وَذِي حَدَبٍ يَلْتَجُّ بِالسُّفْنِ كُلَّمَا

وَذِي حَدَبٍ يَلْتَجُّ بِالسُّفْنِ كُلَّمَا

زَفَتْهُ نَؤُوجٌ فَهُوَ يَعْلُو وَيَسْفُلُ

زَفَتْهُ نَؤُوجٌ فَهُوَ يَعْلُو وَيَسْفُلُ

And a ridged sea, churning with ships whenever

With undulating ridges it surges with ships

A roaring wind drives it, rises and falls.

Each time the waves carry it, it rises and falls

كَأَنَّ اطِّرَادَ الْمَوْجِ فَوْقَ سَرَاتِهِ

كَأَنَّ اطِّرَادَ الْمَوْجِ فَوْقَ سَرَاتِهِ

نَعَائِمُ فِي عَرْضِ السَّمَاوَةِ جُفَّلُ

نَعَائِمُ فِي عَرْضِ السَّمَاوَةِ جُفَّلُ

As though the waves coursing over its back

As if the constant motion of the waves upon its decks

Were startled ostriches fleeing across Samawah's expanse.

Are sails billowing in the breadth of the heavens

إِذَا شَاغَبَتْهُ الرِّيحُ جَاشَ عُبَابُهُ

إِذَا شَاغَبَتْهُ الرِّيحُ جَاشَ عُبَابُهُ

وَظَلَّ أَعَالِي مَوْجِهِ يَتَجَفَّلُ

وَظَلَّ أَعَالِي مَوْجِهِ يَتَجَفَّلُ

When the wind provokes it, its billows surge,

When the winds disturb it, its foam seethes

And the crests of its waves keep rushing wildly.

And the tops of its waves cap and spray

يَهِيجُ فَيَرْغُو أَوْ يَعِجُّ كَأَنَّمَا

يَهِيجُ فَيَرْغُو أَوْ يَعِجُّ كَأَنَّمَا

تَخَبَّطَهُ مِنْ أَوْلَقِ الضِّغْنِ أَزْفَلُ

تَخَبَّطَهُ مِنْ أَوْلَقِ الضِّغْنِ أَزْفَلُ

It rages, then foams or roars, as though

It swells and then subsides as though

A horde of rancorous madness had convulsed it.

It was shaken by the breaking of the ocean swells

تَقَسَّمَهُ خُلْقَانِ لِينٌ وَشِدَّةٌ

تَقَسَّمَهُ خُلْقَانِ لِينٌ وَشِدَّةٌ

بِعَصْفَةِ رِيحٍ فَهْوَ دَاهٍ وَأَرْفَلُ

بِعَصْفَةِ رِيحٍ فَهْوَ دَاهٍ وَأَرْفَلُ

Two tempers divide it: gentleness and harshness;

Its nature divided into gentleness and violence

At a gust of wind, it is shrewd and foolish.

By a gust of wind, at times serene, and at times choppy

عَلَوْنَا مَطَاهُ وَهْوَ سَاجٍ فَمَا انْبَرَتْ

عَلَوْنَا مَطَاهُ وَهْوَ سَاجٍ فَمَا انْبَرَتْ

لَه الرِّيحُ حَتَّى ظَلَّ يَهْفُو وَيَرْفُلُ

لَه الرِّيحُ حَتَّى ظَلَّ يَهْفُو وَيَرْفُلُ

We mounted its back while it was calm; no sooner did

We mounted its crest while it was tranquil but no sooner

The wind rise against it than it began to sway and swagger.

Had the wind stirred before it began to pitch and roll

كَأَنَّا عَلَى أُرْجُوحَةٍ كُلَّمَا وَنَتْ

كَأَنَّا عَلَى أُرْجُوحَةٍ كُلَّمَا وَنَتْ

أَحَالَ عَلَيْهَا قَائِمٌ لَيْسَ يَغْفُلُ

أَحَالَ عَلَيْهَا قَائِمٌ لَيْسَ يَغْفُلُ

As though we were on a swing that, whenever it slowed,

As if we were on a swing, whenever a rider

An ever-watchful attendant set swinging again.

Boarded it, heedless of its motion

فَطَوْرَاً لَنَا فِي غَمْرَةِ اللَّجِّ مَسْبَحٌ

فَطَوْرَاً لَنَا فِي غَمْرَةِ اللَّجِّ مَسْبَحٌ

وَطَوْرَاً لَنَا بَيْنَ السِّمَاكَيْنِ مَحْفِلُ

وَطَوْرَاً لَنَا بَيْنَ السِّمَاكَيْنِ مَحْفِلُ

So at times our swimming-place lies in the sea's engulfing depths,

At times plunging us into the deep trough

And at times our gathering-place lies between the two Simak stars.

And at times lifting us between the two abysses

فَلا هُوَ إِنْ رُعْنَاهُ بِالْجِدِّ يَرْعَوِي

فَلا هُوَ إِنْ رُعْنَاهُ بِالْجِدِّ يَرْعَوِي

وَلا إِنْ سَأَلْنَاهُ الْهَوَادَةَ يَحْفِلُ

وَلا إِنْ سَأَلْنَاهُ الْهَوَادَةَ يَحْفِلُ

So it will not relent if we sternly frighten it,

It would not steady, however much we checked it

Nor does it care if we ask it for leniency.

Nor calm, however much tranquility we asked of it

عَرَوْنَا فَأَبْخَلْنَاهُ فَضْلَ حِبَائِهِ

عَرَوْنَا فَأَبْخَلْنَاهُ فَضْلَ حِبَائِهِ

وَمِنْ عَجَبٍ إِمْسَاكُهُ وَهُوَ نَوْفَلُ

وَمِنْ عَجَبٍ إِمْسَاكُهُ وَهُوَ نَوْفَلُ

We came seeking bounty and found it grudging its abundant gifts;

We roamed it, our shares of its bounty withheld

And strange is its withholding, though it is a bountiful giver.

And strangely, it kept its abundance though plenteous

قَلِيلٌ عَلَى عَهْدِ الإِخَاءِ ثَبَاتُهُ

قَلِيلٌ عَلَى عَهْدِ الإِخَاءِ ثَبَاتُهُ

فَأَسْفَلُهُ عَالٍ وَعَالِيهِ سَافِلُ

فَأَسْفَلُهُ عَالٍ وَعَالِيهِ سَافِلُ

Scant is its faithfulness to the covenant of brotherhood;

Fleeting is its constancy in brotherly accord

So its bottom is high, and its top is low.

Its top is low, and its bottom is high

إِذَا حَرَّكَتْهُ غَضْبَةٌ مَاتَ حِلْمُهُ

إِذَا حَرَّكَتْهُ غَضْبَةٌ مَاتَ حِلْمُهُ

وَظَلَّ عَلَى أَضْيَافِهِ يَتَأَفَّلُ

وَظَلَّ عَلَى أَضْيَافِهِ يَتَأَفَّلُ

When a fit of anger stirs it, its forbearance dies,

When angered, its patience dies

And it keeps raging at its guests.

And it remains imposing upon its guests

شَدِيدُ الْحُمَيَّا يَرْهَبُ النَّاسُ بَطْشَهُ

شَدِيدُ الْحُمَيَّا يَرْهَبُ النَّاسُ بَطْشَهُ

وَلَكِنَّهُ مِنْ نَفْخَةِ الرِّيحِ يُجْفِلُ

وَلَكِنَّهُ مِنْ نَفْخَةِ الرِّيحِ يُجْفِلُ

Fierce in fury, people dread its violence,

Fierce in zeal, people dread its might

Yet it takes fright at a puff of wind.

Yet it is dispersed by a puff of wind

كَأَنَّ أَعَالِي الْمَوْجِ عِهْنٌ مُشَعَّثٌ

كَأَنَّ أَعَالِي الْمَوْجِ عِهْنٌ مُشَعَّثٌ

بِهِ وَانْحِدَارَ السَّيْحِ شَعْرٌ مُفَلْفَلُ

بِهِ وَانْحِدَارَ السَّيْحِ شَعْرٌ مُفَلْفَلُ

As though the wave crests were tousled wool

As if the towering waves are disheveled hair

Upon it, and the cascading water were tightly curled hair.

Streaming with it, while the descending spray is tousled curls

ذَكَرْنَا بِهِ مَا قَدْ مَضَى مِنْ ذُنُوبِنَا

ذَكَرْنَا بِهِ مَا قَدْ مَضَى مِنْ ذُنُوبِنَا

وَفِي النَّاسِ إِنْ لَمْ يَرْحَمِ اللَّهُ غُفَّلُ

وَفِي النَّاسِ إِنْ لَمْ يَرْحَمِ اللَّهُ غُفَّلُ

Through it we remembered our past sins,

We recalled our past sins

And among people are the heedless, unless God shows mercy.

And lacking God's mercy, all people are negligent

وَكَيْفَ تُرَانَا صَانِعِينَ وَكُلُّنَا

وَكَيْفَ تُرَانَا صَانِعِينَ وَكُلُّنَا

بِقَارُورَةٍ صَمَّاءَ وَالْبَابُ مُقْفَلُ

بِقَارُورَةٍ صَمَّاءَ وَالْبَابُ مُقْفَلُ

And what do you think we could do, when all of us

What can we do, when we are all

Were in a sealed flask, with the door locked?

In a sealed urn with a locked door?

فَلا تَبْتَئِسْ إِنْ فَاتَ حَظٌّ فَرُبَّمَا

فَلا تَبْتَئِسْ إِنْ فَاتَ حَظٌّ فَرُبَّمَا

أَضَاءَتْ مَصَابِيحُ الدُّجَى وَهْيَ أُفَّلُ

أَضَاءَتْ مَصَابِيحُ الدُّجَى وَهْيَ أُفَّلُ

So do not grieve if fortune slips away, for sometimes

So do not despair if fortune misses you

The lamps of darkness shine even as they set.

For the lamps of dusk may yet illuminate when darkened

فَقَدْ يَبْرَأُ الدَّاءُ الْعُضَالُ وَيَنْجَلِي

فَقَدْ يَبْرَأُ الدَّاءُ الْعُضَالُ وَيَنْجَلِي

ضَبَابُ الرَّزَايَا وَالْمُسَافِرُ يَقْفُلُ

ضَبَابُ الرَّزَايَا وَالْمُسَافِرُ يَقْفُلُ

For an intractable illness may be cured, and there may be a clearing

Disease may yet be cured and adversity dispelled

Of the fog of calamities, and the traveler may return home.

The fog of sins may lift and the traveler return

وَكَيْفَ يَخَافُ الْمَرْءُ حَيْفَاً وَرَبُّهُ

وَكَيْفَ يَخَافُ الْمَرْءُ حَيْفَاً وَرَبُّهُ

بِأَحْسَن مَا يَرْجُو مِنَ الرِّزْقِ يَكْفُلُ

بِأَحْسَن مَا يَرْجُو مِنَ الرِّزْقِ يَكْفُلُ

And how can a man fear injustice, when his Lord

How can one fear injustice when one's Lord

Guarantees him the best sustenance he hopes for?

Guarantees the best of livelihoods one hopes for?