سَبَقَcame beforehand الْقَضَاءُthe decree وَأُبْرِمَand was sealed الْمَحْتُومُthe inevitable
سَبَقَ الْقَضَاءُ وَأُبْرِمَ الْمَحْتُومُ
وَالْغَيْبُand the unseen عَنَّاfrom us سِرُّهُits secret مَكْتُومُconcealed
وَالْغَيْبُ عَنَّا سِرُّهُ مَكْتُومُ
The decree was made beforehand, and the inevitable sealed.
And the unseen—its secret is concealed from us.
حَالُthe condition of الزَّمَانِtime إِذَاif اعْتَبَرْتَyou reflect غَرِيبَةٌstrange
حَالُ الزَّمَانِ إِذَا اعْتَبَرْتَ غَرِيبَةٌ
وَالْحَالُand the condition فِيin التَّحْقِيقِtruth لَيْسَdoes not تَدُومُendure
وَالْحَالُ فِي التَّحْقِيقِ لَيْسَ تَدُومُ
Time's condition, if you ponder it, is strange,
And no condition, in truth, endures.
وَاللَّيْلُand night سِلْكٌa thread دُرُّهُits pearls سَاعَاتُهُits hours
وَاللَّيْلُ سِلْكٌ دُرُّهُ سَاعَاتُهُ
إِنْif حُلَّis undone مَعْقِدُهُits knot هَوَىfalls الْمْظُومُthe strung pearls
إِنْ حُلَّ مَعْقِدُهُ هَوَى الْمْظُومُ
And night is a thread whose pearls are its hours;
If its knot is undone, the strung pearls fall.
أَكْرِمْhow noble بِرَابِعَةٍRabi'a تَوَلَّتْdeparted بَعْدَمَاafter
أَكْرِمْ بِرَابِعَةٍ تَوَلَّتْ بَعْدَمَا
ثَبَتَتْbecame established لَهَاfor her فِيin الصَّالِحَاتِgood deeds رُسُومُtraces
ثَبَتَتْ لَهَا فِي الصَّالِحَاتِ رُسُومُ
How noble was Rabi'a, who departed after
The traces of her good deeds had been firmly established.
وَلَقَدْand indeed سَهِرْتُI stayed awake مُفكِّراًthinking وَالْبَدْرِwhile the full moon فِيin
وَلَقَدْ سَهِرْتُ مُفكِّراً وَالْبَدْرِ فِي
بَحْرِthe sea of السَّمَاءِthe sky مَعَwith النُّجُومِthe stars يَعُومُswims
بَحْرِ السَّمَاءِ مَعَ النُّجُومِ يَعُومُ
And indeed I stayed awake in thought, while the full moon in
The sea of the sky swam with the stars.
فَحَسِبْتُso I imagined شكَلَthe form of البدرthe full moon أَبْيَضَwhite حَائِماًcircling
فَحَسِبْتُ شكَلَ البدر أَبْيَضَ حَائِماً
فَوْقِيabove me يُحَلِّقُsoars طَيْرَهُits flight وَيَحُومُand circles
فَوْقِي يُحَلِّقُ طَيْرَهُ وَيَحُومُ
So I took the full moon's form, white and circling,
Above me, soaring and wheeling in its flight,
حَجَراa stone رَمَاهُhurled it الْمَنْجَنِيقُthe catapult فَشَأُنُهُso its bearing
حَجَرا رَمَاهُ الْمَنْجَنِيقُ فَشَأُنُهُ
مُتَطَأطِئlowered مُتَدَافِعٌsurging forward مَلْمُومُtightly massed
مُتَطَأطِئ مُتَدَافِعٌ مَلْمُومُ
For a stone hurled by the catapult, its bearing
Low, surging forward, tightly massed.
وَمِنَand among النُّجُومِthe stars أَسِنَّةٌspearheads لِجُيُوشِهَاfor their armies
وَمِنَ النُّجُومِ أَسِنَّةٌ لِجُيُوشِهَا
مِنْfrom كُلِّevery مُطَّلَعٍvantage point عَلَيَّagainst me هجُومُan assault
مِنْ كُلِّ مُطَّلَعٍ عَلَيَّ هجُومُ
And among the stars are spearheads for their armies;
From every vantage point comes an assault on me.
زَحَفَتْthey advanced إِلىto حَرْبِيwar against me وَعُمْرِيَand my life مَعْقِلٌa fortress
زَحَفَتْ إِلى حَرْبِي وَعُمْرِيَ مَعْقِلٌ
وَمُخَلّصِيand my deliverer مِنْfrom بَأسِهَاtheir might مَعْدُومُnonexistent
وَمُخَلّصِي مِنْ بَأسِهَا مَعْدُومُ
They advanced to war against me, my life a fortress,
And I have no deliverer from their might.
بَدَرَتْappeared لَهَاbefore them شُرُفَاتُthe battlements of أَسْنَانِيmy teeth تَهِيgrow weak
بَدَرَتْ لَهَا شُرُفَاتُ أَسْنَانِي تَهِي
وَقُوَايَand my powers تَقْعُدُsit down رَجْفَةًwith trembling وَتَقُومُand rise
وَقُوَايَ تَقْعُدُ رَجْفَةً وَتَقُومُ
The battlements of my teeth appeared before them, crumbling,
And my strength, trembling, sinks and rises.
فَصَرَخْتُso I cried out يَاO وَيْلِيwoe to me أُصِيبَتْwas struck غُرَّتِيmy brow
فَصَرَخْتُ يَا وَيْلِي أُصِيبَتْ غُرَّتِي
مَاذاhow long عَسَىmight هَذَاthis الْبِنَاءُedifice يَدُومُendure
مَاذا عَسَى هَذَا الْبِنَاءُ يَدُومُ
So I cried out: woe to me! My brow has been struck!
How long can this edifice endure?
وَإِذَاand when رَمَىbombards فَلَكُthe sphere of الْبُرُوجِthe constellations مَدِينَةًa city
وَإِذَا رَمَى فَلَكُ الْبُرُوجِ مَدِينَةً
بِالْمَنْجَنِيقِwith the catapult فَسُورُهَاthen its wall الْمَهْدُومُdemolished
بِالْمَنْجَنِيقِ فَسُورُهَا الْمَهْدُومُ
And when the sphere of the constellations bombards a city
With the catapult, its wall is demolished.
مَاwhatever دُونَother than وَجْهِthe face of الْحَقِّthe True One إِنْif حَقَّقْتَهُyou truly ascertain it
مَا دُونَ وَجْهِ الْحَقِّ إِنْ حَقَّقْتَهُ
يَفْنَىperishes وَيَبْقَىand remains الْوَاحِدُthe One الْقَيُّومُthe Self-Subsisting Sustainer
يَفْنَى وَيَبْقَى الْوَاحِدُ الْقَيُّومُ
All but the face of the True One, if you truly comprehend it,
Perishes; and the One, the Self-Subsisting Sustainer, remains.
Sol 6.1