فَقُلتُso I said لِلنَفسِto myself هَذيthis مُنيَةٌa wish صَدَقَتcame true
فَقُلتُ لِلنَفسِ هَذي مُنيَةٌ صَدَقَت
وَقَدand sometimes يُوافِقُaccords with بَعضُsome of المُنيَةِthe wish القَدَراfate
وَقَد يُوافِقُ بَعضُ المُنيَةِ القَدَرا
So I said to myself: “This is a wish come true.”
I said to my soul this is inevitable death
And some wishes may accord with fate.
And it may concur with some of the predestined fate
كُنّاwe were أُناسٌa people بِناupon us اللَأواءُhardship فَاِنفَرَجَتthen it lifted
كُنّا أُناسٌ بِنا اللَأواءُ فَاِنفَرَجَت
عَنto reveal مِثلِone like مَروانَMarwan بِالمِصرَينِin the two cities أَوor عُمَراUmar
عَن مِثلِ مَروانَ بِالمِصرَينِ أَو عُمَرا
We were a people beset by hardship; then it lifted,
We were a people, gloom was upon us, so it dispersed
Revealing, in the two cities, a man like Marwan or Umar.
From the like of Marwan in Misr or Umar
مُشَمِّرٌresolute and active يَستَضيءُdraw light المُظلِمونَthose in darkness بِهِthrough him
مُشَمِّرٌ يَستَضيءُ المُظلِمونَ بِهِ
يَنكيwounds العَدُوَّthe enemy وَنَستَسقيand we seek rain بِهِthrough him المَطَراrain
يَنكي العَدُوَّ وَنَستَسقي بِهِ المَطَرا
A resolute man, in whom those in darkness find light,
Prepared, the oppressed seek light from him
He wounds the enemy, and through him we seek rain.
The enemy laments and we seek rain through him
ماnot النيلُthe Nile يَضرِبُstrikes بِالعِبرَينِagainst both banks دارِئَهُits onrushing flood
ما النيلُ يَضرِبُ بِالعِبرَينِ دارِئَهُ
وَلاnor الفُراتُthe Euphrates إِذاwhen آذِيُّهُits swell زَخَراsurges
وَلا الفُراتُ إِذا آذِيُّهُ زَخَرا
Neither the Nile, its rushing flood beating against both banks,
Neither the Nile strikes its banks
Nor the Euphrates, when its swell surges,
Nor the Euphrates when its helper raged
يَعلوrises above أَعالِيَthe heights of عاناتٍʿAnat بِمُلتَطِمٍwith crashing waters
يَعلو أَعالِيَ عاناتٍ بِمُلتَطِمٍ
يُلقيcasts عَلىupon سورِهاits wall الزَيتونَolive trees وَالعُشَراand giant milkweed
يُلقي عَلى سورِها الزَيتونَ وَالعُشَرا
Rising above the heights of ʿAnat with crashing waters,
He ascends beyond the highest hardships with effort
Casting olive trees and giant milkweed onto its wall—
Casting olives and grape vines upon its fence
تَرىyou see الصَرارِيَّthe mariner وَالأَمواجُwhile the waves تَلطِمُهُbuffet him
تَرى الصَرارِيَّ وَالأَمواجُ تَلطِمُهُ
لَوif يَستَطيعُhe could إِلىto بَرِّيَّةٍdry land عَبَراhe would cross
لَو يَستَطيعُ إِلى بَرِّيَّةٍ عَبَرا
You see the mariner as the waves buffet him,
You see the waves and billows pounding him
Who would cross to dry land if he could,
If only he could cross to the shore
إِذاwhen عَلَتهُrose over him ظِلالُthe shadows of المَوجِthe waves وَاِعتَرَكَتand clashed
إِذا عَلَتهُ ظِلالُ المَوجِ وَاِعتَرَكَت
بِواسِقاتٍtowering waves تَرىyou see فيin مائِهاtheir water كَدَراturbidity
بِواسِقاتٍ تَرى في مائِها كَدَرا
When wave-shadows loom over him amid the clash
When the shadows of waves envelop him and stir
Of towering waves, whose waters you see turbid—
With tall waves in whose waters you see turmoil
بِمُستَطيعٍable to equal نَدىthe bounty of بِشرٍBishr عُبابُهُماthe surge of them both
بِمُستَطيعٍ نَدى بِشرٍ عُبابُهُما
وَلَوand even if أَعانَهُماaided them both الزابُthe Zab إِذاwhen اِنحَدَراit rushed down
وَلَو أَعانَهُما الزابُ إِذا اِنحَدَرا
Can, with their surging waters, equal Bishr’s bounty,
With effort bringing the dew of good tidings
Even if the Zab aided them both as it rushed down.
Even if helped by a downpour when it rushed
لَهُhe has يَدٌa hand يَغلِبُsurpasses المُعطينَthe givers نائِلُهاits bounty
لَهُ يَدٌ يَغلِبُ المُعطينَ نائِلُها
إِذاwhen تَرَوَّحَhe sets out in the afternoon لِلمَعروفِto do good أَوor بَكَراsets out at dawn
إِذا تَرَوَّحَ لِلمَعروفِ أَو بَكَرا
He has a hand whose bounty surpasses the givers,
He has a hand that defeats the givers when he attains it
When he sets out to do good, in the afternoon or at dawn.
When he enjoys doing good or is first to do so
تَغدوgo forth in the morning الرِياحُthe winds فَتُمسيthen reach evening وَهيَwhile they are فاتِرَةٌflagging
تَغدو الرِياحُ فَتُمسي وَهيَ فاتِرَةٌ
وَأَنتَand you ذوpossessor of نائِلٍa bounty يُمسيreaches evening وَماand has not فَتَراslackened
وَأَنتَ ذو نائِلٍ يُمسي وَما فَتَرا
The winds go forth at dawn, then reach evening flagging,
The winds blow then calm while tired
But you possess a bounty that reaches evening without slackening.
Yet you have an attainer who does not tire
تَرىyou see الرِجالَthe men لِبِشرٍbefore Bishr وَهيَwhile they are خاشِعَةٌsubmissive
تَرى الرِجالَ لِبِشرٍ وَهيَ خاشِعَةٌ
تَخاشُعَwith the submission of الطَيرِbirds لِلبازِيto the hawk إِذاwhen اِنكَدَراit swoops down
تَخاشُعَ الطَيرِ لِلبازِي إِذا اِنكَدَرا
You see men humbled before Bishr,
You see men humbled before Al-Bishr while reverent
As birds humble themselves before a hawk when it swoops
Like birds before the falcon if it stirred
مِنfrom فَوقِabove مُرتَقِبٍa lookout باتَتspent the night شَآمِيَةٌa wind from Syria
مِن فَوقِ مُرتَقِبٍ باتَت شَآمِيَةٌ
تَلُفُّهُenfolding him وَسَماءٌand the sky تَنضَحُsprays الدِرَراcopious rain
تَلُفُّهُ وَسَماءٌ تَنضَحُ الدِرَرا
From a lookout, where a wind from Syria spent the night
From above a watcher, Syrians spent the night
Enfolding him, while the sky sprayed copious rain,
Enveloping him while the sky drizzled pearls
حَتّىuntil غَداhe became لَحِماًhungry for flesh مِنfrom فَوقِabove رابِيَةٍa hill
حَتّى غَدا لَحِماً مِن فَوقِ رابِيَةٍ
فيin لَيلَةٍa night كَفَّتِrestrained الأَظفارَthe talons وَالبَصَراand sight
في لَيلَةٍ كَفَّتِ الأَظفارَ وَالبَصَرا
Till he grew hungry for flesh atop a hill,
Until morning he was flesh atop a saddlecloth
In a night that held his talons and sight in check.
In a night that restrained talons and sight
إِذاwhen رَأَتهُthey see him عِتاقُthe noble ones of الطَيرِthe birds أَوor سَمِعَتhear
إِذا رَأَتهُ عِتاقُ الطَيرِ أَو سَمِعَت
مِنهُfrom him هَوِيّاًa rushing sound تَشَظَّتthey scatter تَبتَغيseeking الوَزَراrefuge
مِنهُ هَوِيّاً تَشَظَّت تَبتَغي الوَزَرا
When the noble birds see him, or hear
When free birds saw him or heard
His rushing sound, they scatter, seeking refuge.
From him a whinny, they broke apart seeking refuge
أَصبَحَhas become بَعدَafter اِختِلافِthe disagreement of الناسِthe people بَينَهُمُamong themselves
أَصبَحَ بَعدَ اِختِلافِ الناسِ بَينَهُمُ
بِآلِthrough the house of مَروانَMarwan دينُthe religion of اللَهِGod قَدindeed ظَهَراprevailed
بِآلِ مَروانَ دينُ اللَهِ قَد ظَهَرا
Now, after the people’s dissension among themselves,
After the people differed amongst themselves
God’s religion has prevailed through the house of Marwan.
Through the family of Marwan the religion of God manifested
مِنهُمamong them مَساعِرَةُstokers of الشَهباءِthe gray war إِذwhen خَمَدَتit died down
مِنهُم مَساعِرَةُ الشَهباءِ إِذ خَمَدَت
وَالمُصطَلوهاand those who brave its fire إِذاwhen مَشبوبُهاits kindled fire اِستَعَراblazes
وَالمُصطَلوها إِذا مَشبوبُها اِستَعَرا
Among them are those who stoke gray war when it dies down,
Among them the kindler of flames when it subsided
And those who brave its fire when its kindled flames blaze.
And the rightly-guided one when his passion flared
Sol 6.1