أماdo you not ترىyou see الرَيحانَthe basil أوراقُهُits leaves
أما ترى الرَيحانَ أوراقُهُ
تلتفُّcurl تجعيداًinto curls ولاand do not تَنبسِطspread flat
تلتفُّ تجعيداً ولا تَنبسِط
Do you not see the basil—its leaves
Do you not see how basil's leaves
Curl into ringlets and do not spread flat?
Curl and wrinkle, never lying flat?
دقيقَةُfine اللّماتِthe locks of hair فيupon رُؤسهاtheir heads
دقيقَةُ اللّماتِ في رُؤسها
كأنَّهُas though it were أسودُa black man جعدٌcurly-haired قططtightly curled
كأنَّهُ أسودُ جعدٌ قطط
With fine locks upon their heads,
Tiny thorns crown slim tips
As though it were a black man with tightly curled hair.
Like locks of tight black curls.
وقدand indeed غداhas become تنويرُهُits bloom جَوهَراًa jewel
وقد غدا تنويرُهُ جَوهَراً
ففيso in المواميthe desert wastes والرُبىand the hills يُلتقَطis gathered
ففي الموامي والرُبى يُلتقَط
And its bloom has now become a jewel,
Its seeds have hardened into gems
So it is gathered in the desert wastes and on the hills,
Scattered over hill and dale.
حتّىuntil اذاwhen ماemphatic particle مَلّgrew weary مِنof مكثِهِits lingering
حتّى اذا ما مَلّ مِن مكثِهِ
فيon عُودهits stalk المُشرقthe gleaming فيهon it سَقطfell
في عُوده المُشرق فيه سَقط
Until, when it tires of lingering
When weary of its branch's stay
On its gleaming stalk, it falls there,
It drops from shining limb,
مكتشِفاًuncovering عنfrom over ثَمرٍfruit أسودٍblack
مكتشِفاً عن ثَمرٍ أسودٍ
كأنّهas though it were منfrom نفضshaking off حِبرٍink نُقِطwas dotted
كأنّه من نفض حِبرٍ نُقِط
Revealing black fruit,
Baring darkened fruit that seems
As though dotted with spattered ink.
Dipped in spattered ink.
Sol 6.1