Synonym for "in the blink of an eye"

Question

I am translating from Middle Egyptian to English. For those who are curious, here is the hieroglyphic inscription:

However, this is not a question about Middle Egyptian, but rather English. The sentence literally translates to:

He killed seven lions, by shooting, in the completion of an instant.

Or perhaps "in the completion of a moment" meaning "a short interval of time". Of course, this is not an English idiom, so I have changed it to:

He killed seven lions in the blink of an eye, by shooting them.

However, the expression "in the blink of an eye" seems a bit colloquial to me, although, I am not a native speaker of English. I would like to substitute it with something equally idiomatic, but with a grandiose, majestic, formal and maybe even slightly archaic feeling to it, to reflect the character of the original text, which is carefully composed and somewhat high-flown. Nothing comes to mind, though.

Answer 1

Actually, we do idiomatically say "In an instant" in English. We just do not put "the completion of" in front of it. This measure of time is indivisible and immediate anyway, so that would not make much sense. See the Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia s.v. instant II 2:

A point in duration; a moment; very small period or interval of time: as, he will return in an instant

This gracious all-commanding beautfy fades in an instant. Burton, Anat. of Mel. P. 536

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An instant … is that which takes up the time of only one idea in our minds without succession of another, wherein therefore we perceive no succession at all.. Locke, Human Understanding, II, xiv. 10.

Now, perhaps I misunderstood and you only meant that the latter two idioms are not said in English, but you might want to reconsider this form even if you dismissed it. Since it is less direct than instantly, instantaneously or immediately, it does have a slightly fanciful connotation to it.

The term has been with us since at least the 17th century, as demonstrated by An Apologie of the Power and Providence, which was written by George Hake and published in 1635. The phrase is used four times on page 34 and at least twice in this single sentence:

Now as all creation is immediately by the hand of god soe is it undoubtedly in an instant which is one of the special conditions and properties whereby it is distinguished from generation, the latter requiring time for perfecting thereof, at leastwise in regard of the previous disposition thereunto, though the introduction of the forme bee indeed in an instant, but the former requires no time because it works without all motion or preparative alteration.

It also works quite well to describe feats of heroism as demonstrated by these contexts:

In an instant, Robin, in whose generous heart the feeling of hate had no place, bounded to his rescue. He seized the tail of the tiger and struck him a tremendous blow with his stake."

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The Crusoes of Guiana: Or, The White Tiger by Louis Boussenard

For a moment the two men looked into each other's eyes, with hatred like a naked sword between them; and then Guy of Gisborne laughed exultantly and cried out: ' You were ever a fine bowman, but I think you have loosed your last arrow—Robin Hood!'

In an instant robin had sprung to his feet and turned to leap down the steps. Behind him he heard a bellow of astonished rage from the sheriff, and the voice of his old enemy shouting to the men-at-arms to shake him.

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The Chronicles of Robin Hood by Rosemary Sutcliff

And why would he, when he could simply fumble in his sunflower-yellow utility belt and produce a gadget that would save him in an instant?

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News Statesman, Limited, 2005, page 29, in reference to Batman.

Granted, there are more mundane contexts in which this word can be used too, but I suppose you can see how this usage is fitting. It also seems to be as close of a match to the literal translation you gave as possible, which can help avoid adding unintended connotations to the translation.

Compare with in a jiffy which has effectively the same meaning, except usually more informal and perhaps slangy, despite some niche technical uses, lending to the comparative formality of in an instant. Jiffy is more likely to be used by mechanics than in reference to heroes.

Answer 2

Here are two suggestions:

In a wink¹

The very brief time required for a wink; an instant.in the wink of an eye So quickly as to seem almost imperceptible

In a flash² (an idiom):

Immediately; very quickly; at once.

Both connote instantaneity! Instantaneity³ may work too! The newer generation of humankind like to say in a nanosec!

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Citations:

¹ The American Heritage Dictionary Fifth Edition
² The Farlex Dictionary of Idioms
³ The American Heritage Dictionary 5th edition s.v. Instantaneous

All via The Free Dictionary by Farlex.

Answer 3

There is also "in no time"

no time
PHRASE
A very short interval or period.
‘the renovations were done in no time’

Oxford Dictionaries

Answer 4

The best idiom I can come up with is "in a split second". An instant isn't a explicit definition of time, such as a "jiffy". It's subjective, it can be minutes, seconds, or fraction of a second. Given the context, I think the fraction of a second is the best measurement and so "in a split second" fits best in my opinion.