جاءَcame الشِتاءُwinter جيأَةَwith the arrival of المُفاجيthe surprise visitor
جاءَ الشِتاءُ جيأَةَ المُفاجي
كَأَنَّماas though قَدalready كانَhad been فيat الرِتاجِthe gate
كَأَنَّما قَد كانَ في الرِتاجِ
Winter came like a surprise visitor,
Winter came suddenly with surprise
Winter has arrived with a sudden start,
As though it had already stood at the gate.
As if it had been hiding in wait
As if it had been waiting right at the gate.
فَجَمَدَso froze السائِلُthe liquid فيin الزُجاجِthe glass
فَجَمَدَ السائِلُ في الزُجاجِ
وَاِكتَسَتِand clothed itself الأَرضُthe earth بِمِثلِin something like العاجِivory
وَاِكتَسَتِ الأَرضُ بِمِثلِ العاجِ
So the liquid froze within the glass,
The flowing water froze in the glass
The liquid has frozen inside the glass,
And the earth was clothed in something like ivory.
And the ground was covered as if with ivory
And the earth is clothed in the likeness of ivory.
فَاِمتَنَعَso became unavailable المَرعىpasture عَلىto النِعاجِthe ewes
فَاِمتَنَعَ المَرعى عَلى النِعاجِ
وَاِمتَنَعَand became unavailable الحَبُّgrain عَلىto الدَجاجِthe chickens
وَاِمتَنَعَ الحَبُّ عَلى الدَجاجِ
So pasture was denied the ewes,
The pasture was denied to the sheep
Grazing has become impossible for the sheep,
And grain was denied the chickens,
And the seed was denied to the chickens
And grain is out of reach for the chickens.
وَاِمتَنَعَand became impossible السَيرُtravel عَلىfor النَواجيthe swift mounts
وَاِمتَنَعَ السَيرُ عَلى النَواجي
رُبَّmany a جَوادٍsteed لاحيقٍfleet هِملاجِsmooth-gaited
رُبَّ جَوادٍ لاحيقٍ هِملاجِ
And travel was denied the swift mounts.
And travel was denied on the paths
Travel is denied to the swift mounts;
Many a fleet, smooth-gaited steed,
Many a swift and robust horse
Many a sleek, pacing steed,
مُعَوَّدِaccustomed to الإِلجامbridling وَالإِسراجِand saddling
مُعَوَّدِ الإِلجام وَالإِسراجِ
وَالوَخدand swift striding وَالذَميلand trotting وَالإِهماجِand galloping
وَالوَخد وَالذَميل وَالإِهماجِ
Accustomed to bridling and saddling,
Accustomed to bridle and saddle
Accustomed to the bridle and the saddle,
And swift strides, trotting, and galloping,
And cheekpiece and crupper and stirrup
To trotting, pacing, and galloping hard,
أَصبَحَbecame مِثلَlike العِرقِa vein فيin اِختِلاجِa spasm
أَصبَحَ مِثلَ العِرقِ في اِختِلاجِ
مُنعَرِجاًveering فيon غَيرِnot ذيhaving اِنعِراجِa bend
مُنعَرِجاً في غَيرِ ذي اِنعِراجِ
Became like a vein in spasm,
Woke up writhing as if with colic
Has become like a twitching vein in its trembling,
Veering where there was no bend.
Buckling though on level ground
Swerving on a path that has no curves.
لَوif هاجَهُgoaded it الراكِبُthe rider بِالكُرباجِwith the whip
لَو هاجَهُ الراكِبُ بِالكُرباجِ
لَماwould not مَشىwalk بِهِwith him سِوىexcept اِعوِجاجِcrookedness
لَما مَشى بِهِ سِوى اِعوِجاجِ
If its rider goaded it with a whip,
If its rider had driven it on
If the rider were to urge him with the whip,
It would carry him only crookedly.
It would have walked only crooked
He would move only in a crooked stagger.
لَولاbut for الجَليدُthe ice طارَwould fly بِالمُهتاجِwith the excited one
لَولا الجَليدُ طارَ بِالمُهتاجِ
مِثلَlike البُراقِBuraq بِفَتىwith the youth of المِعراجِthe Ascension
مِثلَ البُراقِ بِفَتى المِعراجِ
But for the ice, it would fly with the excited rider,
If not for the ice, the spirited one would have flown
Were it not for the ice, he would fly with his rider,
Like Buraq with the youth of the Ascension,
Like Al-Buraq with the Prophet's night journey
Like Al-Buraq carrying the Hero of the Ascension,
وَحَطَّهand set him down وَالشَمسُwhile the sun فيin الأَبراجِthe zodiacal constellations
وَحَطَّه وَالشَمسُ في الأَبراجِ
لَكِنَّهُbut it مِنهُbecause of it عَلىon الزُجاجِglass
لَكِنَّهُ مِنهُ عَلى الزُجاجِ
And set him down while the sun was in the zodiac;
And landed while the sun was still in the constellations
And set him down while the sun is still high in the towers,
But because of it, it stands on glass.
But because of the ice it buckled
But because of the ice, he stands as if on glass.
وَأَمسَكَand held back الناسُthe people عَنِfrom اللَجاجِwrangling
وَأَمسَكَ الناسُ عَنِ اللَجاجِ
أَماdo you not تَرىsee نِدائَهُمtheir calling تَناجيwhispered exchanges
أَما تَرى نِدائَهُم تَناجي
And people held back from wrangling;
And people refrained from argument
People have refrained from loud clamor;
Do you not see their calls become whispered exchanges?
Do you not hear their voices whispering
Do you not see that their calling is but a whisper?
كَأَنَّماas though الجُموعُthe crowds فيin المَلاجيthe shelters
كَأَنَّما الجُموعُ في المَلاجي
عَلىat مِنىMina مَواكِبُprocessions الحُجّاجِthe pilgrims
عَلى مِنى مَواكِبُ الحُجّاجِ
As though the crowds in the shelters
As if the crowds were at the sanctuaries
As if the crowds huddled in shelters
Were pilgrims' processions at Mina.
At Mina the processions of pilgrims
Were pilgrim processions at Mina.
وَرَغِبَand turned away المُثريthe wealthy man عَنِfrom الديباجِsilk brocade
وَرَغِبَ المُثري عَنِ الديباجِ
إِلىtoward اللِباسِclothing الخَشِنِcoarse النِساجِweave
إِلى اللِباسِ الخَشِنِ النِساجِ
And the wealthy man turned from brocade
And the ostentatious one was drawn
The wealthy man has turned away from fine silk,
To clothing of coarse weave.
To rough, hand-woven clothes
Favoring instead clothes of rough weave.
وَكانَand it was أَنthat جيءَwas brought لَهُto him بِالتاجِwith the crown
وَكانَ أَن جيءَ لَهُ بِالتاجِ
أَعرَضَhe turned away عَنهُfrom it وارِمَswollen الأَوداجِthe neck-veins
أَعرَضَ عَنهُ وارِمَ الأَوداجِ
And when a crown was brought to him,
When he was brought the crown
And were a crown to be brought to him,
He turned away from it, his neck-veins swollen.
He turned away from it and threw down his staff
He would turn from it, his neck veins swollen in annoyance.
وَاِنقَبَضَand drew back النَهرُthe river عَنِfrom الهِياجِturbulence
وَاِنقَبَضَ النَهرُ عَنِ الهِياجِ
وَكانَand it had been مِثلَlike الزاخِرِthe swelling sea العَجّاجِroaring
وَكانَ مِثلَ الزاخِرِ العَجّاجِ
And the river drew back from its turbulence,
And the river drew back from tumult
The river has withdrawn from its raging flow,
Though it had been like a swelling, roaring sea,
And was like the seething, frothing torrent
Where once it was swelling and tumultuous,
يُصارِعُwrestles الأَمواجَthe waves بِالأَمواجِwith waves
يُصارِعُ الأَمواجَ بِالأَمواجِ
ياO مَسبَحَswimming-place الأُوَزthe geese وَالدُرّاجِand the francolins
يا مَسبَحَ الأُوَز وَالدُرّاجِ
Wrestling waves with waves.
Wrestling waves with waves
Wrestling waves against waves.
O swimming-place of geese and francolins,
O path of flocks and processions
O swimming pool of the geese and francolins,
كيَفَhow غَدَوتَyou have become مَوطِئَa treading-place for الأَحداجِthe riding litters
كيَفَ غَدَوتَ مَوطِئَ الأَحداجِ
وَمَعبَرَand a crossing for الخَلقِpeople إِلىto الخَراجِthe countryside
وَمَعبَرَ الخَلقِ إِلى الخَراجِ
How have you become a path for litters,
How you have become a footway for the wretched
How have you become a path for camel litters,
And a crossing for people to the countryside?
And a crossing for people into destitution
And a crossing for people heading to the fields?
ماwhat لِيwith me وَالصُبحُwhile dawn عَلىin a state of اِنبِلاجِbreaking into light
ما لِي وَالصُبحُ عَلى اِنبِلاجِ
أَخبِطُI stumble blindly كَالعَشواءِlike a night-blind she-camel فيin الدَياجيthe darkness
أَخبِطُ كَالعَشواءِ في الدَياجي
What ails me, though dawn is breaking,
Why am I at dawn still tossing and turning
What ails me, that while the dawn is breaking,
That I stumble like a night-blind she-camel in the dark?
Stumbling about like a blind man in the darkness
I stumble blindly like a camel in the dark?
إِذاwhen أَرَدتُI wish السَيرَwalking فيalong مِنهاجيmy path
إِذا أَرَدتُ السَيرَ في مِنهاجي
طالَgrew prolonged عِثاريmy stumbling فيهon it وَاِنزِلاجيand my slipping
طالَ عِثاري فيه وَاِنزِلاجي
When I wish to walk along my path,
When I try to walk my accustomed path
When I wish to walk upon my path,
My stumbling and slipping on it go on and on.
I stumble and slip constantly
My stumbling and slipping are prolonged.
كَأَنَّيas though I أَمشيwalk عَلىon زُجاجِglass
كَأَنَّي أَمشي عَلى زُجاجِ
مُحتَذِياًshod بِالزِئبَقِin mercury الرَجراجِquivering
مُحتَذِياً بِالزِئبَقِ الرَجراجِ
As though I were walking on glass,
As if walking on glass
It is as if I am walking upon glass,
Shod in quivering quicksilver.
Steadying myself with shifting quicksilver
Shod in shoes of quivering mercury.
خُيِّلَit seemed ليto me لِشِدَّةِbecause of the intensity of اِرتِجاجيmy shaking
خُيِّلَ لي لِشِدَّةِ اِرتِجاجي
أَنَّthat دَميmy blood يَرتَجُّshakes فيin أَشاجيmy veins
أَنَّ دَمي يَرتَجُّ في أَشاجي
It seemed to me, from my violent shaking,
So violent is my shaking
I imagined, from the violence of my shaking,
That my blood was shaking in my veins.
It seems my blood trembles in my veins
That my very blood was trembling within my veins.
أَرىI see الدُنىthe worlds ضَيَّةَnarrow الفِجاجِthe broad paths
أَرى الدُنى ضَيَّةَ الفِجاجِ
وَلَمand did not تَضِقnarrow لَكِنَّماbut only اِحتِياجيmy need
وَلَم تَضِق لَكِنَّما اِحتِياجي
I see the worlds' pathways as narrow,
I see the world as a place of pitfalls
I see the world as having narrow passes,
Yet they have not narrowed; it is only my need
Yet my need is not to avoid them
Though it has not narrowed; rather, my need
إِلىfor طَريقٍa road واضِحِclear الشِجاجِthe passages
إِلى طَريقٍ واضِحِ الشِجاجِ
أَسلُكُI travel فيهِalong it غَيرَwithout ماany اِنزِعاجِdistress
أَسلُكُ فيهِ غَيرَ ما اِنزِعاجِ
For a road whose passages are clear,
But for a clear, smooth road
Is for a road with clear, defined tracks,
Along which I may travel without distress.
To walk on without trouble
Where I may travel without distress.
وَحاجَتيand my need بَِلكَوكَبِfor the star الوَهّاجِblazing
وَحاجَتي بَِلكَوكَبِ الوَهّاجِ
كَحاجَةِlike the need of الأَعمىthe blind man إِلىfor سِراجِa lamp
كَحاجَةِ الأَعمى إِلى سِراجِ
And my need for the blazing star
And I need the blazing star
And my need for the glowing sun
Is like a blind man's need for a lamp.
As the blind man needs a lamp
Is like the blind man's need for a lamp.
إِنif لَجَّpersists هَذاthis القَرُّbitter cold فيin إِحراجيdistressing me
إِن لَجَّ هَذا القَرُّ في إِحراجي
لَأَرفَعَنَّI shall surely raise لِلسَماto the sky اِحتِجاجيmy protest
لَأَرفَعَنَّ لِلسَما اِحتِجاجي
If this bitter cold persists in distressing me,
If this shame persists in distressing me
If this bitter cold persists in tormenting me,
I shall surely raise my protest to the sky.
I will raise my complaint to the heavens
I shall surely raise my protest to the heavens.
Sol 6.1