وَلَيلَةٍand a night فيin طولِthe length of يَومِthe day of العَرضِthe presentation for judgment
وَلَيلَةٍ في طولِ يَومِ العَرضِ
سَماؤُهاits sky مِنfrom دَكنِهِits dark hue كَالأَرضِlike the earth
سَماؤُها مِن دَكنِهِ كَالأَرضِ
And a night as long as the Day of Judgment,
And a night in the length of the day of display
Its sky, in its darkness, was like the earth.
Whose darkness was like the earth in its array
مَخَضتُI churned فيهاin it العَيشَlife أَيَّwhat a مَخضِchurning
مَخَضتُ فيها العَيشَ أَيَّ مَخضِ
وَفُزتُand I attained فيهاin it بِالنَعيمِwith bliss المَحضِpure
وَفُزتُ فيها بِالنَعيمِ المَحضِ
I churned life in it—what a churning!
I endured in it life's pain in every way
And won pure bliss within it.
And attained in it joy in its purest ray
وَغَضَّand drooped جَفنُthe eyelid of الدَهرِTime أَيَّwhat a مَخضِchurning
وَغَضَّ جَفنُ الدَهرِ أَيَّ مَخضِ
فَبِتُّso I spent the night مِنfrom صُروفِهِits vicissitudes أَستَقضيI demand my due
فَبِتُّ مِن صُروفِهِ أَستَقضي
And Time's eyelid drooped—what a churning!
And the lid of fate shut weary of day
So I spent the night exacting my due from its vicissitudes,
So I slept to recover from its affray
أَرفَعُI raise قَدرَthe worth of عَيشَتيmy life بِالخَفضِthrough ease
أَرفَعُ قَدرَ عَيشَتي بِالخَفضِ
لاnot أَكحُلُI apply kohl to الجَفنَthe eyelid بِهاin it بِغَمضِwith sleep
لا أَكحُلُ الجَفنَ بِها بِغَمضِ
Raising the worth of my life through ease,
Raising my life's worth by lowering its pay
Never lining my eyelid there with the kohl of sleep,
Not wetting my eyes in it with a blink or stray
مَعَwith كُلِّevery ساقٍcupbearer كَالقَضيبِlike a bough الغَضِّtender
مَعَ كُلِّ ساقٍ كَالقَضيبِ الغَضِّ
يُديرُhe passes round راحاًwine بِالسُرورِin favor of joy تَقضيit decrees
يُديرُ راحاً بِالسُرورِ تَقضي
With every cupbearer like a tender bough,
With every erect, slim, tender, fresh new day
Passing round wine that decrees joy,
Bringing joy circulating bright as lightning's play
ساطِعَةًshining كَالبَرقِlike lightning عِندَat الوَمضِthe flash
ساطِعَةً كَالبَرقِ عِندَ الوَمضِ
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen آنَthe time came أَداءُthe performance of الفَرضِthe prescribed prayer
حَتّى إِذا آنَ أَداءُ الفَرضِ
Shining like lightning at its flash.
Until when the time came for duty to pay
Until, when it was time to offer the prescribed prayer,
And the bright horizon cracked in morning's first ray
وَشُقَّand was torn open جَيبُthe neckline of الفَلَقِdawn المُبيَضِّwhitening
وَشُقَّ جَيبُ الفَلَقِ المُبيَضِّ
عَرَضتُI reviewed خَيليmy horses فَأَجَدتُso I excelled in عَرضيmy review
عَرَضتُ خَيلي فَأَجَدتُ عَرضي
And whitening dawn's neckline was torn open,
I presented my horses assessing their way
I reviewed my horses and made a fine review,
And chose the fastest one, me to obey
وَاِختَرتُand I chose مِنهاfrom them سابِقاًa racer لِيَfor me يُرضيit pleases
وَاِختَرتُ مِنها سابِقاً لِيَ يُرضي
يَفوتُit outstrips لَمحَthe glance of الطَرفِthe eye حينَwhen يَمضيit moves
يَفوتُ لَمحَ الطَرفِ حينَ يَمضي
And chose from them a racer that pleased me.
To outrun a glance when it glances astray
It outstrips the glance of an eye as it moves,
As if the earth in its grasp firmly lay
كَأَنَّماas though الأَرضُthe earth بِهِthrough it فيin قَبضيmy grasp
كَأَنَّما الأَرضُ بِهِ في قَبضي
لاno فَرقَdifference بَينَbetween طولِهِits length وَالعَرضِand the breadth
لا فَرقَ بَينَ طولِهِ وَالعَرضِ
As though through it the earth were in my grasp,
No difference between its length and breadth in its sway
No difference between its length and breadth.
I made it my honor's protection in every way
جَعَلتُهُI made it وِقايَةًa safeguard لِعِرضيfor my honor
جَعَلتُهُ وِقايَةً لِعِرضي
ثُمَّthen غَدَوتُI set out in the morning لِمَراميfor my aims أَقضيI fulfill
ثُمَّ غَدَوتُ لِمَرامي أَقضي
I made it a safeguard for my honor,
Then I raced to my goals determined at play
Then set out in the morning to fulfill my aims,
From each scattered flock remote and askew in its way
مِنfrom كُلِّevery سِربٍherd شارِدٍfleeing مُنغَضِّscattered
مِن كُلِّ سِربٍ شارِدٍ مُنغَضِّ
بِأَرقَطِwith a spotted one الظَهرِthe back صَقيلٍsleek بَضِّsoft-skinned
بِأَرقَطِ الظَهرِ صَقيلٍ بَضِّ
From every fleeing, scattered herd,
With a smooth back, polished, gilded in every way
With a spotted-backed beast, sleek and soft-skinned,
Like a pour of gold in a vessel on display
كَسَبَجٍlike jet فيin ذَهَبٍgold مُرفَضِّflowing
كَسَبَجٍ في ذَهَبٍ مُرفَضِّ
أَهَرتَwide-mouthed رَحبِbroad الصَدرِthe chest نائيfar from الغَمضِsleep
أَهَرتَ رَحبِ الصَدرِ نائي الغَمضِ
Like jet amid flowing gold;
You revealed your ample chest free in its sway
Wide-mouthed, broad-chested, far from sleep,
Heavy in stillness, light upon rising to weigh
مُستَثقَلَheavy الشِلوِthe body خَفيفَlight النَهضِthe spring
مُستَثقَلَ الشِلوِ خَفيفَ النَهضِ
عَريضَbroad بَسطِthe spread of الكَفِّthe paw عِندَat القَبضِgrasping
عَريضَ بَسطِ الكَفِّ عِندَ القَبضِ
Heavy of body, light in his spring,
With a broad palm spread when grasping its prey
His paw spreading wide when he grasps,
With teeth for none but the fiercest affray
مُحَدَّدَsharpened النابِthe fang لِغَيرِnot for عَضِّbiting
مُحَدَّدَ النابِ لِغَيرِ عَضِّ
مُنتَصِبَerect الأُذنَينِboth ears عِندَwhen الرَكضِrunning
مُنتَصِبَ الأُذنَينِ عِندَ الرَكضِ
Sharp of fang, not for biting,
With ears upright when bounding away
With both ears erect when running,
Contesting the herd without pause or delay
مُخاتِلَstalking السِربِthe herd بِغَيرِwithout وَفضِhaste
مُخاتِلَ السِربِ بِغَيرِ وَفضِ
مُنخَفِضاًcrouching low لِلخَتلِfor stealth أَيَّwhat a خَفضِlowering
مُنخَفِضاً لِلخَتلِ أَيَّ خَفضِ
Stalking the herd without haste,
Lowering over the slain conquered at bay
Crouching for stealth, as low as could be,
Embracing the ground with its belly in every way
مُصافِحاًshaking hands بِالبَطنِwith the belly ظَهرَthe back of الأَرضِthe earth
مُصافِحاً بِالبَطنِ ظَهرَ الأَرضِ
يَجُسُّهاhe feels it بِالكَفِّwith the paw جَسَّthe feeling of النَبضِthe pulse
يَجُسُّها بِالكَفِّ جَسَّ النَبضِ
Shaking hands with the earth's back with his belly,
Feeling it with hooves tapping as heartbeats that sway
Feeling it with his paw as one feels a pulse.
Until when the nearness of some came into play
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen أَمكَنَbecame possible قُربُthe nearness of البَعضِsome of them
حَتّى إِذا أَمكَنَ قُربُ البَعضِ
عاجَلَهاhe rushed upon them كَالكَوكَبِlike a star المُنقَضِّfalling
عاجَلَها كَالكَوكَبِ المُنقَضِّ
Until, when some of them were within reach,
He charged them as shooting stars crumbling away
He rushed upon them like a falling star,
And embraced the tallest when rising to flay
فَعانَقَthen he embraced الأَكبَرَthe largest عِندَat النَهضِthe spring
فَعانَقَ الأَكبَرَ عِندَ النَهضِ
عِناقَthe embrace of ذيone possessing حُبٍّlove لِرَبِّfor one possessing بُغضِhatred
عِناقَ ذي حُبٍّ لِرَبِّ بُغضِ
Then embraced the largest as he sprang,
A hug of love for the Lord reviled in his way
A lover's embrace of one filled with hate.
So it collapsed from him when levelling its sway
فَهاضَso he shattered مِنهُof it العَظمَthe bone عِندَduring الهَضِّthe crushing
فَهاضَ مِنهُ العَظمَ عِندَ الهَضِّ
وَرَضَّand he crushed مِنهُof it الصَدرَthe chest أَيَّwhat a رَضِّcrushing
وَرَضَّ مِنهُ الصَدرَ أَيَّ رَضِّ
So he shattered its bones in the crushing,
And its chest was pleased at its collapse in every way
And crushed its chest—what a crushing!
Then I walked lightly lest he finish his fray
فَقَمتُso I rose أَسعىI hurry خيفَةًfor fear أَنthat يَقضيit would die
فَقَمتُ أَسعى خيفَةً أَن يَقضي
أَغُضُّI avert my eyes عَنfrom زَلّاتِهِhis slips وَأُغضيand I turn a blind eye
أَغُضُّ عَن زَلّاتِهِ وَأُغضي
So I rose and hurried, fearing it would die,
ignoring his sins as I went on my way.
Overlooking his slips and turning a blind eye.
Partial English translation: 39 of 40 Arabic lines translated.