ما(locative emphasis) بينbetween نارٍa fire وبحرٍand a sea خُيِّرَwere given a choice الشعبُthe people
ما بين نارٍ وبحرٍ خُيِّرَ الشعبُ
إمّاeither احتراقًاburning بهاin it أوغرقًاor drowning فيهِin it
إمّا احتراقًا بها أوغرقًا فيهِ
Between a fire and a sea, the people were given a choice:
The people were given a choice between fire and sea
Either to burn in the fire or drown in the sea.
To be burned by it or drowned within
والموتُand death طالَgrew long انتظارُهُits wait علىat الحدِّthe boundary
والموتُ طالَ انتظارُهُ على الحدِّ
حتىuntil يقررَdecides شعبٌa people شاخgrew old فيin التيهِwandering
حتى يقررَ شعبٌ شاخ في التيهِ
And death has waited long at the boundary,
And death waited patiently to decide
Until a people grown old in wandering decides.
Until an aged people lost in the wasteland
ألّاthat ... not تُعجِّلَyou hasten أمرًاa matter أيُّهاO الشعبُthe people
ألّا تُعجِّلَ أمرًا أيُّها الشعبُ
للبحرِfor the sea عمرٌa lifespan وعمرُهاand its lifespan يُدانيهِnearly matches it
للبحرِ عمرٌ وعمرُها يُدانيهِ
Do not rush matters, O people;
Do not hasten anything, O people
The sea has a lifespan, and the fire's nearly matches it.
The sea has a lifetime that matches it
فالنارُfor the fire منfrom فوقهاabove it ماءٌwater سيُفنيهاwill destroy it
فالنارُ من فوقها ماءٌ سيُفنيها
والبحرُand the sea منfrom تحتهِbeneath it نارٌfire ستفنيهِwill destroy it
والبحرُ من تحتهِ نارٌ ستفنيهِ
For above the fire is water that will destroy it,
For above the fire is water that will extinguish it
And beneath the sea is fire that will destroy it.
And beneath the sea is fire that will destroy it
وربَّماand perhaps استعجلاthe two hastened اللقاءthe meeting فالظّلمُfor oppression
وربَّما استعجلا اللقاء فالظّلمُ
إنْif خاصمَquarreled with بعضَهpart of itself لاno شيءَthing يَثنيهِdeters it
إنْ خاصمَ بعضَه لا شيءَ يَثنيهِ
And perhaps the two will hasten their meeting; for oppression—
And perhaps they rushed to meet and injustice
If it turns against itself—nothing can deter it.
When one struggles against the other nothing stops it
عسىmay it be إذاwhen التقياthe two meet أنْthat ينطفيgo out الجمرُthe embers
عسى إذا التقيا أنْ ينطفي الجمرُ
ويصبحَand become البحرُthe sea دخّاناsmoke يُغطّيهِcovers it
ويصبحَ البحرُ دخّانا يُغطّيهِ
May the embers die out when the two meet,
Maybe when they meet the embers will die out
And the sea become smoke that covers them.
And the sea will become smoke covering it
ماnot أجّجstoked النارَthe fire يعقوبُYaqub ولاnor عاثwreaked havoc
ما أجّج النارَ يعقوبُ ولا عاث
بالبحرِin the sea إلّاexcept لأنّbecause ذاكthat يُنجيهِsaves him
بالبحرِ إلّا لأنّ ذاك يُنجيهِ
Yaqub did not stoke the fire, nor wreak havoc
Jacob did not stir up the fire nor wreak havoc
In the sea, except because that saves him.
In the sea, only so he could save himself from it
Sol 6.1