القطرُthe rain مُنْتُثرٌscattered والزّهرُand the blossoms مُنْتَظمarrayed
القطرُ مُنْتُثرٌ والزّهرُ مُنْتَظم
فالجوُso the sky باكٍweeping وثَغْرُand the mouth of الرّوضthe garden مُبْتَسمُsmiling
فالجوُ باكٍ وثَغْرُ الرّوض مُبْتَسمُ
The rain is scattered, and the blossoms are arrayed;
The rain is scattered and the flowers arranged
So the sky weeps, while the garden's mouth smiles.
So the sky weeps while the meadow's mouth smiles
والماءُand the water كالدرْعlike chain mail أوor كالسّيفlike a sword مُنْصَلتاًunsheathed
والماءُ كالدرْع أو كالسّيف مُنْصَلتاً
يَفريit cleaves الكمائمَthe flower sheaths ضرباًwith blows والشقيقُand the anemones دَمُblood
يَفري الكمائمَ ضرباً والشقيقُ دَمُ
And the water is like chain mail, or like a sword unsheathed,
And the water is like armor or an unsheathed sword
Cleaving the flower sheaths with blows, while the anemones are blood.
Beating down the meadows as blood does the anemone
لاno بلrather تَراهُyou see it كمرآةlike a mirror يُقابلُهاfaces it
لا بل تَراهُ كمرآة يُقابلُها
منَfrom الرياضthe gardens عروسٌa bride زفّهاled her in bridal procession الجُسُمُthe bodies (as written)
منَ الرياض عروسٌ زفّها الجُسُمُ
No, rather you see it as a mirror, faced
No, but you see it as a mirror met
By a bride from the gardens, led in bridal procession by the bodies.
By a bride from the gardens, escorted by a supple body
لهاshe has منَof الوردroses خدٌّa cheek أحمرٌred بُهجٌradiant
لها منَ الورد خدٌّ أحمرٌ بُهجٌ
والنّرجسand the narcissus الغضّtender لحظُa gaze والأقاحُand the daisies فمُa mouth
والنّرجس الغضّ لحظُ والأقاحُ فمُ
She has a cheek of roses, red and radiant,
With cheeks as red as joyous roses
And tender narcissus is her gaze, and daisies her mouth.
And green narcissus eyes and an eloquent mouth
سقياًmay rain bless لجيرةthe neighbors of مصرEgypt أنّهاfor she is وَطنٌa homeland
سقياً لجيرة مصر أنّها وَطنٌ
فيin مثلهits like عُنفوانُthe prime of العيشlife يغتنمُis made the most of
في مثله عُنفوانُ العيش يغتنمُ
May rain bless the neighbors in Egypt, for she is a homeland
Watering Egypt's soil, it being a homeland
In whose like one makes the most of life's prime.
Where the joy of life is seized
تَزَخْرَفَتْshe adorned herself ناهداًa budding-breasted maiden بكراًa virgin فواso, oh عَجَباًwhat wonder
تَزَخْرَفَتْ ناهداً بكراً فوا عَجَباً
منat ناهدa budding-breasted maiden قدalready بداappeared فيon صَدْرهاher breast الهَرمُthe pyramid (also old age)
من ناهد قد بدا في صَدْرها الهَرمُ
She adorned herself as a budding-breasted virgin—oh, what wonder
Adorned as a virgin bride, so wondrous
At a maiden on whose breast the pyramid—old age—has appeared!
That the decrepit now appear in her breast as youth
إلىto القناطرthe arched bridges منfrom نَهياNahya التيwhich بَهَرَتْhas dazzled
إلى القناطر من نَهيا التي بَهَرَتْ
ألبابناour minds فيin نواحيthe reaches of أرضهاher land حكَمُwisdom
ألبابنا في نواحي أرضها حكَمُ
From Nahya to the arched bridges, where wisdom has dazzled
To El Kanater, from her Nile which dazzled
Our minds throughout the reaches of her land.
Our minds in every corner of her land with wisdom
كأنّهاas though they were أبلٌcamels فيin القفرthe wilderness منfrom ظمأthirst
كأنّها أبلٌ في القفر من ظمأ
علىfor ورودcoming to drink زُلالclear and sweet الماءthe water تَزْدَحمُthey crowd together
على ورود زُلال الماء تَزْدَحمُ
As though they were camels in the wilderness, driven by thirst,
She is a camel in the desert, thirsty
Crowding to drink the clear, sweet water.
Crowding around the flowers and cool waters
Sol 6.1