غشيdescended الليلthe night أمor جلاcleared away؟
غشي الليل أم جلا؟
لستI do not أدريknow بماof what تلاfollowed
لست أدري بما تلا
Did night descend, or clear away?
Has the night overwhelmed, or has it cleared away?
I do not know what followed.
I know not what has followed in its wake.
قدalready مضىpassed العامthe year مدبراdeparting
قد مضى العام مدبرا
وأتىand came العامthe year مقبلاapproaching
وأتى العام مقبلا
The year has passed, departing,
The year has passed, turning its back to flee,
and the year has come, approaching.
And the new year has come, approaching steadily.
وهوىand fell العامthe year كوكباas a star
وهوى العام كوكبا
بشرارwith sparks مذيلاgiven a tail
بشرار مذيلا
And the year fell like a star,
The year has plummeted like a falling star,
trailing sparks behind it.
Trailing a tail of scattered sparks.
ساءdid ill مساءill-doing فيat الأخيـthe end (partial word)
ساء مساء في الأخيـ
ـرcompletion of 'the end'، وأنand though سرpleased أولاat first
ـر، وأن سر أولا
It did grievous ill at the
It brought misery in its final days,
end, though it pleased at first.
Though it brought joy when it first began.
جدwas new كالثوبlike a garment واعتراand overtook
جد كالثوب واعترا
هـit علىupon اللابسthe wearer البلىwear and tear
هـ على اللابس البلى
It was new as a garment, and was overtaken
It was new like a fresh garment, then decay
by wear upon its wearer.
Seized it upon the wearer, tearing it to shreds.
وسقىand gave drink to الناسthe people غبafter حلـsweetness (partial word)
وسقى الناس غب حلـ
ـواهits sweetness (word completion) سماpoison فجدلاso it felled them
ـواه سما فجدلا
And after its sweetness it gave the people
And it gave the people, after its initial sweetness,
poison to drink, and felled them.
A poison that struck them dead to the ground.
مجملthe gist القولof the statement أنهthat it
مجمل القول أنه
كانwas حولاa year محولاbarren
كان حولا محولا
The gist is that it
The sum of the matter is that it was
was a barren year.
A year of barren desolation.
أيهاO العامyear سؤتyou did ill فيـamong
أيها العام سؤت فيـ
ـناus مقاماin staying ومرحلاand in departing
ـنا مقاما ومرحلا
O year, you did ill among
O year, you were wretched in your stay among us,
us, in staying and departing.
Both in your residence and in your departure.
لمnot تكنyou were مجملاbenevolent فخذso take
لم تكن مجملا فخذ
عنيfrom me العتبthe reproach مجملاin brief
عني العتب مجملا
You did no good; so take
You were not gracious, so receive from me now
from me this reproach in brief.
This blame, delivered in its entirety.
أناI بالرغمin spite منكof you لمdid not
أنا بالرغم منك لم
أنوintend إلاexcept التحملاpatient endurance
أنو إلا التحملا
I, despite you, did not
I, despite your malice, did not intend
intend anything but patient endurance.
Anything other than steadfast endurance.
علperhaps فيin عامناour year الجدthe new (partial word)
عل في عامنا الجد
يدcompletion of 'the new' مفازاdeliverance مؤملاhoped-for
يد مفازا مؤملا
Perhaps in our new
Perhaps in this, our new year, there lies
year lies a hoped-for deliverance.
A hoped-for triumph and escape.
جلexalted is منHe who ركبfashioned ابنthe son of آAdam (partial name)
جل من ركب ابن آ
دمcompletion of 'Adam' جسماa body وعدلاand proportioned him
دم جسما وعدلا
Exalted is He who fashioned the son of
Exalted is He who composed the son of Adam,
Adam in bodily form and gave him due proportion.
Fashioning his body and balancing his form.
برأcreated العقلthe intellect جوهراan essence
برأ العقل جوهرا
بالمعانيwith meanings موكلاentrusted
بالمعاني موكلا
He created the intellect as an essence,
He created the intellect as a pure essence,
entrusted with meanings,
Entrusted with the grasp of deep meanings.
وطوىand concealed الغيبthe unseen دونهbeyond its reach
وطوى الغيب دونه
فتقفىso it pursued وأولاand interpreted
فتقفى وأولا
and concealed the unseen from it;
Yet He veiled the Unseen from his sight,
so it pursued and interpreted.
So man tracks traces and interprets signs.
غمwas obscure تدبيرهHis design علىto
غم تدبيره على
كلevery عبدservant وأشكلاand was perplexing
كل عبد وأشكلا
His design was obscure to
His divine planning remains obscured from
every servant, and hard to fathom.
Every servant, appearing ambiguous and dark.
أيهاO الزائرvisitor الذيwho
أيها الزائر الذي
لاnot أرىI see عنهaway from him معدلاa way of escape
لا أرى عنه معدلا
O visitor whom
O visitor, from whom I see
I see no way to avoid,
No path of avoidance or escape,
إنif تصناyou protect us فمرحباthen welcome
إن تصنا فمرحبا
أوor تنكلyou torment بنافلاupon us—then no welcome
أو تنكل بنافلا
if you protect us, welcome;
If you protect us, then you are welcome,
or, if you torment us, no welcome.
But if you bring torment, then begone!
Sol 6.1