نَثَرَscattered الجوُّthe sky علىupon الأرْضِthe earth بَرَدْhail
نَثَرَ الجوُّ على الأرْضِ بَرَدْ
أيّwhat دُرٍّpearls لنحورٍfor necks لوif only جَمَدْit stayed frozen
أيّ دُرٍّ لنحورٍ لو جَمَدْ
The sky scattered hail upon the earth.
The air spread coldness over the land
What pearls for necks, if only they stayed frozen!
What pearls for throats if they solidify
لؤلؤٌpearls أصْدافُهُits shells السُّحْبُthe clouds التيwhich
لؤلؤٌ أصْدافُهُ السُّحْبُ التي
أنْجَزَfulfilled البارقُthe lightning منهاfrom them ماwhat وَعَدpromised
أنْجَزَ البارقُ منها ما وَعَد
Pearls whose shells are the clouds from which
Pearls whose shells are clouds
lightning delivered what it had promised.
From which lightning accomplished what it promised
منحتْهُthey bestowed it عارياًfree منof نَكَدٍhardship
منحتْهُ عارياً من نَكَدٍ
واكتسابand acquiring الدُّرّpearls بالغَوصِby diving نَكدhardship
واكتساب الدُّرّ بالغَوصِ نَكد
They bestowed it free of hardship;
It gave them bare of misery
yet winning pearls by diving is hardship.
And acquiring pearls by diving is misery
ولقدand indeed كادَتْthey almost تعاطَىundertake لَقْطَهُgathering it
ولقد كادَتْ تعاطَى لَقْطَهُ
رغبةًout of desire فيهfor it كريماتُthe noble ones among الخُرُدbashful maidens
رغبةً فيه كريماتُ الخُرُد
And indeed, they almost set about gathering it—
Noble ants almost picked them up
the noble bashful maidens, longing for it—
Eagerly like precious rubies
وتحلّيand adorn منهُwith some of it أجياداًnecks إذاwhen
وتحلّي منهُ أجياداً إذا
عَطِلَتْwere unadorned راقَتكَpleased you فيamong حَليthe adornments of الغَيَدgraceful maidens
عَطِلَتْ راقَتكَ في حَلي الغَيَد
and adorning with it necks that, when
And adorn yourself with them if
bare, still charm you among graceful maidens' jewels.
Your necklace was invalidated, the loss of its beads
ذَوّبَتْهُmelted it منfrom سماءٍthe sky أدْمُعٌtears
ذَوّبَتْهُ من سماءٍ أدْمُعٌ
فَوْقَabove أرْضٍan earth تتلقاهُreceiving it بِخَدwith a cheek
فَوْقَ أرْضٍ تتلقاهُ بِخَد
Tears from the sky melted it
The sky melted them with tears
above an earth that receives it on its cheek.
Above a ground receiving them on its cheek
فَجَرَتْso flowed منهُfrom it سيولٌtorrents حولَناaround us
فَجَرَتْ منهُ سيولٌ حولَنا
كثعابينlike snakes عجالٍswift تَطّرِدrushing onward
كثعابين عجالٍ تَطّرِد
So torrents flowed from it around us,
Streams flowed from it around us
like swift snakes rushing onward.
Like serpents of rushing flood
وترىand you see كلّevery غديرٍpool مُتئقٍbrimming
وترى كلّ غديرٍ مُتئقٍ
سَبَحَتْfloated فيهin it قواريرُglass flasks الزّبَدthe foam
سَبَحَتْ فيه قواريرُ الزّبَد
And you see every brimming pool,
And you see every deep stream
where glass flasks of foam have floated—
Bubbles swam in it
منof يعاليلَwater bubbles كبيضٍlike eggs وُضِعَتْwere laid
من يعاليلَ كبيضٍ وُضِعَتْ
فيamid اشتباكِthe interlacing of الماءِthe water منfrom فوقِabove زَرَدchain mail
في اشتباكِ الماءِ من فوقِ زَرَد
formed of bubbles like eggs laid
From eggs laid
amid the water's interlacing, atop chain mail.
In the intertwining of water above turquoise
أرّقَkept sleepless الأجفانَthe eyelids رعدٌthunder صوتُهُits voice
أرّقَ الأجفانَ رعدٌ صوتُهُ
كهديرِlike the roar of القَرْمِthe stud camel فيamong الشّوْلِthe dry-uddered she-camels حَفَدhastened
كهديرِ القَرْمِ في الشّوْلِ حَفَد
Thunder kept eyelids sleepless, its voice
Thunder, its voice soothed eyelids
like a stud camel's roar as it hastened among dry she-camels.
Like the gurgling of a ladle in boiling water
باتَspent the night يَجتابُtraversing بِأَبكارِwith the first showers of الحياrain
باتَ يَجتابُ بِأَبكارِ الحيا
بلداًa land يُرْويهِwatering it fully مِنْfrom بَعْدِafter بَلَدa land
بلداً يُرْويهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ بَلَد
It ranged all night with rain's first showers,
It wandered the countries of life
watering one land after another.
A land it waters after land
فَهوَso it is كَالحاديlike the camel-driver رَواياwater-bearing camels إنif وَنَتْthey flag
فَهوَ كَالحادي رَوايا إن وَنَتْ
فيon السُّرَىthe night journey صاحَhe shouts عَليهاat them وجَلَدand lashes
في السُّرَى صاحَ عَليها وجَلَد
So it is like a driver of water-bearing camels: if they flag
So it is like the guide, if passions
on the night journey, he shouts at them and lashes them.
Arouse it, it shouts at them and flogs
وكأنّand as though البرقَthe lightning فيهاwithin them حاذفٌa hurler
وكأنّ البرقَ فيها حاذفٌ
بضرامٍwith blazing fire كلّماwhenever شَبّit flared خَمَدit died down
بضرامٍ كلّما شَبّ خَمَد
And lightning within them seems a hurler
As if the lightning in them is an archer
of blazing fire: whenever it flares, it dies.
With arrows, whenever ignited it is quenched
تارةًat times يخفوit flashes ويَخفىand it is hidden تارَةًat times
تارةً يخفو ويَخفى تارَةً
كحسامٍlike a keen sword كلّماwhenever سُلّit is drawn غُمِدit is sheathed
كحسامٍ كلّما سُلّ غُمِد
At times it flashes, and at times it hides,
Sometimes it hides and disappears, sometimes
like a keen sword, sheathed whenever drawn.
Like a sword whenever unsheathed it is sheathed
يَذْعَرُstartles الأبْصارَthe eyes محمرّاًglowing red كماjust as
يَذْعَرُ الأبْصارَ محمرّاً كما
قَلَبَturned back الحملاقَthe inner eyelid فيin اللّيلِthe night الأسَدthe lion
قَلَبَ الحملاقَ في اللّيلِ الأسَد
It startles the eyes, glowing red, as
It terrifies the sights flashing red as
a lion turns back its inner eyelid at night.
The lion overturned the camel-loads in the night
وعليلِand sickly in النّبْتِgrowth ظمآنِthirsty in الثرىsoil
وعليلِ النّبْتِ ظمآنِ الثرى
عرّجturned aside الرّائدُthe pasture-scout عنهfrom it فزهدand so lost interest
عرّج الرّائدُ عنه فزهد
And a land of sickly growth and thirsty soil,
And the thirsty land’s feeble plants
from which the pasture-scout turned away in disdain—
The guide turned away from it and abstained
خَلَعَbestowed الخصبُfertility عليهupon it حُلَلاًrobes
خَلَعَ الخصبُ عليه حُلَلاً
لبديعbecause of the wondrous الرقمِembroidery فيهنّin them جُدُدnew
لبديع الرقمِ فيهنّ جُدُد
Fertility bestowed robes upon it,
Vegetation dressed it in robes
new with the wondrous embroidery they bear.
With a splendid pattern, renewed
وسَقاهُand watered it الريَّto its fill منfrom وكّافَةٍa pouring cloud
وسَقاهُ الريَّ من وكّافَةٍ
فَتَحَopened البرقُthe lightning بهاthrough it اللّيلَthe night وسَدand closed
فَتَحَ البرقُ بها اللّيلَ وسَد
And watered it to fullness from a pouring cloud,
And the rain watered it from the water-skin
through which lightning opened the night and closed it,
So the lightning opened the night and blocked it
ذاتِbearing قطرٍraindrops داخلٍentering جَوْفَthe depths of الثرىthe soil
ذاتِ قطرٍ داخلٍ جَوْفَ الثرى
كَحياةِlike the life of الروحِthe soul فيin مَوتِthe death of الجَسَدthe body
كَحياةِ الروحِ في مَوتِ الجَسَد
bearing rain that enters the depths of the soil,
With dripping drops inside the belly of the earth
like the soul's life amid the body's death.
Like the soul's life in the corpse's death
فتثنَّىso swayed الغصنُthe branch سكراًdrunkenly بالنّدىwith dew
فتثنَّى الغصنُ سكراً بالنّدى
وتغنّىand sang ساجعُthe cooing one among الطيرِthe birds غَردwarbling
وتغنّى ساجعُ الطيرِ غَرد
So the branch swayed, drunk with dew,
So the branch bent, drunk with dew
and the cooing bird sang, warbling.
And the birds glorified and chirped
وكأنّand as though الصبحَthe dawn كَفٌّa hand حَلّلَتْuntied
وكأنّ الصبحَ كَفٌّ حَلّلَتْ
منfrom ظلامِthe darkness of اللّيلِthe night بالنورِwith light عُقَدknots
من ظلامِ اللّيلِ بالنورِ عُقَد
And dawn seems a hand that has untied
As if the dawn were hands that untied
with light the knots of the night's darkness.
From the night’s darkness, knots with light
وكأنّand as though الشمسَthe sun تجريstreams ذهباًgold
وكأنّ الشمسَ تجري ذهباً
طَائراًflying فيin صَيدِهِcatching it منfrom كلِّevery يَدhand
طَائراً في صَيدِهِ من كلِّ يَد
And the sun seems to stream gold,
And as if the sun flowed, molten gold
flying from every hand that tries to catch it.
Flying, hunted by every hand
Sol 6.1