إِذاwhen البَرقُthe lightning مِنfrom شَرقِيِّthe eastern side of دَجلَةَthe Tigris يَنبَريflashes forth
إِذا البَرقُ مِن شَرقِيِّ دَجلَةَ يَنبَري
عَلىacross صَفَحاتِthe expanses of البارِقِthe lightning-bearing cloud المُتَأَلِّقِgleaming
عَلى صَفَحاتِ البارِقِ المُتَأَلِّقِ
When lightning flashes forth from east of the Tigris,
When lightning cracks from eastern Tigris
Across the expanses of the gleaming storm cloud,
Upon the shining pages of the flashes
أُشَبِّهُهُI liken it to دَهراًa time أَغَرَّwhite-blazed مُحَجَّلاًwhite-footed
أُشَبِّهُهُ دَهراً أَغَرَّ مُحَجَّلاً
نَعِمناwe lived in bliss بِهِin it فيin ظِلِّthe shade of فَينانَa spreading tree مورِقِleafy
نَعِمنا بِهِ في ظِلِّ فَينانَ مورِقِ
I liken it to a time, white-blazed and white-footed,
I liken it to a charming time
In which we lived in bliss beneath a spreading, leafy tree.
That blessed us in the shade of burgeoning trees
فَمَرَّthen it passed كَرَجعِlike the blink of الطَرفِthe eye لَيسَdoes not يَرُدُّهُbring it back
فَمَرَّ كَرَجعِ الطَرفِ لَيسَ يَرُدُّهُ
حَنينٌyearning إِلىfor مَخبورَةِwhat was once familiar to المُتَعَشِّقِthe lover
حَنينٌ إِلى مَخبورَةِ المُتَعَشِّقِ
Then it passed like the blink of an eye; it is not brought back
Yet it passed like a glance that cannot be recalled
By yearning for what the lover once knew.
By the yearning of the enamored one
وَقَدand sometimes يَعرُدُemerges المَحذورُwhat is feared مِنfrom حَيثُwhere يُرتَجىhope is placed
وَقَد يَعرُدُ المَحذورُ مِن حَيثُ يُرتَجى
وَيُمكِنُكَand becomes attainable to you المَرجُوُّwhat is hoped for مِنfrom حَيثُwhere تَتَّقيyou guard against harm
وَيُمكِنُكَ المَرجُوُّ مِن حَيثُ تَتَّقي
Yet what is feared may emerge from where hope is placed,
And what is feared may happen from whence it is hoped
And what you hope for may come within your reach from where you fear harm.
And what is hoped may enable you from whence you take precautions
Sol 6.1