مِنfrom لَيلَةٍa night لِلرَعدِfor thunder فيهاin it صَرخَةٌa shriek
مِن لَيلَةٍ لِلرَعدِ فيها صَرخَةٌ
لاتُستَطابُis not pleasing وَلِلحَياand for the rain إيقاعُa rhythmic beating
لاتُستَطابُ وَلِلحَيا إيقاعُ
From a night in which thunder uttered a shriek,
From a night when thunder roared
unpleasant to hear, while rain beat its rhythm.
A shriek not to be endured, and the serpent's rhythm
خَلَعَتbestowed عَلَيَّupon me بِهاin it رِداءَa cloak غَمامَةٍa cloud
خَلَعَت عَلَيَّ بِها رِداءَ غَمامَةٍ
ريحٌa wind تُهَلهِلُهُfrays it هُناكَthere صَناعُdeft
ريحٌ تُهَلهِلُهُ هُناكَ صَناعُ
There, a cloak of cloud was bestowed upon me
It cast off on me a cloak of clouds
by a deft wind that frayed it there.
The wind there loosening its edges
وَالصُبحُand dawn قَدalready صَدَعَsplit الظَلامَthe darkness كَأَنَّهُas though it were
وَالصُبحُ قَد صَدَعَ الظَلامَ كَأَنَّهُ
وَجهٌa face وَضيءٌradiant شَفَّgrew transparent عَنهُrevealing it قِناعُa veil
وَجهٌ وَضيءٌ شَفَّ عَنهُ قِناعُ
And dawn had split the darkness, as though it were
And dawn had cracked the darkness as though
a radiant face showing through a sheer veil.
It were a bright face from which a mask fell away
فَرَفَلتُso I strutted فيin سَمَلِthe threadbare robe الدُجىof darkness وَكَأَنَّماand as though
فَرَفَلتُ في سَمَلِ الدُجى وَكَأَنَّما
قَزَعُscattered wisps السَحابِof cloud بِجانِبَيهِon its two sides رِقاعُpatches
قَزَعُ السَحابِ بِجانِبَيهِ رِقاعُ
So I strutted in night's threadbare robe, as though
So I sauntered in the darkness of nightfall as though
the cloud-wisps on either side of it were patches.
The rending clouds on either side were rags
وَدَفَعتُand I thrust فيagainst صَدرِthe breast الدُجىof darkness عَنfor مَطلَبٍa goal
وَدَفَعتُ في صَدرِ الدُجى عَن مَطلَبٍ
بَينيbetween me وَبَينَand between الدَهرِTime فيهِover it قِراعُcombat
بَيني وَبَينَ الدَهرِ فيهِ قِراعُ
And I thrust against the breast of darkness for a goal
And I lunged into the darkness' chest for something
over which Time and I were locked in combat.
Between me and time there was clashing
وَقَبَضتُand I gathered up ذَيليmy hem رَغبَةًturning away عَنfrom مَعشَرٍa company
وَقَبَضتُ ذَيلي رَغبَةً عَن مَعشَرٍ
عوجِcrooked الطِباعِnatures كَأَنّهُمas though they were أَضلاعُribs
عوجِ الطِباعِ كَأَنّهُم أَضلاعُ
And I gathered up my hem, shunning a company
And I gathered in my train loathing a tribe
of crooked natures, as though they were ribs,
Crooked in nature as though they were ribs
جارينَracing فيin شَوطِthe course العِنادِof obstinacy كَأَنَّهُمas though they were
جارينَ في شَوطِ العِنادِ كَأَنَّهُم
سَيلٌa torrent تَلاطَمَcrashed together مَوجُهُits waves دَفّاعُforcefully surging
سَيلٌ تَلاطَمَ مَوجُهُ دَفّاعُ
racing along the course of obstinacy, as though they were
Rushing in reckless obstinacy like a torrent
a surging torrent whose waves crashed together.
Whose surging waves were charging cavalry
يَرمونَthey assail أَعطافيmy flanks بِنَظرَةِwith a glance إِحنَةٍof rancor
يَرمونَ أَعطافي بِنَظرَةِ إِحنَةٍ
وُقِدَتwas kindled كَماas تُذكيkindle العُيونَthe eyes سَباعُbeasts of prey
وُقِدَت كَما تُذكي العُيونَ سَباعُ
They assail my flanks with a rancorous glance,
They stab my flanks with scornful glances
kindled as beasts of prey kindle their eyes.
Kindled as predators' eyes ignite when ravenous
أَفرَغتُI poured مِنfrom كَلِميmy words عَلىupon أَكبادِهِمtheir livers
أَفرَغتُ مِن كَلِمي عَلى أَكبادِهِم
قَطراًmolten copper لَهُfor it أَسماعُهُمtheir ears أَقماعُfunnels
قَطراً لَهُ أَسماعُهُم أَقماعُ
From my words I poured upon their livers
I emptied my words into their livers
molten copper, with their ears as its funnels.
A dripping their ears were funnels for
وَوَصَلتُand I joined مابَينيwhat lay between me وَبَينَand between مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad
وَوَصَلتُ مابَيني وَبَينَ مُحَمَّدٍ
حَتّىuntil كَأَنّاas though we were مِعصَمٌa wrist وَذِراعُand a forearm
حَتّى كَأَنّا مِعصَمٌ وَذِراعُ
And I forged a bond between myself and Muhammad,
And I connected myself to Muhammad
until we were like a wrist and a forearm.
As though we were wrist and forearm
فَظَفِرتُso I gained مِنهُin him عَلىdespite المَشيبِgray hair بِصاحِبٍa companion
فَظَفِرتُ مِنهُ عَلى المَشيبِ بِصاحِبٍ
خَلَفِa replacement for الشَبابِyouth فَليso I have إِلَيهِtoward him نِزاعُa yearning
خَلَفِ الشَبابِ فَلي إِلَيهِ نِزاعُ
So, despite my gray hair, I gained in him a companion
I gained through him in agedness a companion
to take youth's place; for him I yearn.
Beyond youth so contention pulls me to him
قَدindeed كُنتُI was أُغليpaying dearly فيin اِبتِياعِpurchasing وِدادِهِhis affection
قَد كُنتُ أُغلي في اِبتِياعِ وِدادِهِ
لَوif أَنَّthat أَعلاقَthe treasures الوِدادِof affection تُباعُwere for sale
لَو أَنَّ أَعلاقَ الوِدادِ تُباعُ
I would indeed have paid dearly to buy his affection,
I would boil in purchasing his love
if affection's treasures were for sale.
If only the ties of love were sold
وَإِلَيكَهاand here it is for you غَرّاءَradiant لَولاwere it not for حُسنُهاits beauty
وَإِلَيكَها غَرّاءَ لَولا حُسنُها
لَمnot تُفتَقِbe opened الأَبصارُeyes وَالأَسماعُand ears
لَم تُفتَقِ الأَبصارُ وَالأَسماعُ
And here it is for you, radiant; but for its beauty,
And to you, coy one, were I to woo
eyes and ears would not have been opened.
Eyes and ears would not be opened
عَبِقَتwas fragrant بِهاwith it فيin كُلِّevery كَفٍّpalm زَهرَةٌa blossom
عَبِقَت بِها في كُلِّ كَفٍّ زَهرَةٌ
فُتِقَتwere opened لَهاfor it مِنfrom خَمسِهاits five fingers أَقماعُcalyxes
فُتِقَت لَها مِن خَمسِها أَقماعُ
In every palm a blossom was fragrant with it,
With it the palms' every handful smells of flowers
with calyxes opened for it from the palm's five fingers.
Unfurled for it from its five petals like funnels
Sol 6.1