إِلَىto اللَّهِGod أَشْكُوI complain طُولَthe length of لَيْلِيmy night وَجَارَةًand a female neighbor
إِلَى اللَّهِ أَشْكُو طُولَ لَيْلِي وَجَارَةً
تَبِيتُshe spends the night إِلَىuntil وَقْتِthe time of الصَّبَاحِmorning بِإِعْوَالِwith wailing
تَبِيتُ إِلَى وَقْتِ الصَّبَاحِ بِإِعْوَالِ
To God I complain of my long night, and of a neighbor
To God I complain of endless night and a neighbor
Who spends the night wailing until morning.
who stays awake till morning with shouting children
لَهَاshe has صِبْيَةٌchildren لاnot بَارَكَmay bless اللَّهُGod فِيهِمُin them
لَهَا صِبْيَةٌ لا بَارَكَ اللَّهُ فِيهِمُ
قِبَاحُugly النَّوَاصِيthe forelocks لاnot يَنَمْنَthey sleep عَلَىunder حَالِany circumstances
قِبَاحُ النَّوَاصِي لا يَنَمْنَ عَلَى حَالِ
She has children—may God not bless them—
no blessing on them
With ugly forelocks, they never sleep at all:
outcries at dawn don't stop
صَوَارِخُscreamers لاnot يَهْدَأْنَthey grow quiet إِلاexcept مَعَat الضُّحَاmidmorning
صَوَارِخُ لا يَهْدَأْنَ إِلا مَعَ الضُّحَا
مِنَout of الشَّرِّmischief فِيin بَيْتٍa house مِنَof الْخَيْرِgoodness مِمْحَالِutterly barren
مِنَ الشَّرِّ فِي بَيْتٍ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ مِمْحَالِ
Screamers who grow quiet only at midmorning,
till dusk, the absurd in a home of goodness
Out of mischief, in a house barren of goodness.
between them, God; disperse them!
تَرَىyou see بَيْنَهُمْamong them يَاoh فَرَّقَmay separate اللَّهُGod بَيْنَهُمْbetween them
تَرَى بَيْنَهُمْ يَا فَرَّقَ اللَّهُ بَيْنَهُمْ
لَهِيبَa blaze صِيَاحٍof shrieking يَصْعَدُrises to الْفَلَكَthe firmament الْعَالِيlofty
لَهِيبَ صِيَاحٍ يَصْعَدُ الْفَلَكَ الْعَالِي
You see among them—oh, may God scatter them—
their screams scaling the sky
A blaze of shrieking rising to the lofty firmament.
like slavering dogs round a corpse
كَأَنَّهُمُas though they were مِمَّاbecause of how تَنَازَعْنَthey quarrelled أَكْلُبٌdogs
كَأَنَّهُمُ مِمَّا تَنَازَعْنَ أَكْلُبٌ
طُرِقْنَthey were visited at night عَلَىat حِينِthe time of الْمَسَاءِevening بِرِئْبَالِby a lion
طُرِقْنَ عَلَى حِينِ الْمَسَاءِ بِرِئْبَالِ
In their squabbling they seem like dogs
they barked, an uproar, at nightfall
Visited at evening by a lion.
till all the village dogs
فَهِجْنَthen they erupted جَمِيعاًall together هَيْجَةًan uproar فُزِّعَتْwere terrified لَهَاby it
فَهِجْنَ جَمِيعاً هَيْجَةً فُزِّعَتْ لَهَا
كِلابُthe dogs of الْقُرَىthe villages مَاall that lies بَيْنَbetween سَهْلٍa plain وَأَجْبَالِand mountains
كِلابُ الْقُرَى مَا بَيْنَ سَهْلٍ وَأَجْبَالِ
Then they all erupted in an uproar that terrified
on the plains, in the hills
The village dogs, across plains and mountains.
Started howling, then the livestock
فَلَمْso not يَبْقَremained مِنْany كَلْبٍa dog عَقُورٍvicious وَكَلْبَةٍand a bitch
فَلَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْ كَلْبٍ عَقُورٍ وَكَلْبَةٍ
مِنَfrom الْحَيِّthe neighborhood إِلاexcept جَاءَcame بِالْعَمِّwith the paternal uncle وَالْخَالِand the maternal uncle
مِنَ الْحَيِّ إِلا جَاءَ بِالْعَمِّ وَالْخَالِ
So not one vicious dog or bitch
and horses, nerves struck, stampeded
In the neighborhood failed to come, with uncles on both sides.
farmers thought a raid was striking
وَفُزِّعَتِand were frightened الأَنْعَامُthe livestock وَالْخَيْلُand the horses فَانْبَرَتْso they began
وَفُزِّعَتِ الأَنْعَامُ وَالْخَيْلُ فَانْبَرَتْ
تُجَاوِبُanswering بَعْضَاًone another فِيin رُغَاءٍcamels' bellowing وَتَصْهَالِand neighing
تُجَاوِبُ بَعْضَاً فِي رُغَاءٍ وَتَصْهَالِ
The livestock and horses took fright and began
spear-armed warriors, raid by night
Answering one another with bellows and neighs.
so men came out grabbing their spears
فَقَامَتْthen rose رِجَالُthe men of الْحَيِّthe neighborhood تَحْسَبُthinking أَنَّهَاthat they
فَقَامَتْ رِجَالُ الْحَيِّ تَحْسَبُ أَنَّهَا
أُصِيبَتْwere attacked بِجَيْشٍby an army ذِيwith غَوَارِبَhigh crests ذَيَّالِlong-trailing
أُصِيبَتْ بِجَيْشٍ ذِي غَوَارِبَ ذَيَّالِ
Then the men of the neighborhood rose, thinking they
and staffs, muttering Quran verses
Had been attacked by a high-crested, long-trailing army.
infant girls screaming, women stood
فَمِنْso some حَامِلٍcarrying رُمْحاًa spear وَمِنْand some قَابِضٍgripping عَصَاًa staff
فَمِنْ حَامِلٍ رُمْحاً وَمِنْ قَابِضٍ عَصَاً
وَمِنْand some فَزعٍterrified يَتْلُوhe recites الْكِتَابَthe Book بِإِهْلالِwith a raised voice
وَمِنْ فَزعٍ يَتْلُو الْكِتَابَ بِإِهْلالِ
Some carried spears, and some gripped staves,
at the doors crying for help, shouting!
And some, terrified, recited the Book at full voice.
God, give me strength to bear this
وَمِنْand some صِبْيَةٍchildren رِيعَتْwere frightened لِذَاكَby that وَنِسْوَةٍand women
وَمِنْ صِبْيَةٍ رِيعَتْ لِذَاكَ وَنِسْوَةٍ
قَوَائِمَstanding دُونَbefore الْبَابِthe door يَهْتِفْنَthey cry out بِالْوَالِيfor the governor
قَوَائِمَ دُونَ الْبَابِ يَهْتِفْنَ بِالْوَالِي
And there were children, frightened by this, and women
shake them down with an earthquake
Standing before the door, crying out for the governor.
فَيَاso O رَبُّLord هَبْgrant لِيto me مِنْfrom لَدُنْكَYour presence تَصَبُّرَاًpatient endurance
فَيَا رَبُّ هَبْ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ تَصَبُّرَاً
عَلَىthrough مَاwhat أُقَاسِيهِI suffer it وَخُذْهُمْand seize them بِزَلْزَالِwith an earthquake
عَلَى مَا أُقَاسِيهِ وَخُذْهُمْ بِزَلْزَالِ
So, O Lord, grant me from Yourself patient endurance
Through what I suffer, and strike them with an earthquake.
Partial English translation: 21 of 24 Arabic lines translated.