qasas musa

Page 20

مِنْFromمِصْرَEgyptإِلَىٰtoمَدْيَنَMidian

From Egypt to Midian

وَلَكِنْButإِلَىٰtoأَيْنَwhereيَذْهَبُdoes goمُوسَىٰMoses

But where does Moses go

وَمِصْرُwhile Egyptكُلُّهَاall of itمَمْلَكَةٌis a kingdomلِفِرْعَوْنَ!for Pharaoh!

while all of Egypt is a kingdom of Pharaoh!

وَشُرْطَةُAnd the police ofفِرْعَوْنَPharaohبِالْمِرْصَادِ،are on the lookout,

And Pharaoh's police are on the lookout,

وَلَهُمْand they haveعُيُونُthe eyesالْغُرَابِof the raven

and they have the eyes of the raven

وَشَامَةُand the molesالنَّمْلِ!of the ant!

and the moles of the ant!

قَصَدَIntendedمُوسَىٰMosesأَنْtoيَذْهَبَgo

Moses intended to go

إِلَىٰtoمَدْيَنَMidianالْبَلَدِthe countryالْعَرَبِيِّ،Arab,

to Midian, the Arab country,

حَيْثُwhereلَاnotتَصِلُreachesإِلَيْهِto itيَدُthe handفِرْعَوْنَ.of Pharaoh.

where the hand of Pharaoh does not reach it.

إِنَّIndeedمَدْيَنَMidianبَادِيَةٌis a desertوَقُرًىand villages

Indeed, Midian is a desert and villages

لَيْسَthere is notفِيهَاin itمَدَنِيَّةُcivilizationمِصْرَ.of Egypt.

in which there is no civilization of Egypt.

وَلَيْسَAnd there are notفِيهَاin itقُصُورُpalacesمِصْرَof Egypt

And there are no palaces of Egypt in it

وَأَسْوَاقُand marketsمِصْرَ.of Egypt.

and markets of Egypt.

وَلَكِنَّهَاBut it isبِلَادٌa countryسَعِيدَةٌhappy

But it is a happy country

لِأَنَّهَاbecause itبَعِيدَةٌis farمِنْfromفِرْعَوْنَPharaoh

because it is far from Pharaoh

وَإِنَّهَاand itسَعِيدَةٌis happyلِأَنَّهَاbecause itبِلَادٌis a countryحُرَّةٌfree

and it is happy because it is a free country

لَيْسَتْnot beingتَحْتَunderحُكْمِthe ruleفِرْعَوْنَ.of Pharaoh.

not under the rule of Pharaoh.

يَاOh,حَبَّذَاhow excellent isالْبَدَاوَةُnomadic life

Oh, how excellent is nomadic life

مَعَwithالْحُرِّيَّةِfreedomوَالْعَدْلِ،and justice,

with freedom and justice,

وَيَاand oh,شَقَاوَةُhow miserable isالْمَدَنِيَّةُcivilization

and oh, how miserable is civilization

مَعَwithالْعُبُودِيَّةِslaveryوَالذُّلِّ.and humiliation.

with slavery and humiliation.

هُنَالِكَThereيُصْبِحُbecomesكُلُّeveryأَحَدٍone

There, everyone becomes

لَاnotيَخَافُfearingسَطْوَةَthe mightفِرْعَوْنَof Pharaohوَقَهْرَهُ،and his oppression,

not fearing the might of Pharaoh and his oppression,

وَهُنَالِكَand thereيَبِيتُspends the nightكُلُّeveryأَحَدٍone

and there, everyone spends the night

لَاnotيَخَافُfearingشُرْطَةَthe policeفِرْعَوْنَof Pharaohوَشَرَّهُ،and his evil,

not fearing the police of Pharaoh and his evil,

هُنَالِكَthereلَاnotتُذْبَحُare slaughteredالْأَبْنَاءُ.the sons.

there the sons are not slaughtered.

قَصَدَHe headedمُوسَىٰMosesمَدْيَنَtoward Midianوَخَرَجَand went outمِنْfromمِصْرَEgypt

Moses headed toward Midian and went out from Egypt

خَائِفًاfearfulيَتَرَقَّبُ،vigilant,أَيَتْبَعُهُis he followedأَحَدٌ؟by anyone?

fearful, vigilant, is he followed by anyone?

وَلَكِنْButنَامَsleptعَنْهُfrom himالشُّرْطَةُthe police

But the police slept on him.

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