وَقائِلَةٍand a woman saying ليto me ماwhat فَعَلتَdid you do إِذاwhen اِلتَقَتcame together
وَقائِلَةٍ لي ما فَعَلتَ إِذا اِلتَقَت
وَراءَكَbehind you أَبوابُthe gates المَناياdeaths القَواتِلِdeadly
وَراءَكَ أَبوابُ المَنايا القَواتِلِ
And a woman asked me: 'What did you do when
the gates of deadly doom closed behind you?'
فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her ماnot بِاِحتِيالٍby cunning وَلاnor يَدٍpower
فَقُلتُ لَها ما بِاِحتِيالٍ وَلا يَدٍ
خَرَجتُI escaped مِنَfrom الغُمّىdire distress وَلاnor بِالجَعائِلِby payments
خَرَجتُ مِنَ الغُمّى وَلا بِالجَعائِلِ
I told her: 'Not through cunning or power
did I escape dire distress, nor through payments;
وَلَكِنَّand yet رَبّيmy Lord رَبُّthe Lord of يونُسَYunus إِذwhen دَعاhe prayed
وَلَكِنَّ رَبّي رَبُّ يونُسَ إِذ دَعا
مِنَfrom الحوتِthe whale فيin مَوجٍa wave مِنَof البَحرِthe sea سائِلِflowing
مِنَ الحوتِ في مَوجٍ مِنَ البَحرِ سائِلِ
but my Lord is Yunus's Lord: when he prayed
from within the whale, amid a flowing wave of the sea,
دَعاhe called upon رَبَّهُhis Lord وَاللَهُand God أَرحَمُmost merciful مَنthose whom دَعاhe invoked
دَعا رَبَّهُ وَاللَهُ أَرحَمُ مَن دَعا
وَأَدناهُand the nearest of them مِنto داعٍa suppliant دَعاwho prayed مُتَضائِلِself-abasing
وَأَدناهُ مِن داعٍ دَعا مُتَضائِلِ
he called upon his Lord—and God is the most merciful of those invoked,
and the nearest of them to a suppliant who prayed in humility.
وَماand not بَيَّنَmade plain الأَيّامَthe days إِلّاexcept اِبنُson of لَيلَةٍLaylah
وَما بَيَّنَ الأَيّامَ إِلّا اِبنُ لَيلَةٍ
رُكوباًriding لَهاof them وَالدَهرُand time جَمُّfull of التَلاتِلِupheavals
رُكوباً لَها وَالدَهرُ جَمُّ التَلاتِلِ
And none but Ibn Laylah has made the days plain,
by riding them, while time abounds in upheavals.
لَهُto him لَيلَةُthe night of البَيضاءِal-Bayda إِذwhen أَناI خائِفٌafraid
لَهُ لَيلَةُ البَيضاءِ إِذ أَنا خائِفٌ
لِذَنبيbecause of my sin وَإِذand when قَلبيmy heart كَثيرُfull of البَلابِلِanxieties
لِذَنبي وَإِذ قَلبي كَثيرُ البَلابِلِ
His was the night of al-Bayda, when I was afraid
because of my sin, and when my heart was full of anxieties.
فَماfor no حَيَّةٌa serpent يُرقىis charmed أَشَدَّfiercer شَكيمَةًin temper
فَما حَيَّةٌ يُرقى أَشَدَّ شَكيمَةً
وَلاnor مِثلَlike هَذاthis man مِنany شَفيعٍintercessor مُناضِلِstaunch defender
وَلا مِثلَ هَذا مِن شَفيعٍ مُناضِلِ
For no serpent that is charmed is fiercer in temper,
nor is there an intercessor like this staunch defender.
يَجِدُّhe presses hard إِذاwhen الحَجّاجُal-Hajjaj لانَsoftens وَإِنand if يَخَفhe fears
يَجِدُّ إِذا الحَجّاجُ لانَ وَإِن يَخَف
لَهُhis غَضَباًanger يَضرِبhe strikes بِرِفقِwith the gentleness of المُحاوِلِone who tries
لَهُ غَضَباً يَضرِب بِرِفقِ المُحاوِلِ
He presses hard when al-Hajjaj softens; and if he fears
his anger, he strikes with the gentleness of one feeling his way.'
Translation model: Sol 6.1