وَصِبيَةٍand children مِثلِlike صِغارِthe little ones of الذَرِّthe tiny ants
وَصِبيَةٍ مِثلِ صِغارِ الذَرِّ
سودِblack الوُجوهِthe faces كَسَوادِlike the blackness of القِدرِthe cooking pot
سودِ الوُجوهِ كَسَوادِ القِدرِ
And children, like the smallest of ants,
And children like particles of dust
Black-faced, like the blackness of a cooking pot,
Black-faced, like the blackness of a pot
جاءَهُمُcame upon them البَردُthe cold وَهُمand they are بشَرhuman beings
جاءَهُمُ البَردُ وَهُم بشَر
بِغَيرِwithout قُطفٍplush blankets وَبِغَيرِand without دُثرِwarm coverings
بِغَيرِ قُطفٍ وَبِغَيرِ دُثرِ
The cold came upon them, human beings as they are,
The cold came upon them, and they were joyous
Without blankets and without warm coverings.
With neither cloak nor coat
تَراهُمُyou see them بَعدَafter صَلاةِthe prayer of العَصرِthe afternoon
تَراهُمُ بَعدَ صَلاةِ العَصرِ
بَعضُهُمُsome of them مُلتَصِقٌclinging بِصَدريto my chest
بَعضُهُمُ مُلتَصِقٌ بِصَدري
You see them after the afternoon prayer:
You see them after the afternoon prayer
Some of them clinging to my chest,
Some clinging to my chest
وَآخَرٌand another مُلتَصِقٌclinging بِظَهريto my back
وَآخَرٌ مُلتَصِقٌ بِظَهري
إِذاwhen بَكَواthey wept عَلَّلَتهُمI soothed them بِالفَجرِwith dawn
إِذا بَكَوا عَلَّلَتهُم بِالفَجرِ
And another clinging to my back.
Another clinging to my back
When they wept, I soothed them with the promise of dawn,
If they cried, I blamed it on the dawn
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen لاحَappeared عَمودُthe pillar of الفَجرِdawn
حَتّى إِذا لاحَ عَمودُ الفَجرِ
وَلاحَتِand appeared الشَمسُthe sun خرِجتُI went out أَسريI make my way
وَلاحَتِ الشَمسُ خرِجتُ أَسري
Until, when the pillar of dawn appeared,
Until the pillar of dawn appeared
And the sun appeared, I went out, making my way
And the sun shone, I went out a captive
عَنهُمaway from them وَحَلّواand they settled بِأُصولِat the bases of الجُدرِthe walls
عَنهُم وَحَلّوا بِأُصولِ الجُدرِ
كَأَنَّهُمas though they were خَنافِسٌbeetles فيin جُحرِa burrow
كَأَنَّهُم خَنافِسٌ في جُحرِ
Away from them, and they settled at the foot of the walls,
From them, and they took to the roots of the walls
As though they were beetles in a burrow.
As if they were beetles in a burrow
هذاthis جَميعُall of قِصَّتيmy story وَأَمريand my situation
هذا جَميعُ قِصَّتي وَأَمري
فَاِسمَعso hear مَقاليmy words وَتَوَلَّand take charge of أَجريmy reward
فَاِسمَع مَقالي وَتَوَلَّ أَجري
This is the whole of my story and my situation.
This is the entirety of my story and matter
So hear my words and see to my reward,
So listen to my words and take on my reward
فَأَنتَfor you أَنتَyou ثِقَتيmy reliance وَذُخريand my treasure
فَأَنتَ أَنتَ ثِقَتي وَذُخري
For you—you are my reliance and my treasure.
For you, you are my confidence and treasure
Sol 6.1