ومنand among سُفُنِthe ships of القَفْرِthe desert سَبّاحةٌa swimmer
ومن سُفُنِ القَفْرِ سَبّاحةٌ
منَof الآلِthe mirage بَحْراًa sea إذاwhen ماemphatic particle اعْتَرَضْit barred the way
منَ الآلِ بَحْراً إذا ما اعْتَرَضْ
Among the ships of the wasteland is a swimmer,
And among the desert's ships is one that swims
for whom the mirage becomes a sea whenever it appears.
through a sea of mirage whenever it bars her way.
لهاshe has شِرّةٌfierce vigor لاnot تُباليshe cares بهاwith it
لها شِرّةٌ لا تُبالي بها
أطالَwhether it stretched long لهاbefore her سبْسَبٌa desert plain أمor عَرُضgrew wide
أطالَ لها سبْسَبٌ أم عَرُض
Hers is a headlong vigor, and she cares not
Her fierce vigor leaves her indifferent
whether a desert plain stretches long before her or broad.
to whether the waste before her stretches long or wide.
إذاwhen خفَقَbeat البَرْدُthe cold بيagainst me خِلْتَنيyou thought me
إذا خفَقَ البَرْدُ بي خِلْتَني
عَلىupon كورهاher saddle طائِراًa bird يَنتَفِضْshaking itself
عَلى كورها طائِراً يَنتَفِضْ
When the cold sets me shivering, you would think me,
When the cold beats against me, you would take me
upon her camel-saddle, a bird quivering.
for a bird shaking itself upon her saddle.
وإنْand if يَعْرِضِappears البعضُa part منof سيرهاher pace
وإنْ يَعْرِضِ البعضُ من سيرها
تَرَyou see العِيسَthe pale camels منfrom خلفهاbehind her تَنقَرِضthey dwindle away
تَرَ العِيسَ من خلفها تَنقَرِض
If but a little of her pace reveals itself,
And if but part of her pace appears,
you see the pale camels behind her disappear.
you see the pale camels behind her dwindle away.
فلوfor if عُوِّضَwere given in exchange المرءُa man منهاin exchange for her الصِّباyouth
فلو عُوِّضَ المرءُ منها الصِّبا
لماwould not رَضِيَتْbe content نَفْسهُhis soul بالعِوضwith the exchange
لما رَضِيَتْ نَفْسهُ بالعِوض
Even if a man were offered youth in exchange for her,
For if a man were given youth in exchange for her,
his soul would never be satisfied with the recompense.
his soul would not be content with the exchange.
هيَshe القوسُthe bow إنّيindeed I لَسَهْمٌsurely an arrow لهاhers
هيَ القوسُ إنّي لَسَهْمٌ لها
أُصيبُI strike بِكُلِّin every فَلاةٍwilderness غَرَضa target
أُصيبُ بِكُلِّ فَلاةٍ غَرَض
She is the bow, and I indeed am her arrow;
She is the bow; I am indeed her arrow,
in every wasteland I strike a target.
I strike a target in every wilderness.
إِذاwhen انبَسَطتْshe stretched out للسُّرىfor night travel أيْأَسَتْshe made despair
إِذا انبَسَطتْ للسُّرى أيْأَسَتْ
سَنَاthe gleam of البرقthe lightning منّيَof me أوunless تَنْقَبِضshe draws herself in
سَنَا البرق منّيَ أو تَنْقَبِض
When she stretches out for night travel, she makes
When she stretches out for night travel, she makes
the lightning’s flash despair of overtaking me; so too when she gathers herself in.
lightning's gleam despair of catching me—unless she draws herself in.
وَعَذْبُand sweet الدموعِtears دليلٌa sign علىof
وَعَذْبُ الدموعِ دليلٌ على
بُكاءِweeping تبَسُّمِthe smile of بَرْقٍlightning وَمَضflashed
بُكاءِ تبَسُّمِ بَرْقٍ وَمَض
And sweet-flowing tears are proof of
And sweet tears bear witness to
the weeping of a smiling lightning-flash.
weeping at the smile of lightning that flashed.
كأنّيas though I منfrom البُعْدِafar إذْwhen شِمْتُهُI watched it
كأنّي من البُعْدِ إذْ شِمْتُهُ
جَسَستُI felt بِعِرقِيَwith my vein عِرقْاًa vein نَبَضpulsed
جَسَستُ بِعِرقِيَ عِرقْاً نَبَض
As though, when I watched it from afar,
It was as though, from afar, when I watched it,
with my own vein I felt another vein pulse.
I had felt with my own vein a pulsing vein.
تَرَفّعَit rose نَحوَtoward رُبوعِthe dwellings of الحمىthe protected land
تَرَفّعَ نَحوَ رُبوعِ الحمى
وحلَّand it unloosed عَزَالِيَهُits spouts وانخَفَضand it sank low
وحلَّ عَزَالِيَهُ وانخَفَض
It rose toward the dwellings of the protected territory,
It rose toward the dwellings of the protected land,
unloosed its water-spouts, and came down.
and unloosed its spouts and sank low,
وجادَand it bestowed generously علىupon الّترْبِthe soil منfrom صَوْبِهِits downpour
وجادَ على الّترْبِ من صَوْبِهِ
بِرِيِّwith the quenching of الصدىthirst وشِفاءِand the healing of المَرَضsickness
بِرِيِّ الصدى وشِفاءِ المَرَض
From its downpour, it lavished upon the earth
and bestowed upon the soil, from its downpour,
the quenching of thirst and the healing of sickness.
the quenching of thirst and the healing of sickness.
Sol 6.1