوقُ مَسَاءَةٍ وَعُقوقُ جَهْلِ

So, O mother of languages, may you be spared our

O mother of languages, none but me

Disloyalty born of malice and disloyalty born of ignorance.

Wronged you with ingratitude and ignorance

لَكِ العَوْدُ الحَمِيدُ فأَنتِ شمْسٌ

لَكِ العَوْدُ الحَمِيدُ فأَنتِ شمْسٌ

وَلم يَحْجبْ شُعاعَك غيْر ظِلِّ

وَلم يَحْجبْ شُعاعَك غيْر ظِلِّ

Yours shall be an honored return, for you are a sun,

To you is the blessed return, for you are a sun

And nothing but a shadow has veiled your rays.

And none has veiled your rays but a shadow

دَعَوْتِ فهَبَّ مِن شَتَّى النوَاحِي

دَعَوْتِ فهَبَّ مِن شَتَّى النوَاحِي

مَيَامِينٌ أُولُو حَزْمٍ وَنُبْلِ

مَيَامِينٌ أُولُو حَزْمٍ وَنُبْلِ

You called, and from every quarter rose up

You called and there came from all regions

Blessed men endowed with resolve and nobility,

Champions of wisdom and nobility

بِرَأْيٍ فِيكِ يَكْفُلُ أَنْ تُرَدِّي

بِرَأْيٍ فِيكِ يَكْفُلُ أَنْ تُرَدِّي

مُكَرَّمَةً إِلى أَسْمَى مَحلِّ

مُكَرَّمَةً إِلى أَسْمَى مَحلِّ

With a plan for you that ensures your restoration

With an opinion of you that will restore

In honor to the loftiest station.

Honored to the highest position

يُنَوِّرُ شِعْرُهُمْ فِي كلِّ وَادٍ

يُنَوِّرُ شِعْرُهُمْ فِي كلِّ وَادٍ

وَيُزْهِرُ نَثْرُهُمْ فِي كُلِّ حَقلِ

وَيُزْهِرُ نَثْرُهُمْ فِي كُلِّ حَقلِ

Their poetry blossoms in every valley,

Their poetry sheds light in every valley

And their prose blooms in every field.

And their prose blossoms in every field

وَطَهَ فِي طَلِيعَةِ مَنْ أَجَابُوا

وَطَهَ فِي طَلِيعَةِ مَنْ أَجَابُوا

يُهَيِّيءُ نَهْضَةً فِي المُسْتَهَلِّ

يُهَيِّيءُ نَهْضَةً فِي المُسْتَهَلِّ

And Taha is at the forefront of those who answered,

And Taha led those who responded

Preparing a revival at its outset,

Preparing a renaissance in the beginning

بِمَوْفُورَيْهِ مِنْ أَدَبٍ وَفنّ

بِمَوْفُورَيْهِ مِنْ أَدَبٍ وَفنّ

وَمَذْخُورَيْهِ مِن عَقلٍ وَنَقْلِ

وَمَذْخُورَيْهِ مِن عَقلٍ وَنَقْلِ

With his twin riches of literature and art,

With his abundance of literature and art

And his twin stores of reason and transmitted knowledge.

And his store of intellect and transmission

يَفِيضُ كَمَا يَفِيضُ النِّيلُ خِصْباً

يَفِيضُ كَمَا يَفِيضُ النِّيلُ خِصْباً

وَيُحْيِي الحَرْثَ فِي حَزْنٍ وسَهْلِ

وَيُحْيِي الحَرْثَ فِي حَزْنٍ وسَهْلِ

He overflows, as the Nile overflows, with fertility,

It pours fertility like the Nile

And brings the crops to life on rugged ground and plain.

And revives farming in sadness and plains

وَيَبْعَثُ فِي شَبَابِ العَصْرِ رُوحاً

وَيَبْعَثُ فِي شَبَابِ العَصْرِ رُوحاً

وَخَلَّفَ شُقْة دُونَ المُصَلِّي

وَخَلَّفَ شُقْة دُونَ المُصَلِّي

And breathes a spirit into the youth of the age,

It awakens in the youth of the age a spirit

And has left the runner-up a long way behind.

And left a yearning short of prayers

فَكَيْفَ بِهِ إِذَا مَا شَنَّ حَرْباً

فَكَيْفَ بِهِ إِذَا مَا شَنَّ حَرْباً

عَلَى بِدْعِ الضَّلُولِ أَوِ المُضِلِّ

عَلَى بِدْعِ الضَّلُولِ أَوِ المُضِلِّ

What then of him when he wages war

So how would it be if he waged a war

Against the heresies of those astray or those who lead astray?

Against the bid'ahs of misguidance or misguiders?