ثكلتْwas bereaved of مقلتُهُhis eye طيبَthe sweetness of الكرىsleep
ثكلتْ مقلتُهُ طيبَ الكرى
هَلْis there? عَلَىupon الثاكلِthe bereaved لومٌblame فيfor البكاweeping
هَلْ عَلَى الثاكلِ لومٌ في البكا
His eye was bereft of the sweetness of sleep.
She who bore him laments his loss—
Is the bereaved to be blamed for weeping?
Is the grieving mother to blame for weeping?
باتَhe spent the night يدعوcalling ساهرwakeful الجفنِthe eyelid ياO
باتَ يدعو ساهر الجفنِ يا
فالقَCleaver of الإصباحِdaybreak فيin ليلٍa night دجاgrown dark
فالقَ الإصباحِ في ليلٍ دجا
Wakeful-eyed, he spent the night calling, “O
All night long the sleepless one called out,
Cleaver of daybreak!” amid a night grown dark.
As daybreak rent the cloak of night.
كغريقٍlike a drowning man باتhe spent the night يدعوcalling for منقذاًa rescuer
كغريقٍ بات يدعو منقذاً
بعدماafter أَدركovertook زنديهhis two forearms الونىweariness
بعدما أَدرك زنديه الونى
Like a drowning man who spent the night calling for a rescuer,
Like a drowning man crying for rescue
after weariness had overtaken his forearms.
After feebleness overcame his body.
أَوحشتهmade him feel desolate ظلماتٌlayers of darkness بعضهاsome of them
أَوحشته ظلماتٌ بعضها
فوقabove بعضٍothers حجبتْveiled نجمَthe star السماof heaven
فوق بعضٍ حجبتْ نجمَ السما
Darkness made him feel desolate, layer
Darkness engulfed him, fold on fold,
upon layer, veiling the star of heaven.
Veiling the starry hosts of heaven,
تقبضُconstricts الأبصارَsight حتىuntil لمdid not يكدْnearly manage
تقبضُ الأبصارَ حتى لم يكدْ
رافعٌone raising إِصْبَعَهُhis finger فيهاwithin it يرىsee
رافعٌ إِصْبَعَهُ فيها يرى
It constricted sight, till scarcely
Stifling vision, till the eye could scarce
could one see his finger raised within it.
Discern a finger raised against that murk.
ياO سكونَstillness الليلof night كمhow many هيّجتَyou have stirred منof
يا سكونَ الليل كم هيّجتَ من
لوعةٍanguish وَثابةٍleaping بينwithin الحشاthe inner breast
لوعةٍ وَثابةٍ بين الحشا
O stillness of night, how often you have stirred
O stillness of the night, how you stirred
anguish leaping deep within the breast!
Yearning and wakefulness ‘mid the thickets,
وَأَذانٍand a call to prayer رُفِعَwas raised الصوتُthe voice بهin it
وَأَذانٍ رُفِعَ الصوتُ به
حسنِbeautiful الترجيعِthe vocal modulation موصولِunbroken الصدىthe echo
حسنِ الترجيعِ موصولِ الصدى
And a call to prayer, its voice raised high,
And voices chanting the call to prayer,
sweet in modulation, its echo unbroken,
Melodious, echoes linking the refrain,
كانit was بُشرىglad tidings مولدof the birth الفجرof dawn كماjust as
كان بُشرى مولد الفجر كما
كانit was تكبيراًa proclamation of God's greatness عَلَىover ميْتِthe corpse الدجىof night
كان تكبيراً عَلَى ميْتِ الدجى
was glad tidings of the birth of dawn, just as
Like tidings hailing the morn’s birth,
it was a cry of “God is greatest” over night's corpse.
Or glorifying the death of gloaming’s pall.
فَكأَنّso it was as though الفجرَdawn إِذْwhen لاحappeared شراsail (first part)
فَكأَنّ الفجرَ إِذْ لاح شرا
عٌsail (final part) بعُرْضon the open expanse of البحرthe sea للرائيto the beholder بداappeared
عٌ بعُرْض البحر للرائي بدا
So dawn, when it appeared, seemed a sail
So dawn’s arising was like a king who brings
that came into view on the open sea before the beholder.
Gladness where sadness shrouded the seer,
فيin انبلاجِthe emergence الفجرof dawn منfrom صدعِthe rift الدجىof darkness
في انبلاجِ الفجر من صدعِ الدجى
زَهَقَvanished الباطلُfalsehood وَالحقُand truth سماrose high
زَهَقَ الباطلُ وَالحقُ سما
In dawn's emergence from the rift of darkness,
Falsehood foundered when truth shone forth
falsehood vanished, and truth rose high.
At daybreak’s advent, dispelling the dark.
ماwhat لعينِwith the eye النجمِof the star تغضيlowers its gaze حينماwhen
ما لعينِ النجمِ تغضي حينما
يتجلىreveals itself الفجرُdawn وَضّاحَbrilliant السناradiance
يتجلى الفجرُ وَضّاحَ السنا
Why does the star's eye lower its gaze when
Why does the star’s eye grow dim whenever
dawn reveals itself in brilliant radiance?
Dawn reveals itself, sunlight bursts forth?
كفتاةٍlike a maiden أَثبتتْshe fixed فيupon حبهاher beloved
كفتاةٍ أَثبتتْ في حبها
نظراًa gaze حيناًfor a while وَغضَّتهand she lowered it حياout of shyness
نظراً حيناً وَغضَّته حيا
Like a maiden who fixed upon her beloved
Like a maiden who meets her lover’s gaze
her gaze a while, then lowered it in shyness.
Steadfastly, then drops her eyes in modesty.
ملكking النورof light مَحتْerased آيتُهhis sign
ملك النور مَحتْ آيتُه
آيةَthe sign الليلof night وَإِنْand even though كانit had طغىrun rampant
آيةَ الليل وَإِنْ كان طغى
The king of light—his sign erased
The king of light erased the script
the sign of night, even though it had run rampant.
Of night, though darkness was writ large.
نُشرتْwere unfurled راياتُهhis banners حمراًred عَلَىupon
نُشرتْ راياتُه حمراً عَلَى
كلِّevery أُفقhorizon إِنwhether تناءَىwas distant أَوor دناdrew near
كلِّ أُفق إِن تناءَى أَو دنا
His red banners were unfurled upon
His banners were unfurled, red stains
every horizon, whether distant or near.
On every horizon, distant or near.
كلماwhenever أَعملتَyou applied فيهupon him نظراًa gaze
كلما أَعملتَ فيه نظراً
زادhe grew حسناًin beauty وَرواءًand splendor وَضياand radiance
زاد حسناً وَرواءً وَضيا
Whenever you trained your gaze upon him,
The more you look, the fairer it seems,
he grew in beauty, splendor, and radiance.
Ever fresher, more limpid and bright.
راعنيawed me فيin موكبٍa procession صوّرهdepicted it
راعني في موكبٍ صوّره
خالقُthe Creator الكونِof the universe عَلَىupon لوحthe tablet الفضاof space
خالقُ الكونِ عَلَى لوح الفضا
He awed me in a procession depicted
It led me, depicted on the tablet of space
by the Creator of the universe upon the tablet of space.
By the Creator of all the worlds.
السماheaven وَالأرضُand the earth ميدانٌa parade ground لهfor it
السما وَالأرضُ ميدانٌ له
واحمرارُand the redness الأُفقِof the horizon منشورunfurled اللواthe banner
واحمرارُ الأُفقِ منشور اللوا
Heaven and earth are its parade ground,
The sky and the earth are its arena,
and the horizon's redness its banner unfurled.
The crimson horizon its open pavilion.
نجمةthe star الصبحof morning عَلَىat غرَّتهits forefront
نجمة الصبح عَلَى غرَّته
وَعَلَىand at ساقتِهِits rearguard شمسthe sun الضحىof forenoon
وَعَلَى ساقتِهِ شمس الضحى
The morning star is at its forefront,
The morning star is its vanguard
and at its rearguard, the forenoon sun.
And the rising sun its arriving retinue.
Sol 6.1