شهرُmonth القيامnight prayer وإنand though عظمتis great حرْمَتهits sanctity
شهرُ القيام وإن عظمت حرْمَته
شهرٌa month طويلٌlong ثقيلُheavy الظلّthe shadow والحركَهْand movement
شهرٌ طويلٌ ثقيلُ الظلّ والحركَهْ
The month of night prayer, though great is its sanctity,
The month of rising though mighty is its sanctity
Is a long month, heavy of shadow and sluggish in movement.
A long month, heavy is its shade and movement
يمشيit walks الهُوَيْناvery slowly وأمَّاand as for حينwhen يَطْلِبُناit pursues us
يمشي الهُوَيْنا وأمَّا حين يَطْلِبُنا
فلاso neither السُّلَيْكُal-Sulayk يدانيهmatches it ولاnor السُّلَكَهْal-Sulakah
فلا السُّلَيْكُ يدانيه ولا السُّلَكَهْ
It walks ever so slowly; but when it pursues us,
It walks slowly while when it seeks us
Neither al-Sulayk nor al-Sulakah can match it.
Neither the fast horse nor the racing camel can match it
كأنهas though it were طالبٌa seeker ثأراًvengeance علىon فرسٍa horse
كأنه طالبٌ ثأراً على فرسٍ
أجدَّpressed hard فيin إثرthe trail of مطلوبٍa quarry علىon رَمَكَهْa mare
أجدَّ في إثر مطلوبٍ على رَمَكَهْ
As though it were a seeker of vengeance riding a horse,
As if it were a avenger against a horse
Pressing hard after a quarry riding a mare.
That strove hard after a sought prey at full gallop
أذمُّهُI blame it غيرَexcept وقتٍa time فيهwithin it أحمدُهُI praise it
أذمُّهُ غيرَ وقتٍ فيه أحمدُهُ
منذُfrom العِشاءِnightfall إليهِto it أنthat تسقَعَcrow الدِّيَكَهْthe roosters
منذُ العِشاءِ إليهِ أن تسقَعَ الدِّيَكَهْ
I blame it, except for a time within it when I praise it:
I blame it though not a time wherein I praise it
From nightfall until the roosters crow.
From nightfall to the crowing of the cock
وكيفand how أحمدُI praise أوقاتاَtimes مذممّةًblameworthy
وكيف أحمدُ أوقاتاَ مذممّةً
بينbetween الدُّؤوبceaseless toil وبينand between الجوعhunger مشتركَهْshared
بين الدُّؤوب وبين الجوع مشتركَهْ
And how can I praise blameworthy hours,
And how can I praise hated times
Shared between ceaseless toil and hunger?
Between lasting and hunger it is shared
ياO صدقَtruthfulness منwhoever قالsaid أيامٌdays مباركةٌblessed
يا صدقَ من قال أيامٌ مباركةٌ
إنif كانwas يكنىrefers indirectly عنto اسمthe name of الطولlength بالبركَهْwith 'blessing'
إن كان يكنى عن اسم الطول بالبركَهْ
How truthful the one who said, 'Blessed days'—
Oh truth of him who said blessed days
If 'blessing' was his byword for 'length'!
If by its length the name blessing is implied
لوif كانwere عمريmy life طريقاًa road ماnot لقيتُI would encounter بهon it
لو كان عمري طريقاً ما لقيتُ به
إلاexcept الصيامَfasting وإلاand except شهرهُits month نبكَهْa hillock
إلا الصيامَ وإلا شهرهُ نبكَهْ
Were my life a road, I would find on it nothing
If my life were a road I would have met in it
But fasting and its month—a hillock.
Only fasting or the month, weeping
شهرٌa month كأنّas though وقوعيmy falling فيهinto it مِنْfrom قلقيmy agitation
شهرٌ كأنّ وقوعي فيه مِنْ قلقي
وسوءِand the wretchedness of حاليmy state وقوعُthe falling of الحوتِthe fish فيinto الشَّبكَهْthe net
وسوءِ حالي وقوعُ الحوتِ في الشَّبكَهْ
A month: my falling into it, in my agitation
A month as if my falling into it from my anxiety
And wretched state, is like a fish falling into a net.
And ill state were the falling of the whale into the net
لوif كانwere مولىًa master وكناand we were كالعبيدlike slaves لهto him
لو كان مولىً وكنا كالعبيد له
لكانit would be مولىًa master بخيلاًmiserly سَيِّئَbad in الملَكَهْthe treatment of slaves
لكان مولىً بخيلاً سَيِّئَ الملَكَهْ
Were it a master, and we like slaves to him,
If it were a master and we were its slaves
It would be a miserly master, harsh in his treatment.
It would be a miserly master, evil in ownership
قدindeed كادnearly لولاwere it not for دفاعُthe protection of اللَّهُGod يُسلِمُناit hands us over
قد كاد لولا دفاعُ اللَّهُ يُسلِمُنا
إلىto الرَّدىdeath ويُؤديناand leads us إلىto الهَلَكَهْdestruction
إلى الرَّدى ويُؤدينا إلى الهَلَكَهْ
It nearly handed us over—save for God's protection—
By God's defence it almost
To death, and led us to destruction.
Delivered us to perdition and caused us to perish
Sol 6.1