شهرُ القيام وإن عظمت حرْمَته

شهرُ القيام وإن عظمت حرْمَته

شهرٌ طويلٌ ثقيلُ الظلّ والحركَهْ

شهرٌ طويلٌ ثقيلُ الظلّ والحركَهْ

The month of night prayer, though great is its sanctity,

The month of rising though mighty is its sanctity

Is a long month, heavy of shadow and sluggish in movement.

A long month, heavy is its shade and movement

يمشي الهُوَيْنا وأمَّا حين يَطْلِبُنا

يمشي الهُوَيْنا وأمَّا حين يَطْلِبُنا

فلا السُّلَيْكُ يدانيه ولا السُّلَكَهْ

فلا السُّلَيْكُ يدانيه ولا السُّلَكَهْ

It walks ever so slowly; but when it pursues us,

It walks slowly while when it seeks us

Neither al-Sulayk nor al-Sulakah can match it.

Neither the fast horse nor the racing camel can match it

كأنه طالبٌ ثأراً على فرسٍ

كأنه طالبٌ ثأراً على فرسٍ

أجدَّ في إثر مطلوبٍ على رَمَكَهْ

أجدَّ في إثر مطلوبٍ على رَمَكَهْ

As though it were a seeker of vengeance riding a horse,

As if it were a avenger against a horse

Pressing hard after a quarry riding a mare.

That strove hard after a sought prey at full gallop

أذمُّهُ غيرَ وقتٍ فيه أحمدُهُ

أذمُّهُ غيرَ وقتٍ فيه أحمدُهُ

منذُ العِشاءِ إليهِ أن تسقَعَ الدِّيَكَهْ

منذُ العِشاءِ إليهِ أن تسقَعَ الدِّيَكَهْ

I blame it, except for a time within it when I praise it:

I blame it though not a time wherein I praise it

From nightfall until the roosters crow.

From nightfall to the crowing of the cock

وكيف أحمدُ أوقاتاَ مذممّةً

وكيف أحمدُ أوقاتاَ مذممّةً

بين الدُّؤوب وبين الجوع مشتركَهْ

بين الدُّؤوب وبين الجوع مشتركَهْ

And how can I praise blameworthy hours,

And how can I praise hated times

Shared between ceaseless toil and hunger?

Between lasting and hunger it is shared

يا صدقَ من قال أيامٌ مباركةٌ

يا صدقَ من قال أيامٌ مباركةٌ

إن كان يكنى عن اسم الطول بالبركَهْ

إن كان يكنى عن اسم الطول بالبركَهْ

How truthful the one who said, 'Blessed days'—

Oh truth of him who said blessed days

If 'blessing' was his byword for 'length'!

If by its length the name blessing is implied

لو كان عمري طريقاً ما لقيتُ به

لو كان عمري طريقاً ما لقيتُ به

إلا الصيامَ وإلا شهرهُ نبكَهْ

إلا الصيامَ وإلا شهرهُ نبكَهْ

Were my life a road, I would find on it nothing

If my life were a road I would have met in it

But fasting and its month—a hillock.

Only fasting or the month, weeping

شهرٌ كأنّ وقوعي فيه مِنْ قلقي

شهرٌ كأنّ وقوعي فيه مِنْ قلقي

وسوءِ حالي وقوعُ الحوتِ في الشَّبكَهْ

وسوءِ حالي وقوعُ الحوتِ في الشَّبكَهْ

A month: my falling into it, in my agitation

A month as if my falling into it from my anxiety

And wretched state, is like a fish falling into a net.

And ill state were the falling of the whale into the net

لو كان مولىً وكنا كالعبيد له

لو كان مولىً وكنا كالعبيد له

لكان مولىً بخيلاً سَيِّئَ الملَكَهْ

لكان مولىً بخيلاً سَيِّئَ الملَكَهْ

Were it a master, and we like slaves to him,

If it were a master and we were its slaves

It would be a miserly master, harsh in his treatment.

It would be a miserly master, evil in ownership

قد كاد لولا دفاعُ اللَّهُ يُسلِمُنا

قد كاد لولا دفاعُ اللَّهُ يُسلِمُنا

إلى الرَّدى ويُؤدينا إلى الهَلَكَهْ

إلى الرَّدى ويُؤدينا إلى الهَلَكَهْ

It nearly handed us over—save for God's protection—

By God's defence it almost

To death, and led us to destruction.

Delivered us to perdition and caused us to perish