لَمّا رَأَيتَ الأَرضَ قَد سُدَّ ظَهرُها
وَلَم تَرَ إِلّا بَطنَها لَكَ مَخرَجا
When you saw that the earth's back had been barred,
When you saw the earth had closed its back
and saw no way out for yourself except through its belly,
And found no escape save its belly as your way out
دَعَوتَ الَّذي ناداهُ يونُسُ بَعدَما
ثَوى في ثَلاثٍ مُظلِماتٍ فَفَرَّجا
you called upon the One whom Jonah called after
You called on Him whom Jonah called when he resided
he dwelt in three dark places, and He brought relief.
In three darknesses, so He brought relief
فَأَصبَحتَ تَحتَ الأَرضَ قَد سَرتَ لَيلَةً
وَما سارَ سارٍ مِثلَها حينَ أَدلَجا
So morning found you beneath the earth, having traveled for a night,
Thus you spent a night traveling under the earth
and no night-traveler ever journeyed its like when setting out in darkness.
None has traveled a night like it once darkened
هُما ظُلمَتا لَيلٍ وَأَرضٍ تَلاقَتا
عَلى جامِحٍ مِن أَمرِهِ ما تَعَرَّجا
They were the two darknesses of night and earth, which met
Two darknesses of night and earth converged
over one rushing headlong, never swerving from his purpose.
Upon one distraught with his matter, not twisting and winding
خَرَجتَ وَلَم يَمنُن عَلَيكَ طَلاقَةً
سِوى رَبِذِ التَقريبِ مِن آلِ أَعوَجا
You emerged, and none bestowed freedom upon you
You emerged when none had granted you nimbleness
save a steed swift at the short gallop, of A'waj's line.
Except the saddle of the one who drew near, of crooked lineage
أَغَرَّ مِنَ الحُوِّ الجِيادِ إِذا جَرى
جَرى جَريَ عُريانِ القَرا غَيرِ أَفحَجا
White-blazed among the fine dark-coated steeds, when he ran,
Swifter than stallions when they race
he ran like a lean-backed steed, not bow-legged.
Racing like the naked, unshod mares without ankle rings
جَرى بِكَ عُريانُ الحَماتَينِ لَيلَةً
بِها عَنكَ راخى اللَهُ ما كانَ أَشنَجا
The lean-shanked steed galloped with you through a night
The naked, unshod mares of the two camps ran with you one night
in which God loosened for you what had been drawn tight.
When Allah slackened from you what had been stringent
وَما اِحتالَ مُحتالٌ كَحيلَتِهِ الَّتي
بِها نَفسَهُ تَحتَ الضَريحَةِ أَولَجا
And no schemer devised a stratagem like his, by which
No plotter has plotted like His plot
he brought himself beneath the burial pit.
By which He hid himself under the bier
وَظَلماءَ تَحتَ الأَرضِ قَد خُضتَ هَولَها
وَلَيلٍ كَلَونِ الطَيلَسانِيِّ أَدعَجا
And a darkness beneath the earth—you waded through its terror—
And you waded through the darkness beneath the earth
and a night pitch-black as the color of a taylasan cloak.
And a night the color of dark blue wool, jet black
Sol 6.1