أَرىI see بَغدادَBaghdad قَدalready أَخنىhas brought ruin عَليهاupon her
أَرى بَغدادَ قَد أَخنى عَليها
وَصَبَّحَهاand attacked her at dawn بِغارَتِهِwith its raid الجَليدُthe frost
وَصَبَّحَها بِغارَتِهِ الجَليدُ
I see Baghdad laid waste,
and frost has raided her at dawn.
كَأَنَّas though ذُرىthe summits مَعالِمِهاher landmarks قِلاصٌyoung she-camels
كَأَنَّ ذُرى مَعالِمِها قِلاصٌ
نَواءٍwell-fattened كُشِّطَتwere stripped off عَنهاfrom them الجُلودُthe hides
نَواءٍ كُشِّطَت عَنها الجُلودُ
As though the summits of her landmarks were young she-camels,
well-fattened, with their hides stripped off.
كَأَنَّas though بِهِupon it لُغامَfroth العيسِthe pale camels باتَتspent the night
كَأَنَّ بِهِ لُغامَ العيسِ باتَت
تُساقِطُهُshedding it عِجالُswift الرَجعِin returning قودُlong-necked
تُساقِطُهُ عِجالُ الرَجعِ قودُ
As though upon it lay the froth of pale camels that spent the night
shedding it, long-necked and swift in their return.
غَطىcovered قِمَمَthe summits النَجادِthe uplands فَكُلُّso every وادٍvalley
غَطى قِمَمَ النَجادِ فَكُلُّ وادٍ
عَلىupon نَشَزاتِهِits knolls سِبٌّa fine linen cloth جَديدُnew
عَلى نَشَزاتِهِ سِبٌّ جَديدُ
It covered the uplands’ summits, so every valley
has a new linen cloth upon its knolls.
كَماjust as تَعرىbecome bare بِهِthrough it الغيطانُthe hollows مَحلاًbarren
كَما تَعرى بِهِ الغيطانُ مَحلاً
وَتَغبَرُّand turn dust-gray التَهايِمُthe lowlands وَالنُجودُand the uplands
وَتَغبَرُّ التَهايِمُ وَالنُجودُ
Even as it leaves the hollows barren,
and the lowlands and uplands turn dust-gray.
فَمَهماso whenever شِئتَyou wish تَنظُرُyou look مِنfrom رُباهاher hills
فَمَهما شِئتَ تَنظُرُ مِن رُباها
إِلىat بيضٍwhite ones عَواقِبُهُنَّtheir consequences سودُblack
إِلى بيضٍ عَواقِبُهُنَّ سودُ
So whenever you wish, from her hills you may gaze
at white things whose consequences are black.
أَقولُI say لَهُto it وَقَدwhile already أَمسىit had become at evening مُكِبّاًbearing down
أَقولُ لَهُ وَقَد أَمسى مُكِبّاً
عَلىupon الأَقطارِthe lands يَضعُفُit weakens أَوor يَزيدُgrows stronger
عَلى الأَقطارِ يَضعُفُ أَو يَزيدُ
I say to it, as it bears down at evening
upon the lands, weakening or growing stronger:
وَراءَكَback with you! فَالخَواطِرُfor thoughts بارِداتٌcold
وَراءَكَ فَالخَواطِرُ بارِداتٌ
عَلىtoward الإِحسانِgenerosity وَالأَيديand the hands جُمودُfrozen
عَلى الإِحسانِ وَالأَيدي جُمودُ
Back with you! For thoughts are cold
toward generosity, and hands are frozen.
وَإِنَّكَand indeed you لَوif تَرومُyou seek مَزيدَmore بَردٍcold
وَإِنَّكَ لَو تَرومُ مَزيدَ بَردٍ
إِلىto بَردٍcold لِأَعوَزَكَwould surely elude you المَزيدُthe increase
إِلى بَردٍ لِأَعوَزَكَ المَزيدُ
And if you sought to add yet more cold
to cold, that increase would elude you.
Sol 6.1