بنيO sons of صامتٍSamit قدnow أصبحتْhas become دارthe house of خالدٍKhalid
بني صامتٍ قد أصبحتْ دار خالدٍ
مقدسةَhallowed البُطنانthe inner depths ملعونةَaccursed الظهرِthe surface
مقدسةَ البُطنان ملعونةَ الظهرِ
O sons of Samit, Khalid's house has now become
In a silent house that has become the abode of the damned,
hallowed in its depths, accursed on its surface.
Sacred on the inside, cursed on the outside,
بهاin it شهداءmartyrs of السلمpeace لمdid not يشهدواwitness الوغىbattle
بها شهداء السلم لم يشهدوا الوغى
ولاnor سمعواthey heard باسمof the name of الرباطfrontier guard duty ولاnor الثغرthe border post
ولا سمعوا باسم الرباط ولا الثغر
Within it are martyrs of peace who never witnessed battle,
In it are martyrs of peace who did not witness turmoil,
nor heard the name of frontier duty or a border post.
Nor heard of the name of fortress or frontier,
ولكنbut كماjust as ألقتهمُthey delivered them أمهاتهمْtheir mothers
ولكن كما ألقتهمُ أمهاتهمْ
قذفنَthey hurled بهمْthem فيinto كلevery مظلمةdark القعرthe bottom
قذفنَ بهمْ في كل مظلمة القعر
But just as their mothers brought them forth,
But just as their mothers bore them,
they hurled them into every dark-bottomed pit.
They were flung into every dark abyss,
وماand not استمتعواthey enjoyed منfrom صدرthe breast of أمٍّa mother بضمةٍan embrace
وما استمتعوا من صدر أمٍّ بضمةٍ
ولاnor سقطواthey fell فيinto قعرthe hollow of مهدa cradle ولاnor حجرa lap
ولا سقطوا في قعر مهد ولا حجر
And they never enjoyed an embrace at a mother's breast,
They did not enjoy a mother’s bosom or cradle,
nor fell into the hollow of a cradle or a lap.
So it pains us that their resting place is
فعزّso it was grievous عليناto us أنthat تكونshould be رمامُهمtheir decayed remains
فعزّ علينا أن تكون رمامُهم
ودائعَentrusted deposits دارthe house of الفاسقينthe wicked إلىuntil الحشرthe gathering for Judgment
ودائعَ دار الفاسقين إلى الحشر
So it grieves us that their decayed remains should be
The house of the debauched until the Day of Resurrection,
held in trust in the house of the wicked until the gathering for Judgment.
The house where every debauched man and wicked woman spend the night,
هيit الدارthe house يُؤويshelters ليلُهاits night كلُّevery فاسقٍa wicked man
هي الدار يُؤوي ليلُها كلُّ فاسقٍ
وفاسقةٍand a wicked woman مقبوحةvile السرprivate conduct والجهرand public conduct
وفاسقةٍ مقبوحة السر والجهر
It is the house whose night shelters every wicked man
It has an evil lord made for it,
and wicked woman, vile in secret and in public.
Matching it perfectly as fate decreed,
لهاit has ربa master of سوءٍevil مثلُهاlike it خُلِقتit was created لهfor him
لها رب سوءٍ مثلُها خُلِقت له
وفاقاًas a fitting match وكانand was الأمرُthe one thing يُقْدرordained للأمرfor the other thing
وفاقاً وكان الأمرُ يُقْدر للأمر
It has an evil master like itself; it was made for him,
When its guests and women are gathered,
a fitting match, and one thing was ordained for the other.
It is belly to belly and chest to chest,
إذاwhen جُمِعَتْare gathered together ضِيفانُهُhis guests ونساؤهُand his women
إذا جُمِعَتْ ضِيفانُهُ ونساؤهُ
فبطنٌthen a belly علىupon بطنٍa belly ونحرand a chest علىupon نحرa chest
فبطنٌ على بطنٍ ونحر على نحر
When his guests and his women are gathered together,
A mixed crowd of men and women
then belly lies upon belly, and chest upon chest.
Who stay up committing sins until dawn,
خليطانtwo mingling groups فوضىunrestrained منof رجالٍmen ونسوةٍand women
خليطان فوضى من رجالٍ ونسوةٍ
يبيتونthey spend the night يُحْيونthey keep alive الفسوقdebauchery إلىuntil الفجرdawn
يبيتون يُحْيون الفسوق إلى الفجر
Two intermingled throngs—men and women, unrestrained—
What curse can encompass the bedfellows of sin?
spend the night keeping debauchery alive until dawn.
What mercy can encompass two martyrs in a grave?
فمنso, some لعنةٍa curse تغشَىenvelops ضجيعَيْtwo bedfellows خطيئةٍa sin
فمن لعنةٍ تغشَى ضجيعَيْ خطيئةٍ
ومنand some رحمةmercy تغشىenvelops شهيدينtwo martyrs فيin قبرa grave
ومن رحمة تغشى شهيدين في قبر
So a curse envelops two bedfellows in sin,
It is as if I can see them between one filth and another
and mercy envelops two martyrs in a grave.
On the night of Qadr, their sins pile up,
كأنيas though I أراهمsee them بينbetween رجسa filthy man ورجسةٍand a filthy woman
كأني أراهم بين رجس ورجسةٍ
تُحَنْدِسُgrows pitch-dark منfrom سوءاتهمtheir indecencies ليلةُthe Night of القدرDecree
تُحَنْدِسُ من سوءاتهم ليلةُ القدر
I seem to see them between a filthy man and a filthy woman;
They spend the night fearing not Allah's wrath,
the Night of Decree grows pitch-black from their indecencies.
Nor caring for His plots or schemes,
يبيتونthey spend the night لمdid not يخشَوْاfear منfrom اللَّهGod نِقمَةًretribution
يبيتون لم يخشَوْا من اللَّه نِقمَةً
ولاnor حَفِلواthey paid heed منهfrom Him بكيدٍto a stratagem ولاnor مكرa plot
ولا حَفِلوا منه بكيدٍ ولا مكر
They spend the night fearing no retribution from God,
The stars of the night about to fall like flowers,
nor heed any stratagem or plot from Him.
Or wander lost, not flowing,
تكادalmost نجومthe stars of الليلthe night وهْيwhile they are زواهرradiant
تكاد نجوم الليل وهْي زواهر
تهاوَىtumble down عليهمupon them أوor تَحارgrow bewildered فلاand so do not تسريtravel by night
تهاوَى عليهم أو تَحار فلا تسري
The stars of night, radiant as they are, almost
If the Night of Qadr coincided with them, it would
tumble down upon them, or grow bewildered and cease their nightly course.
Lag behind their timing until the end of time.
فلوso if وافقتْهمit chanced upon them ليلةthe Night of القدرDecree لمwould not تزلcease
فلو وافقتْهم ليلة القدر لم تزل
تَقاعسhold back عنfrom ميقاتهمtheir appointed time آخرَthe end of الدهرtime
تَقاعس عن ميقاتهم آخرَ الدهر
So if the Night of Decree chanced upon them, it would never cease
holding back from their appointed hour until the end of time.
Partial English translation: 26 of 28 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1