غَداhas become رَمَضانيmy Ramadan لَيسَis not عَنّيfor me بِمُنقَضٍcoming to an end
غَدا رَمَضاني لَيسَ عَنّي بِمُنقَضٍ
وَكُلُّand all زَمانيmy time لَيلَتَيthe two nights of آخِرِthe end of الشَهرِthe month
وَكُلُّ زَماني لَيلَتَي آخِرِ الشَهرِ
Tomorrow, my Ramadan will still not be over for me;
My Ramadan has become unending for me,
all my lifetime is my night at the month’s end.
And all my time is the month's last two nights.
أَرومُI seek خَلاصاًdeliverance مِنfrom قَضاءٍa decree of fate مُسَلَّطٍimposed
أَرومُ خَلاصاً مِن قَضاءٍ مُسَلَّطٍ
عَلَيَّupon me تَوَخّىdeliberately targeted قاهِرَthe subduer of الناسِpeople بِالقَهرِwith subjugation
عَلَيَّ تَوَخّى قاهِرَ الناسِ بِالقَهرِ
I seek deliverance from an overpowering decree,
I seek deliverance from a fate imposed
deliberately aimed against me by mankind’s Subduer, through sheer force.
Upon me, which has sought to subdue the subduer of men.
رَمىit pelted آلَthe family of صَخرٍSakhr بِالصُخورِwith rocks وَجَروَلاًand Jarwal
رَمى آلَ صَخرٍ بِالصُخورِ وَجَروَلاً
بِهَضبٍwith rocky hills وَأَلقىand it cast الراسِياتِthe firmly rooted mountains عَلىupon فِهرِFihr
بِهَضبٍ وَأَلقى الراسِياتِ عَلى فِهرِ
He struck the house of Ṣakhr with rocks—and Jarwal
It pelted the family of Sakhr with rocks, and Jarwal
with crags—and hurled the rooted mountains upon Fihr.
With rocky hills, and cast firmly rooted mountains upon Fihr.
وَلَوand even if طارَflew جِبريلٌGabriel بَقِيَّةَthe remainder of عُمرِهِhis life
وَلَو طارَ جِبريلٌ بَقِيَّةَ عُمرِهِ
عَنِaway from الدَهرِtime ماnot اِسطاعَcould الخُروجَescape مِنَfrom الدَهرِtime
عَنِ الدَهرِ ما اِسطاعَ الخُروجَ مِنَ الدَهرِ
Even if Gabriel were to fly for the rest of his life
And even if Gabriel flew for the rest of his life
away from Time, he could not escape from Time.
Away from time, he could not escape time.
وَقَدand indeed زَعَمواthey claimed الأَفلاكَthe celestial spheres يُدرِكُهاovertakes them البِلىdecay
وَقَد زَعَموا الأَفلاكَ يُدرِكُها البِلى
فَإِنso if كانَit is حَقّاًtrue فَالنَجاسَةُthen impurity كَالطُهرِlike purity
فَإِن كانَ حَقّاً فَالنَجاسَةُ كَالطُهرِ
They have claimed that decay overtakes the celestial spheres;
And they have claimed that decay overtakes the celestial spheres;
if that is true, impurity is no different from purity.
So if that is true, then impurity is like purity.
وَأَمّاand as for الَّذيthat which لاno رَيبَdoubt فيهِabout it لِعاقِلٍfor a rational person
وَأَمّا الَّذي لا رَيبَ فيهِ لِعاقِلٍ
فَغَدرُthen the treachery of اللَياليthe nights بِالظَلامِيَّةِtoward the night-dwelling stars الزُهرِthe radiant ones
فَغَدرُ اللَيالي بِالظَلامِيَّةِ الزُهرِ
But what no rational person can doubt
And as for what no rational person can doubt,
is the nights’ betrayal of the radiant dwellers in darkness.
It is the nights' betrayal of the radiant stars of darkness.
وَإِنand if صَحَّis true أَنَّthat النَيِّراتِthe luminaries مُحِسَّةٌsentient
وَإِن صَحَّ أَنَّ النَيِّراتِ مُحِسَّةٌ
فَماذاwhat, then نُكِرتُمyou found strange مِنin وِدادٍaffection وَمِنand in صِهرِkinship by marriage
فَماذا نُكِرتُم مِن وِدادٍ وَمِن صِهرِ
And if it is true that the luminous bodies were created,
And if it is true that the luminaries are sentient,
why should we care about affection or kinship by marriage?
What, then, have you found strange in affection and marriage ties?
لَعَلَّperhaps سُهَيلاًSuhayl وَهوَand he is فَحلُa breeding male كَواكِبٍstars
لَعَلَّ سُهَيلاً وَهوَ فَحلُ كَواكِبٍ
تَزَوَّجَmarried بِنتاًa daughter لِلسَماكِof al-Simak عَلىfor مَهرِa bridal dower
تَزَوَّجَ بِنتاً لِلسَماكِ عَلى مَهرِ
Perhaps Canopus—the stallion among the stars—
Perhaps Suhayl, who is a stud among the stars,
married a daughter of al-Simāk for a dowry.
Has married a daughter of al-Simak for a bridal dower.
يَقولونَthey say تَأتيthey do فَوقَناabove us مِثلَthe like of ماwhat أَتىdid
يَقولونَ تَأتي فَوقَنا مِثلَ ما أَتى
بَنوthe sons of الأَرضِthe earth فيin حالِa state of السِرارِsecrecy أَوِor الجَهرِopenness
بَنو الأَرضِ في حالِ السِرارِ أَوِ الجَهرِ
They say that she acts above us just as
They say they do above us just what was done
Earth’s children do, whether secretly or openly.
By the sons of earth, in secret or openly.
فَياso, oh لَيتَwould that شِعريmy knowledge هَلwhether تُراعُthey are frightened مِنَby الرَدىdeath
فَيا لَيتَ شِعري هَل تُراعُ مِنَ الرَدى
وَتَركَعُand they bow نُسكاًin worship بِالعِشاءِin the evening وَبِالظُهرِand at noon
وَتَركَعُ نُسكاً بِالعِشاءِ وَبِالظُهرِ
Oh, would that I knew: does she fear death,
Oh, if only I knew: do they dread death,
and bow in worship at evening and at noon?
And bow in worship in the evening and at noon,
وَتَكذِبُand they lie إِنَّindeed المَينَfalsehood فيamong آلِthe descendants of آدَمٍAdam
وَتَكذِبُ إِنَّ المَينَ في آلِ آدَمٍ
غَرائِزُinnate dispositions جاءَتcame بِالنِفاقِwith hypocrisy وَبِالعِهرِand with sexual immorality
غَرائِزُ جاءَت بِالنِفاقِ وَبِالعِهرِ
And does she lie? Indeed, the falsehoods among Adam’s race are
And lie? For falsehood among Adam's descendants
ingrained instincts that have brought forth hypocrisy and lechery.
Is a set of instincts that have brought hypocrisy and sexual immorality.
