وَبَرقٍand a lightning flash سَرىtraveled by night وَاللَيلُwhile the night يُمحىwas being effaced سَوادُهُits blackness
وَبَرقٍ سَرى وَاللَيلُ يُمحى سَوادُهُ
فَقُلتُso I said سِوارٌa bracelet فيon مَعاصِمِthe wrists of أَسمَراa dusky-skinned man
فَقُلتُ سِوارٌ في مَعاصِمِ أَسمَرا
A lightning flash traveled as the night's blackness faded;
And lightning flashed as night's darkness faded away
so I said: 'A bracelet on a dusky man's wrists.'
So I said, a bracelet on the wrists of a dark-skinned beloved
وَقَدand already سَدَّhad blocked عَرضَthe breadth of الأُفقِthe horizon غَيمٌa cloud تَخالُهُyou would imagine it
وَقَد سَدَّ عَرضَ الأُفقِ غَيمٌ تَخالُهُ
يَزُرُّbuttons up عَلىupon الدُنياthe world قَميصاًa shirt مُعَنبَراscented with ambergris
يَزُرُّ عَلى الدُنيا قَميصاً مُعَنبَرا
A cloud had blocked the horizon's breadth—you would think it
And a cloud has blocked the horizon’s breadth, appearing to it
was buttoning an ambergris-scented shirt upon the world.
Like a brocade shirt visiting the world
تَهادىit swayed عَلىupon أَيديthe hands of الحَبائِبِthe beloveds وَالصِباand the east wind
تَهادى عَلى أَيدي الحَبائِبِ وَالصِبا
كَخَرقٍlike a reckless fellow مِنَamong الفِتيانِthe young men نازَعَgrappled with مُسكِراan intoxicating drink
كَخَرقٍ مِنَ الفِتيانِ نازَعَ مُسكِرا
It swayed upon the hands of beloveds and the east wind,
Swaying into the hands of sweethearts and youth
like a reckless youth who had wrestled with strong drink.
Like a piece of cloth snatched by rowdy boys from a drunkard
تَخالُyou imagine بِهِin it مِسكاًmusk وَبِالقَطرِand in the rain لُؤلُؤاًpearls
تَخالُ بِهِ مِسكاً وَبِالقَطرِ لُؤلُؤاً
وَبِالرَوضِand in the meadow ياقوتاًrubies وَبِالوَحلِand in the mud عَنبَراambergris
وَبِالرَوضِ ياقوتاً وَبِالوَحلِ عَنبَرا
You imagine musk in it, and pearls in the rain,
It seems with it to be musk, and with drops, pearls
rubies in the meadow, and ambergris in the mud.
And in the meadow, ruby, and in the mud, ambergris
سَوادُthe blackness of غَمامٍa cloud يَبعُثُsends forth الماءَthe water أَبيَضاًwhite
سَوادُ غَمامٍ يَبعُثُ الماءَ أَبيَضاً
وَغَرَّةُand the bright brow of أَرضٍearth تُنبِتُbrings forth الزَهرَthe flowers أَصفَراyellow
وَغَرَّةُ أَرضٍ تُنبِتُ الزَهرَ أَصفَرا
A cloud's blackness sends forth white water,
The darkness of clouds sends down white water
and earth's bright brow brings forth yellow blossoms.
And the greenness of land grows yellow flowers
أَتَتكَcame to you بِهِwith it أَنفاسُthe breaths of ريحٍa wind مَريضَةٍailing
أَتَتكَ بِهِ أَنفاسُ ريحٍ مَريضَةٍ
كَمَفظَعَةٍlike a fearsome woman رَعناءَreckless تَستاقُdriving onward عَسكَراan army
كَمَفظَعَةٍ رَعناءَ تَستاقُ عَسكَرا
The breaths of an ailing wind brought it to you,
The breaths of a sick wind brought it to you
like a fearsome, reckless woman driving an army.
Like a snoring she-camel greedily seeking fodder
فَأَلقىthen it cast عَلىupon الغُدرانِthe pools دَرعاًa coat of mail مَسَرَّداًinterlinked
فَأَلقى عَلى الغُدرانِ دَرعاً مَسَرَّداً
وَأَهدىand bestowed إِلىupon القيعانِthe lowlands بُرداًa mantle مُحَبَّراrichly patterned
وَأَهدى إِلى القيعانِ بُرداً مُحَبَّرا
Then it cast an interlinked coat of mail over the pools,
So it threw over the hollows an outspread coat of mail
and bestowed a richly patterned mantle on the lowlands.
And gifted the valleys an embroidered cloak
تَخالُyou imagine الحَياthe rain فيin الجَوِّthe air دُرّاًpearls مُنَظَّماًstrung together
تَخالُ الحَيا في الجَوِّ دُرّاً مُنَظَّماً
وَفيand on وَجَناتِthe cheeks of الأَرضِthe earth دُرّاًpearls مُنَثَّراscattered
وَفي وَجَناتِ الأَرضِ دُرّاً مُنَثَّرا
You would think the rain in the air was strung pearls,
It appears to be, in the air, strung pearls
and on the cheeks of earth, scattered pearls.
And, in the earth's gardens, scattered pearls
وَأَقبَلَand came نَشرُthe fragrance of الأَرضِthe earth فيin نَفَسِthe breath of الصِباthe east wind
وَأَقبَلَ نَشرُ الأَرضِ في نَفَسِ الصِبا
فَباتَso remained overnight بِهِwith it ثَوبُthe robe of الهَواءِthe air مُعَطَّراperfumed
فَباتَ بِهِ ثَوبُ الهَواءِ مُعَطَّرا
Earth's fragrance came upon the east wind's breath,
And the earth's blossoming began in the breath of morning
so all night the air's robe was perfumed with it.
So the air's garment was perfumed overnight
إِذاwhen ما(emphatic particle) دَعَتcall فيهِwithin it الرُعودُthe thunderclaps فَأَسمَعَتthen make themselves heard
إِذا ما دَعَت فيهِ الرُعودُ فَأَسمَعَت
أَجابَanswer حُداةٌcamel-drivers وَاِستَهَلَّand it begins to rain فَأَغزَراthen pours abundantly
أَجابَ حُداةٌ وَاِستَهَلَّ فَأَغزَرا
Whenever the thunderclaps call within it and make themselves heard,
Whenever in it thunder rumbled, it responded
camel-drivers answer, and it begins to rain, then pours abundantly.
With hailstones, and burst forth pouring down
وَيَبكيand it weeps إِذاwhen ما(emphatic particle) أَضحَكَmakes smile البَرقُthe lightning سِنَّهُits tooth
وَيَبكي إِذا ما أَضحَكَ البَرقُ سِنَّهُ
فَيَجعَلُso it makes نارَthe fire of البَرقِthe lightning ماءًwater مُفَجَّراgushing forth
فَيَجعَلُ نارَ البَرقِ ماءً مُفَجَّرا
And it weeps whenever lightning bares its tooth in a smile,
And it weeps when lightning smiles its teeth
turning lightning's fire into gushing water.
Making the fire of lightning gushing water
كَأَنَّas though بِهِwithin it رُؤدَtender in الشَبابِyouth خَريدَةًa shy maiden
كَأَنَّ بِهِ رُؤدَ الشَبابِ خَريدَةً
قَدِalready اِتَّخَذَتshe had taken ثِنيَa fold of السَحابَةِthe cloud مِعجَراa head-veil
قَدِ اِتَّخَذَت ثِنيَ السَحابَةِ مِعجَرا
As though within it were a maiden, tender in her youth,
As if in it the rashness of youth were a necklace
who had taken a fold of cloud for a head-veil.
That took the fold of a cloud as its setting
فَثَغرٌthus a mouth يُريناshows us مِنfrom بَعيدٍafar تَبَلُّجاًradiance
فَثَغرٌ يُرينا مِن بَعيدٍ تَبَلُّجاً
وَدَمعٌand tears يُريناshow us مِنfrom بَعيدٍafar تَحَدُّراstreaming down
وَدَمعٌ يُرينا مِن بَعيدٍ تَحَدُّرا
Thus a mouth shows us its radiance from afar,
A mouth that from afar shows us glittering
and tears show us their streaming down from afar.
And a tear that from afar shows us trickling
Sol 6.1