سمعت مقال نفسي فاعتراني

سمعت مقال نفسي فاعتراني

ذهول حرت فيه وضقت صدرا

ذهول حرت فيه وضقت صدرا

I heard my soul's words, and was seized by

I heard my soul speak, so I was seized

Bewilderment; I was lost in it, my breast constricted.

By confusion, perplexed and my chest narrowed.

وبعد تأملي في ما ارتأتهث

وبعد تأملي في ما ارتأتهث

شهدت لها بصحتِه مقرا

شهدت لها بصحتِه مقرا

And after reflecting on what it had deemed right,

After reflecting on what it intended,

I testified in its favor, acknowledging its truth.

I confessed it was right, admitting it fully.

وأيقظت القريحة من كراها

وأيقظت القريحة من كراها

فلبتني ولي لم تعصِ امرا

فلبتني ولي لم تعصِ امرا

And I awakened my poetic gift from its slumber;

I awakened inspiration from its dislike,

It answered me and disobeyed no command of mine.

So it obeyed me though it never disobeyed an order.

وسالت واليراع يمد منها

وسالت واليراع يمد منها

ويرقم وحيَها سطراً فسطرا

ويرقم وحيَها سطراً فسطرا

And it flowed, while the reed pen drew from it,

It flowed and imagination extended from it,

And inscribed its inspiration, line after line,

Writing its revelation line by line.

عن الحرب التي دارت رحاها

عن الحرب التي دارت رحاها

فصار لها سوادُ الناس برا

فصار لها سوادُ الناس برا

Of the war whose millstone turned,

About the war that happened during its time,

So that the mass of mankind became its wheat.

So the color of people turned white from it.

تدفق سيلها فطما عليهم

تدفق سيلها فطما عليهم

وأصبح غامراً للارض غمرا

وأصبح غامراً للارض غمرا

Its torrent gushed forth and surged over them,

Its flood overwhelmed them

And came to engulf the earth completely.

And the land was completely submerged.

وشبّ ضرامها فشوى البرايا

وشبّ ضرامها فشوى البرايا

كما تشوي الاتاتين الاجرا

كما تشوي الاتاتين الاجرا

And its blaze flared up, roasting all creatures,

Its embers blazed so it scorched the land

As kilns fire bricks.

As fire scorches the twigs.

أضلمت بالوليد فشاب هولاً

أضلمت بالوليد فشاب هولاً

ولامست الحديد فذاب صهرا

ولامست الحديد فذاب صهرا

It assailed the infant, who turned gray with terror,

It darkened with resolve so it flamed with horror,

And touched iron, which melted into liquid.

And touched iron so it melted completely.

ولستُ أرى لها وصفاً سوى ما

ولستُ أرى لها وصفاً سوى ما

زهير قالهُ وكفاهُ فخرا

زهير قالهُ وكفاهُ فخرا

And I see no description of it except what

I see no description for it but what

Zuhayr said—and that was glory enough for him.

Zuhair said about it, and that suffices as pride.

كأن الغيب صورها لديهِ

كأن الغيب صورها لديهِ

فأحكم وصفها فرواه شعرا

فأحكم وصفها فرواه شعرا

As though the unseen had pictured it before him,

It's as if the unknown pictured it for him

So he perfected its description and recounted it in verse.

So he precisely described it and narrated it in verse.

ولو كبرى حروب الارض عُدَّت

ولو كبرى حروب الارض عُدَّت

لما حسبت لديها غير صغرى

لما حسبت لديها غير صغرى

And even if the greatest wars on earth were counted,

If the great wars of the earth were counted,

They would be reckoned only minor beside it.

None would be considered small beside it.