لَمdid not أَرَI see صَفّاًa row مِثلَlike صَفِّthe row of الزُطِّthe Zutt
لَم أَرَ صَفّاً مِثلَ صَفِّ الزُطِّ
تِسعينَninety مِنهُمof them صُلِبواthey were crucified فيin خَطِّa line
تِسعينَ مِنهُم صُلِبوا في خَطِّ
I have never seen a row like the row of the Zutt:
I saw no line like Zutt's line,
Ninety of them were crucified in a line,
Ninety of them crucified in a row,
كَأَنَّماas though غَمَّستَهُمyou dipped them فيin نَفطِnaphtha
كَأَنَّما غَمَّستَهُم في نَفطِ
مِنof كُلِّeach عالٍhigh جِذعُهُhis tree trunk بِالشَطِّby the shore
مِن كُلِّ عالٍ جِذعُهُ بِالشَطِّ
As though you had dipped them in naphtha,
As if you had dipped them in petrol,
Each with his tree trunk towering by the shore.
Each lofty tree-trunk split lengthwise,
كَأَنَّهُas though he فيon جِذعِهِhis tree trunk المُشتَطِّtowering
كَأَنَّهُ في جِذعِهِ المُشتَطِّ
أَخوone possessed of نُعاسٍdrowsiness جَدَّapplied himself earnestly فيin التَمَطّيstretching
أَخو نُعاسٍ جَدَّ في التَمَطّي
As though, upon his towering trunk, he were
As if each body on its cross contained
A drowsy man stretching in earnest,
A brother of Nu'as, serious and awake,
قَدalready خامَرَmingled with النَومَsleep وَلَمand did not يَغِطِّhe snore
قَد خامَرَ النَومَ وَلَم يَغِطِّ
Who had drifted into sleep but had not snored.
Who taunted sleep, and refused to sleep.
Sol 6.1