سائِلواask اللَيلَthe night عَنهُمُabout them وَالنَهاراand the day
سائِلوا اللَيلَ عَنهُمُ وَالنَهارا
كَيفَhow باتَتspent the night نِسائُهُمtheir women وَالعَذارىand the maidens
كَيفَ باتَت نِسائُهُم وَالعَذارى
Ask the night and the day about them:
Ask the night and day about them,
How did their women and maidens pass the night?
How their women and maidens fared,
كَيفَhow أَمسىfared at evening رَضيعُهُمtheir infant فَقَدَlost الأُمthe mother (continued)
كَيفَ أَمسى رَضيعُهُم فَقَدَ الأُم
مَcompletion of 'mother' وَكَيفَand how اِصطَلىwas scorched مَعَwith القَومِthe people ناراa fire
مَ وَكَيفَ اِصطَلى مَعَ القَومِ نارا
How did their infant fare that evening, bereft of his mother,
How their suckling child lost its mother,
And how was he scorched in the fire with his people?
And how they huddled by fire with the people.
كَيفَhow طاحَfell العَجوزُthe old man تَحتَbeneath جِدارٍa wall
كَيفَ طاحَ العَجوزُ تَحتَ جِدارٍ
يَتَداعىcrumbling وَأَسقُفٍand roofs تَتَجارىracing one another
يَتَداعى وَأَسقُفٍ تَتَجارى
How did the old man fall beneath a wall
How the old woman collapsed beneath a wall,
Crumbling, and roofs racing one another down?
With roofs tumbling and crashing down.
رَبِّmy Lord إِنَّindeed القَضاءَfate أَنحىbore down عَلَيهِمupon them
رَبِّ إِنَّ القَضاءَ أَنحى عَلَيهِم
فَاِكشِفِso dispel الكَربَthe distress وَاِحجُبِand ward off الأَقداراthe decrees of fate
فَاِكشِفِ الكَربَ وَاِحجُبِ الأَقدارا
My Lord, fate has fallen hard upon them,
Lord, verily fate has oppressed them,
So dispel their distress and ward off the decrees of fate.
So lift this distress and conceal fate's schemes.
وَمُرِand command النارَthe fire أَنto تَكُفَّcease أَذاهاits harm
وَمُرِ النارَ أَن تَكُفَّ أَذاها
وَمُرِand command الغَيثَthe rain أَنto يَسيلَflow اِنهِماراin torrents
وَمُرِ الغَيثَ أَن يَسيلَ اِنهِمارا
And command the fire to cease its harm,
And command the fire to cease its harm,
And command the rain to pour down in torrents.
And command the rain to pour heavily.
أَينَwhere طوفانُthe flood of صاحِبِthe master of الفُلكِthe Ark يَرويquenches
أَينَ طوفانُ صاحِبِ الفُلكِ يَروي
هَذِهِthis النارَthe fire فَهيَfor it تَشكوcomplains of الأُواراburning thirst
هَذِهِ النارَ فَهيَ تَشكو الأُوارا
Where is the flood of the master of the Ark, to quench
Where is the flood of Noah to quench
This fire, for it complains of burning thirst?
This fire, as it complains of the flames?
أَشعَلتَyou kindled فَحمَةَthe coal of الدَياجيthe dark nights فَباتَتso it spent the night
أَشعَلتَ فَحمَةَ الدَياجي فَباتَت
تَملَأُfills الأَرضَthe earth وَالسَماءَand the sky شَراراwith sparks
تَملَأُ الأَرضَ وَالسَماءَ شَرارا
You set the coal of the dark nights ablaze, so it spent the night
You ignited the inferno of Daij, so it
Filling the earth and sky with sparks.
Filled the earth and sky with embers.
غَشِيَتهُمit engulfed them وَالنَحسُand ill fortune يَجريruns يَميناًto the right
غَشِيَتهُم وَالنَحسُ يَجري يَميناً
وَرَمَتهُمand it struck them وَالبُؤسُand misery يَجريruns يَساراto the left
وَرَمَتهُم وَالبُؤسُ يَجري يَسارا
It engulfed them, while ill fortune coursed to the right,
Misfortune befell them, flowing to the right,
And struck them, while misery coursed to the left.
And misery struck them, flowing to the left.
فَأَغارَتthen it raided وَأَوجُهُand the faces of القَومِthe people بيضٌwhite
فَأَغارَت وَأَوجُهُ القَومِ بيضٌ
ثُمَّthen غارَتit subsided وَقَدand already كَسَتهُنَّit clothed them قاراin pitch
ثُمَّ غارَت وَقَد كَسَتهُنَّ قارا
Then it raided them while the people's faces were white,
Their faces were radiant then turned pale,
Then it subsided, having clothed them in pitch.
As the embers clothed them in soot.
أَكَلَتit devoured دورَهُمtheir homes فَلَمّاand when اِستَقَلَّتit departed
أَكَلَت دورَهُم فَلَمّا اِستَقَلَّت
لَمdid not تُغادِرspare صِغارَهُمtheir young وَالكِباراand the old
لَم تُغادِر صِغارَهُم وَالكِبارا
It devoured their homes, and when it departed,
It devoured their homes, and when sated,
It spared neither their young nor their old.
It spared not their children or elders.
أَخرَجَتهُمit drove them out مِنَfrom الدِيارِthe homes عُراةًnaked
أَخرَجَتهُم مِنَ الدِيارِ عُراةً
حَذَرَfor fear of المَوتِdeath يَطلُبونَseeking الفِراراescape
حَذَرَ المَوتِ يَطلُبونَ الفِرارا
It drove them from their homes naked,
It drove them naked from their homes,
Seeking escape for fear of death.
Fleeing death, seeking escape.
يَلبَسونَthey wear الظَلامَthe darkness حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle
يَلبَسونَ الظَلامَ حَتّى إِذا ما
أَقبَلَcomes الصُبحُthe morning يَلبَسونَthey wear النَهاراthe daylight
أَقبَلَ الصُبحُ يَلبَسونَ النَهارا
They clothe themselves in darkness until, when
They wear the darkness until dawn comes
Morning comes, they clothe themselves in daylight:
And dons the day like a garment,
حُلَّةًa garment لاnot تَقيهِمُprotects them from البَردَthe cold وَالحَرand the heat (continued)
حُلَّةً لا تَقيهِمُ البَردَ وَالحَر
رَcompletion of 'heat' وَلاand not عَنهُمُaway from them تَرُدُّkeeps back الغُباراthe dust
رَ وَلا عَنهُمُ تَرُدُّ الغُبارا
A garment that shields them neither from cold nor heat,
A garb that protects not from cold or heat,
Nor keeps the dust away from them.
Nor turns away dust from them.
أَيُّهاO you الرافِلونَthose who strut فيin حُلَلِrobes of الوَشthe brocade (continued)
أَيُّها الرافِلونَ في حُلَلِ الوَش
يِcompletion of 'brocade' يَجُرّونَthey drag لِلذُيولِfor the trailing hems اِفتِخاراin pride
يِ يَجُرّونَ لِلذُيولِ اِفتِخارا
O you who strut in brocaded robes,
You who flaunt your fine robes,
Dragging your trailing hems in pride,
Dragging your trains proudly,
إِنَّindeed فَوقَupon العَراءِthe open ground قَوماًa people جِياعاًhungry
إِنَّ فَوقَ العَراءِ قَوماً جِياعاً
يَتَوارَونَthey hide themselves ذِلَّةًin humiliation وَاِنكِساراand dejection
يَتَوارَونَ ذِلَّةً وَاِنكِسارا
Indeed, there are hungry people out in the open,
There are above the bare desert hungry people
Hiding themselves in humiliation and dejection.
Humbled and broken.
أَيُّهَذاO you السَجينُthe prisoner لاnot يَمنَعُprevents السِجthe prison (continued)
أَيُّهَذا السَجينُ لا يَمنَعُ السِج
نُcompletion of 'prison' كَريماًa generous man مِنfrom أَنto يُقيلَhelp overcome العِثاراstumbling
نُ كَريماً مِن أَن يُقيلَ العِثارا
O prisoner, prison does not prevent
O prisoner, no jail prevents generosity
A generous man from lifting those who stumble.
From one noble to lessen another's burden.
مُرcommand بِأَلفٍwith a thousand لَهُمfor them وَإِنand if شِئتَyou wish زِدهاincrease it
مُر بِأَلفٍ لَهُم وَإِن شِئتَ زِدها
وَأَجِرهُمand give them refuge كَماas أَجَرتَyou gave refuge to النَصارىthe Christians
وَأَجِرهُم كَما أَجَرتَ النَصارى
Order a thousand for them, and increase it if you wish,
Give thousands for them, and if you wish, add more,
And give them refuge as you gave refuge to the Christians.
And compensate them as you did the Christians.
قَدindeed شَهِدناwe witnessed بِالأَمسِyesterday فيin مِصرَEgypt عُرساًa wedding
قَد شَهِدنا بِالأَمسِ في مِصرَ عُرساً
مَلَأَfilled العَينَthe eye وَالفُؤادَand the heart اِبتِهاراwith amazement
مَلَأَ العَينَ وَالفُؤادَ اِبتِهارا
Yesterday in Egypt we witnessed a wedding
Only yesterday in Egypt we saw a wedding
That filled the eye and the heart with amazement.
That filled the eye and heart with joy.
سالَflowed فيهِin it النُضارُthe gold حَتّىuntil حَسِبناwe thought
سالَ فيهِ النُضارُ حَتّى حَسِبنا
أَنَّthat ذاكَthat الفِناءَthe courtyard يَجريflows نُضاراwith gold
أَنَّ ذاكَ الفِناءَ يَجري نُضارا
Gold flowed there until we imagined
Wine flowed till we thought
That the courtyard itself was flowing with gold.
The courtyard flowed with wine.
باتَspent the night فيهِin it المُنَعَّمونَthe pampered بِلَيلٍin a night
باتَ فيهِ المُنَعَّمونَ بِلَيلٍ
أَخجَلَput to shame الصُبحَthe dawn حُسنُهُits beauty فَتَوارىso it hid
أَخجَلَ الصُبحَ حُسنُهُ فَتَوارى
The pampered spent a night there
The revelers spent the night
Whose beauty shamed the dawn into hiding.
In such beauty the dawn was ashamed and hid.
يَكتَسونَthey clothe themselves in السُرورَjoy طَوراًat one time وَطَوراًand at another
يَكتَسونَ السُرورَ طَوراً وَطَوراً
فيin يَدِthe hand of الكَأسِthe cup يَخلَعونَthey cast off الوَقاراdignity
في يَدِ الكَأسِ يَخلَعونَ الوَقارا
Now they clothe themselves in joy, and now,
They wore happiness for a while, then for a while more,
In the cup's grip, they cast off their dignity.
Casting off dignity with cup in hand.
وَسَمِعناand we heard فيin مَيتِMit غَمرٍGhamr صِياحاًcries
وَسَمِعنا في مَيتِ غَمرٍ صِياحاً
مَلَأَfilled البَرَّthe land ضَجَّةًwith clamor وَالبِحاراand the seas
مَلَأَ البَرَّ ضَجَّةً وَالبِحارا
And in Mit Ghamr we heard cries
And we heard in drowned Gamr wailing
That filled the land and the seas with clamor.
That filled the land and sea with clamor.
جَلَّexalted is مَنHe who قَسَّمَapportioned الحُظوظَthe fortunes فَهَذاso this one
جَلَّ مَن قَسَّمَ الحُظوظَ فَهَذا
يَتَغَنّىsings وَذاكَand that one يَبكيweeps for الدِياراthe homes
يَتَغَنّى وَذاكَ يَبكي الدِيارا
Exalted is He who apportioned fortunes: this one
Cursed be the one who apportioned fates, so that
Sings, while that one weeps for his home.
One sings while the other weeps over homes.
رُبَّmany a لَيلٍnight فيin الدَهرِthe ages قَدindeed ضَمَّheld نَحساًill fortune
رُبَّ لَيلٍ في الدَهرِ قَد ضَمَّ نَحساً
وَسُعوداًand good fortune وَعُسرَةًand hardship وَيَساراand ease
وَسُعوداً وَعُسرَةً وَيَسارا
Many a night through the ages has held ill fortune
Many a night in time has brought together
And good fortune, hardship and ease.
Misfortune, fortune, hardship, and ease.
Sol 6.1