نطيحُwe fall وَلاand not نُطيقُwe can دِفاعَwarding off أَمرٍa decree
نطيحُ وَلا نُطيقُ دِفاعَ أَمرٍ
فَكَيفَso how يَروعُناdoes it frighten us الغاديthe one coming in the morning النَطيحُthe creature approaching head-on (an omen)
فَكَيفَ يَروعُنا الغادي النَطيحُ
We fall, and cannot ward off fate;
so how can the creature approaching head-on in the morning frighten us?
وَلَمand not يَكُwas أَهلُthe people of خَيبَرَKhaybar أَهلَpossessors of خُبرٍknowledge
وَلَم يَكُ أَهلُ خَيبَرَ أَهلَ خُبرٍ
بِماof what لاقىbefell السَلالِمُal-Salālim وَالوَطيحُand al-Waṭīḥ
بِما لاقى السَلالِمُ وَالوَطيحُ
Nor did the people of Khaybar have knowledge
of what befell al-Salālim and al-Waṭīḥ.
وَجَدتُI found الغَيبَthe unseen تَجهَلُهُare ignorant of it البَراياcreatures
وَجَدتُ الغَيبَ تَجهَلُهُ البَرايا
فَماso what is شِقٌShiqq هُديتَmay you be guided وَماand what is سَطيحُSaṭīḥ
فَما شِقٌ هُديتَ وَما سَطيحُ
I found that creatures are ignorant of the unseen;
so what is Shiqq—may you be guided—and what is Saṭīḥ?