ياO ليلةnight سميتهاI named it ليلتيmy night
يا ليلة سميتها ليلتي
لأنهاbecause it بالناسover people ماnot مرتpassed
لأنها بالناس ما مرت
O night I named my night,
O night that I named "my night,"
for such a night had never before passed over humankind:
because it had never passed over anyone else.
الموتdeath عجلانhastening إلىtoward ولدىmy son
الموت عجلان إلى ولدى
والوضعand childbirth مستعصintractable علىfor زوجتيmy wife
والوضع مستعص على زوجتي
death was hastening toward my son,
Death was hastening toward my son,
while childbirth proved intractable for my wife.
and childbirth was proving difficult for my wife.
هذاthis فتىa young man يُبكىis mourned علىover موتهhis death
هذا فتى يُبكى على موته
وهذهand this one فيat أوّلthe beginning of النشأةlife
وهذه في أوّل النشأة
Here, a young man is mourned in death,
This was a young man whose death would be mourned,
and here, a girl at the first dawn of life;
and this girl was at the very beginning of life.
والقلبand the heart ماemphatic particle بينهماbetween them both حائرbewildered
والقلب ما بينهما حائر
منfrom بلدةa town يسرىtravels by night إلىto بلدةa town
من بلدة يسرى إلى بلدة
and the heart, bewildered between the two,
And the heart was bewildered between the two,
is borne by night from one town to another.
journeying by night from one town to another,
حتىuntil أتىcame الصبحdawn فولىthen departed أبيmy father
حتى أتى الصبح فولى أبي
وأقبلتand arrived بعدafter العناءthe hardship إبنتيmy daughter
وأقبلت بعد العناء إبنتي
Until morning came and my father passed away,
until dawn came and my father departed,
and after the travail, my daughter arrived.
and after the ordeal my daughter arrived.
فقلتso I said أحكامكYour decrees حرناwe were bewildered لهاby them
فقلت أحكامك حرنا لها
ياO مخرجbringer forth of الحىّthe living منfrom الميتthe dead
يا مخرج الحىّ من الميت
Then I said: “Before Your decrees, we stand bewildered,
So I said, "Your decrees have bewildered us,
O You who bring forth the living from the dead.”
O You who bring the living forth from the dead!"
