شَقَقنَthey cleaved بِناwith us تَيّارَthe current of بَحرٍa sea كَأَنَّهُas though it
شَقَقنَ بِنا تَيّارَ بَحرٍ كَأَنَّهُ
إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle جَرَتsailed فيهِupon it السَفينُthe ships يُعَربِدُrages like a drunkard
إِذا ما جَرَت فيهِ السَفينُ يُعَربِدُ
With us aboard, they cleaved the current of a sea that seemed,
The tide has cleft us into a sea that, when
whenever ships sailed upon it, to rage like a drunkard.
A ship rolls on it, seems as though 'twere land
تَرىyou see مُستَقَرَّthe resting place of الماءَthe water مِنهُof it كَأَنَّهُas though it
تَرى مُستَقَرَّ الماءَ مِنهُ كَأَنَّهُ
سَبيبٌa length of cloth عَلىupon الأَرضِthe ground الفَضاءِopen مُمَدَّدُspread out
سَبيبٌ عَلى الأَرضِ الفَضاءِ مُمَدَّدُ
You see where its water rests, as though it were
See the still water there, as 'twere a strip
a length of cloth spread across the open ground.
Of white stretched out across a spacious strand,
وَيَجريand it flows إِذاwhen الأَرواحُthe winds فيهِupon it تَقابَلَتconfront one another
وَيَجري إِذا الأَرواحُ فيهِ تَقابَلَت
كَماjust as مالَtilted مِنfrom كَفِّthe hand of النِهاميal-Nihāmī مُبَرَّدُa file
كَما مالَ مِن كَفِّ النِهامي مُبَرَّدُ
And it flows, when the winds upon it confront one another,
When spirits thro' it ply, 'twill run apace,
like a file tilting from al-Nihāmī’s hand.
As water spilt from fighter's open hand.
فَإِنbut if تَسكُنُgrow still الأَرواحُthe winds خِلتَyou would imagine مُتونَهُits surfaces
فَإِن تَسكُنُ الأَرواحُ خِلتَ مُتونَهُ
مُتونَthe faces of الصِفاحِbroad blades البيضِbright حينَwhen تُجَرَّدُthey are unsheathed
مُتونَ الصِفاحِ البيضِ حينَ تُجَرَّدُ
But if the winds grow still, you would think its surfaces
When spirits quiet are, voids fill its main,
the faces of bright blades when they are unsheathed.
As camel litters of white leather bared.
فَطَوراًso at times تَراهُyou see it وَهوَwhile it is سَيفٌa sword مُهَنَّدُof Indian steel
فَطَوراً تَراهُ وَهوَ سَيفٌ مُهَنَّدُ
وَطَوراًand at times تَراهُyou see it وَهوَwhile it is دِرعٌa coat of mail مُسَرَّدُclosely interlinked
وَطَوراً تَراهُ وَهوَ دِرعٌ مُسَرَّدُ
So at times you see it as a sword of Indian steel,
Now as sword naked see its length unrolled,
and at times you see it as a coat of interlinked mail.
Now as coat mail outspread its folds unpaired.
نُصَعِّدُwe travel upward فيهِupon it وَهوَwhile it is زُرقٌblue جِمامُهُits pools
نُصَعِّدُ فيهِ وَهوَ زُرقٌ جِمامُهُ
فَنَحسِبُso we imagine أَنّاthat we فيin السَماءِthe sky نُصَعِّدُare ascending
فَنَحسِبُ أَنّا في السَماءِ نُصَعِّدُ
We travel up it, its pools blue,
We mount as though 'twere heavenly stair we clomb,
so we imagine we are ascending into the sky.
So high our hopes when we have neared and fared,
أَطَفناwe came round بِمَحمودِto one praised for السَجِيَّةِcharacter ماجِدُnoble
أَطَفنا بِمَحمودِ السَجِيَّةِ ماجِدُ
رِضاهُhis goodwill لِماfor what نَرجوwe hope for مِنَof الخَيرِbounty مَوعِدُa promise
رِضاهُ لِما نَرجو مِنَ الخَيرِ مَوعِدُ
We came to a noble man of praiseworthy character,
To where the sheik, the noble soul returns,
whose goodwill promises the bounty we hope for;
Return his grace doth promise fortunes shared,
بِمَمتَثِلٍto one emulating فِعلَthe deeds of السَحابِthe clouds إِذاwhen غَداbegins
بِمَمتَثِلٍ فِعلَ السَحابِ إِذا غَدا
يُصَفِّقُclaps فيهاwithin them رَعدُهاtheir thunder وَيُغَرِّدُand sings
يُصَفِّقُ فيها رَعدُها وَيُغَرِّدُ
to one who emulates the clouds’ deeds, when
With clouds like tents when early morning glows,
their thunder begins to clap and sing within them.
And thunder thereout cracks, as songs of birds.
Sol 6.1