أَلَصُبحُthe dawn أَصبَحُbright وَالظَلاand the darkness (continued)
أَلَصُبحُ أَصبَحُ وَالظَلا
مُend of 'darkness' كَماas تَراهُyou see it أَحَمُّcoal-black حالِكpitch-dark
مُ كَما تَراهُ أَحَمُّ حالِك
Dawn is bright, and darkness,
as you see it, is coal-black, pitch-dark.
يَتَبارَيانِthey both vie وَيَسلُكاand they both tread (continued)
يَتَبارَيانِ وَيَسلُكا
نِdual ending of 'they tread' إِلىtoward الوَرىhumankind ضيقَnarrowness of المَسالِكthe paths
نِ إِلى الوَرى ضيقَ المَسالِك
They vie with each other and tread
narrow paths toward humankind.
أَسَدانِtwo lions يَفتَرِسانِthey both prey upon مَنwhomever
أَسَدانِ يَفتَرِسانِ مَن
مَرّاthey both passed بِهِby him فَأَبَهso take heed لِذالِكof that
مَرّا بِهِ فَأَبَه لِذالِك
Two lions, devouring whomever
they pass by—so take heed of that.
حَمَلاthey both transferred المَمالِكَthe kingdoms عَنowing to رِدىًruin
حَمَلا المَمالِكَ عَن رِدىً
قاضٍdeath-dealing إِلىto خانٍa khan وَآلِكand an Alik
قاضٍ إِلى خانٍ وَآلِك
They transferred kingdoms through ruin
that deals death, to a khan and an Alik.
أَودىit destroyed المُلوكَthe kings عَلىdespite اِحتِراvigilance (continued)
أَودى المُلوكَ عَلى اِحتِرا
سِهِمُtheir (with the end of 'vigilance') وَلمand did not تَبقَremain المَمالِكthe kingdoms
سِهِمُ وَلم تَبقَ المَمالِك
It destroyed kings despite their vigilance,
and the kingdoms did not endure.
لاlet … not يَكذِبَنَّlie (emphatic) مُؤَجَّلٌone granted a reprieve
لا يَكذِبَنَّ مُؤَجَّلٌ
ماno سالِمٌone unharmed إِلّاexcept كَهالِكlike one doomed
ما سالِمٌ إِلّا كَهالِك
Let no one granted a reprieve lie:
No one safe is any different from one doomed.
ياO رَضوَRidwan (shortened vocative) لاnot أَرجوI hope for لِقاmeeting (continued)
يا رَضوَ لا أَرجو لِقا
أَكَyou (completes 'meeting you') بَلbut rather أَخافَI fear لِقاءَmeeting مالِكMalik
أَكَ بَل أَخافَ لِقاءَ مالِك
O Ridwan, I do not hope to meet
you; rather, I fear meeting Malik.