أَلِاَنَnow عَلِمتُI learned أَنَّthat البَعثَresurrection حَقٌّtrue
أَلِاَنَ عَلِمتُ أَنَّ البَعثَ حَقٌّ
وَأَنَّand that اللَهَGod يَفعَلُdoes ماwhatever يَشاءُHe wills
وَأَنَّ اللَهَ يَفعَلُ ما يَشاءُ
Now I know that resurrection is true,
and that God does whatever He wills.
رَأَيتُI saw الخَثعَمِيَّal-Khath‘ami يُقِلُّbears أَنفاًa nose
رَأَيتُ الخَثعَمِيَّ يُقِلُّ أَنفاً
يَضيقُis too narrow بِعَرضِهِfor its breadth البَلَدُthe land الفَضاءُwide-open
يَضيقُ بِعَرضِهِ البَلَدُ الفَضاءُ
I saw al-Khath‘ami bearing a nose
for whose breadth the wide-open land is too narrow.
سَماrose high صَعُداًupward فَقَصَّرَso fell short كُلُّevery سامٍlofty thing
سَما صَعُداً فَقَصَّرَ كُلُّ سامٍ
لِهَيبَتِهِin awe of it وَغَصَّand choked بِهِon it الهَواءُthe air
لِهَيبَتِهِ وَغَصَّ بِهِ الهَواءُ
It soared upward, so every lofty thing fell short
in awe of it, and the air choked on it.
هُوَit الجَبَلُthe mountain الَّذيwhich لَولاwere it not for ذُراهُits peaks
هُوَ الجَبَلُ الَّذي لَولا ذُراهُ
إِذاًthen وَقَعَتwould have fallen عَلىupon الأَرضِthe earth السَماءُthe sky
إِذاً وَقَعَت عَلى الأَرضِ السَماءُ
It is the mountain—were it not for its peaks,
then the sky would have fallen upon the earth.