البرق في كانونه قد نفخ

البرق في كانونه قد نفخ

والثلج في جيب الغوادي نفخ

والثلج في جيب الغوادي نفخ

Lightning has blown into its brazier,

The lightning in its fireplace has blown,

and snow has puffed up in the bosom of the morning rain clouds.

And the snow in the valleys' pockets blown.

قد زمجرَ الرعدُ بآفاقهِ

قد زمجرَ الرعدُ بآفاقهِ

كأنَّه ممَّا دهاه صرَخ

كأنَّه ممَّا دهاه صرَخ

Thunder has growled across its horizons,

The thunder has roared in its horizons,

as though it cried out at what had befallen it.

As if it is crying from what afflicted it.

هذا وقوسُ النوْءِ في أفقه

هذا وقوسُ النوْءِ في أفقه

كأنما قد نصبوا منه فخ

كأنما قد نصبوا منه فخ

Meanwhile, the rainstorm's bow in its sky

And the rainbow in its horizon,

looked as though they had made a trap of it.

As if they have set up a trap from it.

قد شدَّ عقداً عالياً أو بنى

قد شدَّ عقداً عالياً أو بنى

قنطرةً في الحالِ ثمَّ انْفسخ

قنطرةً في الحالِ ثمَّ انْفسخ

It secured a lofty arch, or built

It has tied a high knot or built,

a bridge in an instant, then came undone.

A bridge then it collapsed.

والأرضُ كالمنفوشِ أو هذه

والأرضُ كالمنفوشِ أو هذه

خميرة من فوقه قد لطخ

خميرة من فوقه قد لطخ

And the earth is like carded wool; or this is

And the land is like a mattress, or this

leaven smeared over it.

Dough from above it has smeared.

لم تبقَ أرضٌ قد زكَا زَرعها

لم تبقَ أرضٌ قد زكَا زَرعها

حتَّى طواها ثمَّ ردَّ السبخ

حتَّى طواها ثمَّ ردَّ السبخ

It spared no land whose crop had flourished,

No land remained whose plants have thrived,

engulfing it, then turning it back to salt waste.

Until it is covered then the arid returned.

وامتلأ الوادي بإمدادهِ

وامتلأ الوادي بإمدادهِ

كأنَّه القربةُ ممَّا انْتفخ

كأنَّه القربةُ ممَّا انْتفخ

And the valley filled with its supply,

And the valley has filled with its supply,

like a waterskin, so swollen had it grown.

As if it is a waterskin from what swelled.

وجاءَنا النوءُ بإرعابه

وجاءَنا النوءُ بإرعابه

لا شكَّ أنَّ النوءَ ممَّا بذخ

لا شكَّ أنَّ النوءَ ممَّا بذخ

The rainstorm came to us with its terror:

And the heavy rain has come to us with its terror,

no doubt the storm, in its vaunting grandeur,

No doubt, the downpour is of the gushing.

بحرٌ من القدرةِ لكنه

بحرٌ من القدرةِ لكنه

من كلِّ عينٍ للبواكِي نضخ

من كلِّ عينٍ للبواكِي نضخ

is an ocean of power; yet it

A sea of ability but,

has gushed from every weeping woman's eye.

From every eye to the valleys it pumped.

وسحبهُ تفتح أبوابها

وسحبهُ تفتح أبوابها

والبرقُ فيما بيننا كالخوَخ

والبرقُ فيما بيننا كالخوَخ

And its clouds open their doors,

And its clouds open their doors,

while lightning in our midst is like little doorways.

And the lightning between us is like sparks.

وبانَ في الطودِ وعرنينه

وبانَ في الطودِ وعرنينه

بما كساه شممٌ أو طبخ

بما كساه شممٌ أو طبخ

And on the mountain and its nose appeared,

And it appeared on the hill and its bleating,

through what clothed it, lofty pride—or feverish heat.

With what a strong scent or cooking has covered it.

وكلنا منتثرٌ لحمهُ

وكلنا منتثرٌ لحمهُ

وهو على كانونه قد طبخ

وهو على كانونه قد طبخ

And every one of us has flesh falling to pieces,

And we are all scattered, its meat,

and it has been cooked upon its brazier.

While it on its fireplace has cooked.

دامت ليالي الثلج لا أصبحت

دامت ليالي الثلج لا أصبحت

ولا نهارٌ بأذاهُ الْتطخ

ولا نهارٌ بأذاهُ الْتطخ

The snowy nights have lingered—may they never dawn,

The snowy nights lasted, neither morning came,

nor any day be stained by its harm.

Nor a day with its harm has smeared.

وحكمت فيه أيادِي الحيا

وحكمت فيه أيادِي الحيا

ولا أجابَ الله ممَّا اصطرخ

ولا أجابَ الله ممَّا اصطرخ

And may the hands of rain rule over it,

And the hands of life judged it,

and may God not answer its anguished cries.

And God did not answer from what it cried out.

ومكنت فيه مدى برقه

ومكنت فيه مدى برقه

حتَّى أرى من جلدهِ ما انْسلخ

حتَّى أرى من جلدهِ ما انْسلخ

And may the blades of its lightning be unleashed upon it,

And its long lightning has enabled in it,

until I see what has peeled away from its skin.

Until I see from its skin what has peeled off.

هل مطر يغسل في الأرضِ من

هل مطر يغسل في الأرضِ من

بياضه أسود هذا الوسخ

بياضه أسود هذا الوسخ

Is there rain to wash the earth clean of

Is there rain that washes on the ground,

its whiteness—the blackest of this filth?

From its whiteness the black of this filth?

وهل أرى ريحاً وقد زعزعت

وهل أرى ريحاً وقد زعزعت

في الطرقِ منه كلّ طود رسخ

في الطرقِ منه كلّ طود رسخ

And shall I see a wind that has dislodged

And do I see a wind that has shaken,

every firmly rooted mountain of it in the roads?

In the roads from it every anchored hill?

وهل فتىً يشكى إليه الذي

وهل فتىً يشكى إليه الذي

تمَّ له أدراج تتلى وبخ

تمَّ له أدراج تتلى وبخ

And is there a youth to whom one may complain of what

And does a young man complain to it about one,

has come to pass, for whom scrolls are recited—and 'Bravo!'?

For whom steps were recited and scolded?

بلى جمالُ الدينِ أنعم به

بلى جمالُ الدينِ أنعم به

مولىً كريماً ونسيباً وأخ

مولىً كريماً ونسيباً وأخ

Yes: Jamal al-Din—how excellent he is,

Yes, the beauty of the religion has blessed with it,

a generous patron, a kinsman, and a brother.

A generous lord and relative and brother.

لو قابلت سنوننا شمسه

لو قابلت سنوننا شمسه

أو نوءها أبصرته قد نسخ

أو نوءها أبصرته قد نسخ

If our years confronted his sun,

If our years met its sun,

or their storm did, you would see it effaced.

Or its heavy rain, it would see it transcribed.

جاء جواب منه كم حافظٍ

جاء جواب منه كم حافظٍ

له وكم ربّ بديعٍ نسخ

له وكم ربّ بديعٍ نسخ

A reply came from him—how many have memorized

An answer has come from it however many keepers,

it, and how many a master of rhetoric has copied it!

For it and however many excellent scribes transcribed.

فدامَ ما امْتدَّ رداء الدجى

فدامَ ما امْتدَّ رداء الدجى

مدبراً بالنجمِ ثم انْسلخ

مدبراً بالنجمِ ثم انْسلخ

So may he endure as long as night's cloak stretches,

So the shelter of darkness lasted departing,

receding with the stars, then slipping away.

With the star then peeled off.