بَينَbetween الدُجىdarkness وَاِحمِرارٌand redness شَقَّهُcleft it الشَفَقُtwilight
بَينَ الدُجى وَاِحمِرارٌ شَقَّهُ الشَفَقُ
النورُthe light يَرقُصُdances فيin عَينيmy eye وَيَتَأَلَّقُand sparkles
النورُ يَرقُصُ في عَيني وَيَتَأَلَّقُ
Between darkness and a redness cleft by twilight,
Between dusk and redness split by twilight
light dances in my eye and sparkles.
Light dances in my eyes and glitters
لاno هَدأَةٌrest تُسعِدُcomforts الحَيرانَthe bewildered one لاno سَنَةٌdrowsiness
لا هَدأَةٌ تُسعِدُ الحَيرانَ لا سَنَةٌ
تَقَرُّfinds peace عَينٌan eye بِهاin it قَدindeed شَفَّهاwore it thin الأَرَقُsleeplessness
تَقَرُّ عَينٌ بِها قَد شَفَّها الأَرَقُ
No rest comforts the bewildered, no drowsiness
No tranquility brings joy to the confused, no year
in which an eye, worn thin by sleeplessness, finds peace.
In which an eye finds rest; wakefulness has despoiled it
فَلاso not أَرىI see غَيرَother than أَحلامٍdreams مُكَوكَبَةٍstar-studded
فَلا أَرى غَيرَ أَحلامٍ مُكَوكَبَةٍ
وَغَيرَand other than رَسمِthe outline سَماءٍof a sky باتَspent the night يَحتَرِقُburning
وَغَيرَ رَسمِ سَماءٍ باتَ يَحتَرِقُ
So I see nothing but star-studded dreams,
So I see naught but dreams like constellations
and the outline of a sky that burns through the night.
And naught but the shape of a sky that burned through the night
هذاthis النَهارُdaylight خِلالَthrough السُحبِthe clouds يَظهَرُappears ليto me
هذا النَهارُ خِلالَ السُحبِ يَظهَرُ لي
لَقَدindeed لَمَحتُI glimpsed عَلىabove الواديthe valley بَشائِرَهُits heralds
لَقَد لَمَحتُ عَلى الوادي بَشائِرَهُ
This daylight appears to me through the clouds;
This day looms through the clouds and appears to me
I have glimpsed its heralds above the valley.
I glimpsed its tidings over the valley
تَلوحُgleam شاحِبَةًpale فيin الشَرقِthe east حالِمَةًdreaming
تَلوحُ شاحِبَةً في الشَرقِ حالِمَةً
تُوَشِّحُdrape السُحبُthe clouds الدَكناdark ضَفائِرَهُits tresses
تُوَشِّحُ السُحبُ الدَكنا ضَفائِرَهُ
They gleam pale in the east, dreaming;
Wanly gleaming in the east, dreaming
the dark clouds drape its tresses.
The dusky clouds wrap it in their braids
وَأَنتِand you نافورَةَfountain الحُسنِof beauty الَّتيthat خَفِيَتlay hidden
وَأَنتِ نافورَةَ الحُسنِ الَّتي خَفِيَت
أَيّانَwhen أَلقاكِI meet you أَوor أَلقىI find مَصادِرَهُits sources
أَيّانَ أَلقاكِ أَو أَلقى مَصادِرَهُ
And you, fountain of beauty that lies hidden,
And you, fountain of beauty who disappeared
when shall I find you, or find its sources?
When will I find you or find your springs?
وَكانَتِand were السُحبُthe clouds الغَيماءُdusky سارِيَةًtraveling by night
وَكانَتِ السُحبُ الغَيماءُ سارِيَةً
عَلىover المُحيطِthe ocean خِفافُlight الرُكبِthe knees فيin سَربِa flock
عَلى المُحيطِ خِفافُ الرُكبِ في سَربِ
And the dusky clouds were journeying by night,
The thick clouds stretched
over the ocean, light-kneed, in a flock.
Across the ocean, a fleet of ships in formation
قَدindeed أَبدَعَتfashioned exquisitely صَبغَthe coloring وَشيٍbrocade مِنfrom مَطارِفِهاtheir embroidered mantles
قَد أَبدَعَت صَبغَ وَشيٍ مِن مَطارِفِها
فيin حُمرَةٍredness عَجَبٍwonder فيin فِتنَةٍenchantment ذَهَبِgold
في حُمرَةٍ عَجَبٍ في فِتنَةٍ ذَهَبِ
They have exquisitely fashioned brocade's colors from their mantles,
They created a dye, a wonder of crimson, of gold enchantment
in wondrous crimson, in the enchantment of gold.
And the stars dance their dance
وَتَرقُصُand dance الأَنجُمُthe stars الزَهراءُradiant رَقصَتَهاtheir dance
وَتَرقُصُ الأَنجُمُ الزَهراءُ رَقصَتَها
فيin مُطلَقٍboundless space مِنof أَثيرِether الجَوِّof the air مُلتَهِبِblazing
في مُطلَقٍ مِن أَثيرِ الجَوِّ مُلتَهِبِ
And the radiant stars dance their dance
In the open sky aflame
in a boundless expanse of the sky's blazing ether.
That which lit the waters with light
أَماas for الَّذيthat which وَشَّعَembroidered الأَمواهِthe waters بِالنورِwith light
أَما الَّذي وَشَّعَ الأَمواهِ بِالنورِ
فَزَورَقٌso, a boat ناصِعُbrilliant الأَلوانِin color بَلّوريcrystalline
فَزَورَقٌ ناصِعُ الأَلوانِ بَلّوري
As for what embroidered the waters with light,
Is a vessel of bright colors, of crystal
it is a crystalline boat, brilliant in color.
Tossed on the foam of the waves
بَيناهُwhile it فيamid شائِبِthe mingled mass الأَمواجِof the waves مُضطَرِبٌtossing
بَيناهُ في شائِبِ الأَمواجِ مُضطَرِبٌ
يَختالُsways proudly ماwhat lies بَينَbetween تَصعيدٍrising وَتَغديرِand settling into pools
يَختالُ ما بَينَ تَصعيدٍ وَتَغديرِ
While it tossed amid the mingled waves,
Rising and falling on the swells
swaying proudly between rising and settling,
The guide appeared to it in the night, spellbound
بَداappeared الدَليلُthe guide لَهُto it فيin اللَيلِthe night مُنبَهِراًdazzled
بَدا الدَليلُ لَهُ في اللَيلِ مُنبَهِراً
فيin لُؤلُؤِيٍّa pearly glow مِنَof الأَنوارِlights مَسحورِenchanted
في لُؤلُؤِيٍّ مِنَ الأَنوارِ مَسحورِ
the guide appeared to it in the night, dazzled,
By its pearls of light, enchanted
in an enchanted pearly glow of lights.
Never in its long age has the universe witnessed
لَمdid not يَشهَدِwitness الكَونُthe universe فيin آزالِهِits past eternities أَبَداًever
لَم يَشهَدِ الكَونُ في آزالِهِ أَبَداً
هذاthis الجَلالُmajesty الَّذيthat يَسريglides علىover الماءِthe water
هذا الجَلالُ الَّذي يَسري على الماءِ
Never, in all its past eternities, has the universe witnessed
This majesty sailing on the water
this majesty that glides over the water.
The star of dusk, arrows assailing it
قَدindeed ظَلَّkept نَجمُthe star الدُجىof night سَهمانُwan يَقذِفُهُshooting at it
قَد ظَلَّ نَجمُ الدُجى سَهمانُ يَقذِفُهُ
بَأَسهُمٍwith arrows تَتَهادىdrift gently مِنهُfrom it وَضاءِradiant
بَأَسهُمٍ تَتَهادى مِنهُ وَضاءِ
The wan star of night kept shooting at it
With missiles of light pouring forth from it
with radiant arrows drifting gently from it.
Formed from the sleeping night, its rays
صيغَتwere fashioned مِنَfrom اللَيلَكِthe lilac الغافيslumbering أَشِعَّتُهاtheir rays
صيغَت مِنَ اللَيلَكِ الغافي أَشِعَّتُها
فَأَصبَحَتso they became بَينَbetween بَيضاءٍwhite وَزَرقاءِand blue
فَأَصبَحَت بَينَ بَيضاءٍ وَزَرقاءِ
Their rays were fashioned from the slumbering lilac,
Turned to white and blue
so they became midway between white and blue.
Bewildered in deep sleep, I imagined
ذَهَلتُI was dazed فيin حُلمٍa dream غافٍslumbering وَخُيِّلَand it seemed ليto me
ذَهَلتُ في حُلمٍ غافٍ وَخُيِّلَ لي
أَنّيthat I عَبَرتُhad crossed طَريقاًa road كُلَّهُall of it ظُلَمُdarkness
أَنّي عَبَرتُ طَريقاً كُلَّهُ ظُلَمُ
I was dazed in a slumbering dream, and it seemed to me
I crossed a road completely dark
that I had crossed a road, all of it darkness,
No human had ever entered it before me
لَمhad not يَغِشَهاentered it مِنfrom among بَنيthe children of الإِنسانِhumankind مُقتَحِمُan adventurer
لَم يَغِشَها مِن بَني الإِنسانِ مُقتَحِمُ
قَبليbefore me وَماnor وَطِئَتhad trodden أَرضاًground بَهاin it قَدَمُa foot
قَبلي وَما وَطِئَت أَرضاً بَها قَدَمُ
which no adventurer among humankind had entered
Or placed a foot on the ground there
before me, nor had any foot trodden the ground there.
It inspired awe, its silence and the night intensified it
تَحِفُّskirts دَغلاًa thicket تُثيرُstirs النَفسَthe soul وَحشَتُهُits desolation
تَحِفُّ دَغلاً تُثيرُ النَفسَ وَحشَتُهُ
الصَمتُsilence يَحكُمُهُrules it وَاللَيلُand night وَالأَجَمُّand the thickets
الصَمتُ يَحكُمُهُ وَاللَيلُ وَالأَجَمُّ
It skirts a thicket whose desolation stirs the soul;
I felt my heart aflame, its heat undulated
silence rules it, and night, and the thickets.
As I saw the ocean's mist shining
أَحسَستُI felt بِالقَلبِin the heart ناراًa fire طافَcircled طائِفُهاits phantom
أَحسَستُ بِالقَلبِ ناراً طافَ طائِفُها
كَماas رَأَيتُI saw عُبابَthe surge البَحرِof the sea قَدindeed سَطَعاshone forth
كَما رَأَيتُ عُبابَ البَحرِ قَد سَطَعا
I felt a fire in my heart, its phantom circling,
I stood there stunned, it terrified me, pleading
as I saw the sea's surging waters shine forth.
As if the light of a god had risen above it
وَقَفتُI stood مُنذَهِلاًastonished أَرعاهُI watch it مُبتَهِلاًsupplicating
وَقَفتُ مُنذَهِلاً أَرعاهُ مُبتَهِلاً
كَأَنَّas though نورَthe light إِلَهٍof a god فَوقَهُabove it طَلَعاhad risen
كَأَنَّ نورَ إِلَهٍ فَوقَهُ طَلَعا
I stood astonished, watching it in supplication,
I bowed my head in reverence and humility
as though the light of a god had risen above it.
To it, and remained in worship, submitting
أَحنَيتُI bowed رَأسِيَmy head إِجلالاًin reverence وَتَكرِمَةَand honor
أَحنَيتُ رَأسِيَ إِجلالاً وَتَكرِمَةَ
لَهُto it وظَلتُand I remained مِنَfrom التَقديسِveneration مُختَشِعاhumbled
لَهُ وظَلتُ مِنَ التَقديسِ مُختَشِعا
I bowed my head in reverence and honor
to it, and remained humbled by adoration.
Partial English translation: 40 of 42 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1