دَهتنا السَماءُ غَداةَ النِجابِ

دَهتنا السَماءُ غَداةَ النِجابِ

بِغَيمٍ عَلى أُفقِهِ مُسبلِ

بِغَيمٍ عَلى أُفقِهِ مُسبلِ

The sky assailed us on the morning of al-Nijab,

The sky rained upon us at dawn

with a cloud pouring rain across its horizon.

With clouds gathered on the horizon

فَجاءَ بِرَعدٍ لَهُ رَنَّةٌ

فَجاءَ بِرَعدٍ لَهُ رَنَّةٌ

كَرَنَّةِ ثَكلى وَلَم تُثكَلِ

كَرَنَّةِ ثَكلى وَلَم تُثكَلِ

Then it brought thunder with a ringing cry,

It thundered with a wailing thunder

like a bereaved mother's wail, though she had lost no child.

Like the wailing of a bereaved mother

وَثَنّى بِوَبلٍ عَدا طَورهُ

وَثَنّى بِوَبلٍ عَدا طَورهُ

فَعادَ وَبالاً عَلى المُمحلِ

فَعادَ وَبالاً عَلى المُمحلِ

And it followed with a downpour exceeding its bounds,

It zigzagged with twisting winds

so it became a scourge on the drought-stricken land.

That brought downpour back to the valley

وَأَشرَفَ أَصحابُنا مِن أَذاهُ

وَأَشرَفَ أَصحابُنا مِن أَذاهُ

عَلى خَطَرٍ هائِلٍ مُعضِلِ

عَلى خَطَرٍ هائِلٍ مُعضِلِ

And our companions, through its ravages, came

And our people barely survived

to the brink of a dreadful, intractable peril.

From the terrible and harsh disaster

فَمن لابدٍ بِفَناءِ الجِدارِ

فَمن لابدٍ بِفَناءِ الجِدارِ

وَآوٍ إِلى نَفَقٍ مُهمَلِ

وَآوٍ إِلى نَفَقٍ مُهمَلِ

So some crouched in the space before the wall,

Some had no choice but to breach the wall

and some sheltered in an abandoned tunnel.

And take refuge in an abandoned cave

وَمِن مُستَجيرٍ يُنادي الغَريقَ

وَمِن مُستَجيرٍ يُنادي الغَريقَ

هُناكَ وَمِن صائِحٍ مُعوَلِ

هُناكَ وَمِن صائِحٍ مُعوَلِ

And some sought aid, calling to the drowning man

Some called out for rescue while drowning

there, while others cried out and wailed.

Their cries echoed yet unheard

وَجادَت عَلَينا سَماءُ السُقوفِ

وَجادَت عَلَينا سَماءُ السُقوفِ

بِدَمعٍ مِنَ الوَجدِ لَم يُهمَلِ

بِدَمعٍ مِنَ الوَجدِ لَم يُهمَلِ

And the sky of the roofs poured down upon us

The roof poured on us nonstop

with tears of anguish, not a tear neglected.

With tears of anguish unneglected

كَأَنَّ حَراماً لَهُ أَن يَرى

كَأَنَّ حَراماً لَهُ أَن يَرى

يَبيساً مِنَ الأَرضِ لَم يُبلَلِ

يَبيساً مِنَ الأَرضِ لَم يُبلَلِ

As though it were forbidden for it to see

As if it was a sin to see

any dry ground that had not been drenched.

Any part of earth left dry

وَأَقبَلَ سَيلٌ لَهُ رَوعَةٌ

وَأَقبَلَ سَيلٌ لَهُ رَوعَةٌ

فَأَدبرَ كُلٌّ مِن المُقبِلِ

فَأَدبرَ كُلٌّ مِن المُقبِلِ

And a torrent came on, striking terror,

A torrent came fierce and intense

so everyone turned and fled from the oncoming flood.

And all coming towards it reversed

يَقلّعُ ما شاءَ مِن دَوحَةٍ

يَقلّعُ ما شاءَ مِن دَوحَةٍ

وَما يَلقَ مِن صَخرَةٍ يَحملِ

وَما يَلقَ مِن صَخرَةٍ يَحملِ

It uproots whatever great trees it chooses,

Uprooting all palms on its way

and carries off whatever rock it encounters.

And boulders it came across it hauled

كَأَنَّ بِأَحشائِهِ إِذ بَدا

كَأَنَّ بِأَحشائِهِ إِذ بَدا

أَجنَّةَ حُبلى وَلَم تَحبَلِ

أَجنَّةَ حُبلى وَلَم تَحبَلِ

As though within its entrails, when it appeared,

As if in its midst it carried

were a pregnant woman's unborn children, though she had not conceived.

Pregnant mountains ready to give birth

فَمِن عامِرٍ رَدّهُ غامِراً

فَمِن عامِرٍ رَدّهُ غامِراً

وَمَن مُعلمٍ عادَ كَالمَجَهلِ

وَمَن مُعلمٍ عادَ كَالمَجَهلِ

So some inhabited land it turned into wasteland,

Thus many landmarks it left altered

and some marked places became like trackless wilderness.

And many a guide returned confused

كَفانا بَلِيَّتهُ رَبّنا

كَفانا بَلِيَّتهُ رَبّنا

فَقَد وَجَبَ الشُكرُ لِلمُفضِلِ

فَقَد وَجَبَ الشُكرُ لِلمُفضِلِ

Our Lord spared us its calamity;

We thank you God for saving us

so thanks are due to the Benefactor.

Thankful we are for your grace

فَقُل لِلسَماءِ أَبرِقي وَاِرعُدي

فَقُل لِلسَماءِ أَبرِقي وَاِرعُدي

فَإِنّا رَجَعنا إِلى المَنزِلِ

فَإِنّا رَجَعنا إِلى المَنزِلِ

So tell the sky: “Flash your lightning and thunder,

Say to the sky lighten and thunder

for we have returned home.”

For we have returned home safe