خُطّافَةٌa swallow سَبَّحتِglorified اللَّهَGod
خُطّافَةٌ سَبَّحتِ اللَّهَ
بِعجمةٍin inarticulate speech يُفهَمُis understood مَعناهاits meaning
بِعجمةٍ يُفهَمُ مَعناها
A swallow glorified God
A swift warbler praised Allah
In inarticulate speech whose meaning is understood.
In a murmur conveying meaning
مديدةُlong-drawn الصَّوتِthe voice إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِنتَهَتshe reaches the end
مديدةُ الصَّوتِ إِذا ما اِنتَهَت
لَكنهاbut she تُدمجُslurs together مبداهاher opening
لَكنها تُدمجُ مبداها
She draws out her voice when she reaches the end,
Long drawn when it ends its singing
But she slurs her opening,
Yet it blends in its principle
كَقارئٍlike a reciter إِنif تَأتِهِcomes to him وِقفَةٌa pause
كَقارئٍ إِن تَأتِهِ وِقفَةٌ
مدَّhe draws out بِهاat it الصَّوتthe voice وَجَلاهاand makes it clear
مدَّ بِها الصَّوت وَجَلاها
Like a reciter who, if a pause comes to him,
As a reciter if he encounters a stop
Draws out his voice at it and makes it clear.
He prolongs the voice and makes it flow