غربانَravens أَغماتَAghmat لاnot تَعدَمْنَmay you lack طَيّبةًa pleasant night
غربانَ أَغماتَ لا تَعدَمْنَ طَيّبةً
مِنَamong اللَياليthe nights وَأفناناًand branches مِنof الشَجرِthe trees
مِنَ اللَيالي وَأفناناً مِن الشَجرِ
Ravens of Aghmat, may you never lack a pleasant
night, or branches of trees
تُظِلّshade زُغبَdowny فِراخٍchicks تَستَكِنُّtake shelter بِهاin them
تُظِلّ زُغبَ فِراخٍ تَستَكِنُّ بِها
مِنَfrom الحَرورِscorching heat وَتَكفيهاand shield them from أَذىthe harm المطرِof rain
مِنَ الحَرورِ وَتَكفيها أَذى المطرِ
that shade downy chicks sheltering in them
from scorching heat, and shield them from the harm of rain.
كَماjust as نعبتُنَّyou cawed ليfor me بالفألِwith a good omen يُعجِبُنيthat delights me
كَما نعبتُنَّ لي بالفألِ يُعجِبُني
مُخبِّراتٍannouncing بِهِthrough it عَنabout أَطيَبِthe best الخبرِnews
مُخبِّراتٍ بِهِ عَن أَطيَبِ الخبرِ
Just as you cawed for me with an omen that delights me,
announcing through it the very best of news:
أَنَّthat النُجومَthe stars الَّتيwhich غابَتhad set قَدalready اِقتَرَبَتhave drawn near
أَنَّ النُجومَ الَّتي غابَت قَد اِقتَرَبَت
مَنّاto us مَطالِعُهاtheir risings تَسريjourney by night إِلىtoward القَمَرِthe moon
مَنّا مَطالِعُها تَسري إِلى القَمَرِ
that the stars which had set have drawn near
to us in their rising, journeying by night toward the moon.
عَليَّI am bound إِنif صَدّقmakes true الرَحمانُthe All-Merciful ماwhat زَعمَتthey claimed
عَليَّ إِن صَدّق الرَحمانُ ما زَعمَت
أَلّاthat not يُرَوَّعنَthey be frightened مِنby قَوسيmy bow وَلاnor وَتَريmy bowstring
أَلّا يُرَوَّعنَ مِن قَوسي وَلا وَتَري
I pledge, if the All-Merciful makes their claim come true,
that neither my bow nor my bowstring shall frighten them.
وَاللَهِby God وَاللهِby God لاnot نفَّرتُI frighten away اقعَهاits perching birds (text unclear)
وَاللَهِ وَاللهِ لا نفَّرتُ اقعَها
وَلاnor تَطَيَّرَتِbe deemed ill omens الغِربانُthe ravens بِالعوَرِwith one-eyedness
وَلا تَطَيَّرَتِ الغِربانُ بِالعوَرِ
By God, by God, I shall never startle its perching birds,
nor shall the ravens be called “one-eyed” as ill omens.
وَياand O عَقارِبَهاits scorpions لاnot تَعدَميmay you lack أَبَداًever
وَيا عَقارِبَها لا تَعدَمي أَبَداً
شَجّاhead wounds وَعقراًand maiming وَلاnor نوعاًany kind مِنَof الضَرَرِharm
شَجّا وَعقراً وَلا نوعاً مِنَ الضَرَرِ
And you, its scorpions, may you never lack
head wounds, maiming, or any kind of harm,
كَماjust as ملأتُنَّyou filled قَلبيmy heart مُذsince حَلَلتُI settled بِهاin it
كَما ملأتُنَّ قَلبي مُذ حَلَلتُ بِها
مَخافَةًfear أَسلَمَتthat consigned عَينيmy eye إِلىto السَهَرِsleeplessness
مَخافَةً أَسلَمَت عَيني إِلى السَهَرِ
just as you filled my heart, since I settled there,
with fear that consigned my eye to sleeplessness.
ماذاwhat رمتكَthey shot at you بِهِwith it الأَيّامُthe days ياO كبِدِيmy liver
ماذا رمتكَ بِهِ الأَيّامُ يا كبِدِي
مِنfrom نَبلهِنَّtheir arrows وَلاand no رامٍarcher سِوىbut القَدَرِFate
مِن نَبلهِنَّ وَلا رامٍ سِوى القَدَرِ
What have the days shot at you, O my liver,
from among their arrows, with no archer but Fate?
أَسرٌcaptivity وَعسرٌand hardship وَلاand no يُسرٌease أُؤمَلُهُI hope for it
أَسرٌ وَعسرٌ وَلا يُسرٌ أُؤمَلُهُ
أَستَغفِرُI seek forgiveness from اللَهُGod كَمhow many لِلَّهِbelonging to God مِنof نظرِacts of care
أَستَغفِرُ اللَهُ كَم لِلَّهِ مِن نظرِ
Captivity and hardship, and no ease that I can hope for.
I seek God's forgiveness—how often God shows His care!