معَwith الأيامthe days تَلتَئمُheal الجرَاحُthe wounds
معَ الأيام تَلتَئمُ الجرَاحُ
وبعدَand after الليلِthe night يَنبلجُbreaks forth الصَّبَاحُthe morning
وبعدَ الليلِ يَنبلجُ الصَّبَاحُ
As the days pass, wounds heal.
With time, wounds start to heal
And after night, dawn breaks.
And after night, dawn breaks through
أتىcame مِنfrom قبلِناbefore us قومٌa people ورَاحُواand they departed
أتى مِن قبلِنا قومٌ ورَاحُوا
وَقدand perhaps يتكدَّرُgrows turbid الماءُthe water القَرَاحُpure; unmixed
وَقد يتكدَّرُ الماءُ القَرَاحُ
People came before us and departed.
Before us came a people, now gone
And pure water may grow turbid.
Though bitter waters may get muddied
فإِنso if أحدٌsomeone أساءَdid wrong إليكَto you يوماone day
فإِن أحدٌ أساءَ إليكَ يوما
حنانَيكَyour mercy, I beg you السَّماحُforgiveness هوit السَّماحُforgiveness
حنانَيكَ السَّماحُ هو السَّماحُ
So if someone wrongs you one day,
If anyone has ever wronged you
Have mercy: forgiveness is forgiveness.
Let your tenderness be the balm
بربكَby your Lord ياO نزيهَpure in القصدِintention قلtell ليto me
بربكَ يا نزيهَ القصدِ قل لي
أجٌّis it earnestness? (reading an apparent typo) ذاكthat منكمُfrom you (plural) أمor مِزاحُjest
أجٌّ ذاك منكمُ أم مِزاحُ
By your Lord, O you of pure intent, tell me:
Say to me, O righteous friend
Is that earnestness on your part, or jest?
Is this jest or mockery from you?
ففِيfor in إدراكِهcomprehending it تَشقَىsuffer عقولٌminds
ففِي إدراكِه تَشقَى عقولٌ
وتَخرَسُand fall silent ألسنٌtongues فيهconcerning it فِصَاحُeloquent
وتَخرَسُ ألسنٌ فيه فِصَاحُ
For minds struggle to comprehend it,
In grasping Him, minds grow perplexed
And eloquent tongues fall silent over it.
And tongues falter, trying to speak
لقدindeed نالَobtained العِداthe foes مِنَّاfrom us مُنَاهُمtheir wishes
لقد نالَ العِدا مِنَّا مُنَاهُم
إذاif ماemphatic particle صُدِّقَis believed الكذِبُthe falsehood الصُّرَاحُblatant
إذا ما صُدِّقَ الكذِبُ الصُّرَاحُ
Indeed, the foes have obtained from us what they wished for,
Opponents have attained their goal
If blatant falsehood is believed.
When outright lies are seen as truth
فَقدfor indeed قَالُواthey said الهوىlove عناconcerning us حرامٌforbidden
فَقد قَالُوا الهوى عنا حرامٌ
ولوand had هُمthey أنصفُواbeen fair قَالواthey would have said مُبَاحpermissible
ولو هُم أنصفُوا قَالوا مُبَاح
For they have declared love forbidden to us,
They said passion is forbidden to us
And had they been fair, they would have said it was permissible.
But if just, they'd say 'tis permitted