قلْsay لنسيمٍto a breeze زارvisited عندَat الصباحْdawn
قلْ لنسيمٍ زار عندَ الصباحْ
منfrom حَلَكِيَّاتِdeep shadows الرُّبَىthe hills والبِطاحْand the broad valleys
من حَلَكِيَّاتِ الرُّبَى والبِطاحْ
Say to a breeze that visited at dawn,
From the deep shadows of hills and broad valleys:
عرِّجْturn aside علىtoward جسمٍa body كأنas though الضَّنَاwasting sickness
عرِّجْ على جسمٍ كأن الضَّنَا
عِقْدٌa necklace عليهupon it وهْوand it فيهwithin it نِصَاحْa thread
عِقْدٌ عليه وهْو فيه نِصَاحْ
Turn aside toward a body, as though wasting
Were a necklace upon it, and the body a thread within it.
أَماdo you not ترىsee النجمَthe star لُجَيْناًsilver وقدand already
أَما ترى النجمَ لُجَيْناً وقد
كانwas قُبَيْلَjust before الصبحِdawn تِبْراًunwrought gold صُرَاحْpure
كان قُبَيْلَ الصبحِ تِبْراً صُرَاحْ
Do you not see the star as silver, though
Just before dawn it was pure gold?
والفجرُand dawn قدalready مدَّstretched out خليجاًa channel فلوso if
والفجرُ قد مدَّ خليجاً فلو
تنكسرُbreaks away الظلماءُthe darkness عنهfrom it لساحit would flow
تنكسرُ الظلماءُ عنه لساح
And dawn has stretched out a channel; were
The darkness to break away from it, it would flow.
كأَنَّماas though شمَّرَbared عنfrom مِعْصَمٍa wrist
كأَنَّما شمَّرَ عن مِعْصَمٍ
مُخَضِّبٍdyeing راحتَهُits palm بالصَّبَاحْwith morning
مُخَضِّبٍ راحتَهُ بالصَّبَاحْ
As though it had bared a wrist,
Dyeing its palm with morning.
كأنماas though الروضُthe garden بإشراقِهِin its radiance
كأنما الروضُ بإشراقِهِ
وجهُa face كريمٍof a generous man فوْقَهُupon it البشرُgladness لاحshone
وجهُ كريمٍ فوْقَهُ البشرُ لاح
As though the garden, in its radiance,
Were a generous man's face, upon which gladness shone.
كأنماas though نرْجِسُهُits narcissus مَحْجِرٌan eye socket
كأنما نرْجِسُهُ مَحْجِرٌ
ضاعَwas lost عليهِto it نومُهُits sleep حينwhen طاحfled
ضاعَ عليهِ نومُهُ حين طاح
As though its narcissus were an eye socket
Whose sleep, once fled, was lost to it.
كأنماas though جاذَبْنَthey tugged at منfrom دَوْحِهَاits great trees
كأنما جاذَبْنَ من دَوْحِهَا
ذوائبَthe tresses الأغصانof the branches أَيديthe hands الرياحof the winds
ذوائبَ الأغصان أَيدي الرياح
As though, from its great trees, they tugged
At the branches' tresses—the hands of the winds.
كأنَّas though أَعطافthe limbs أَماليدهاof its tender boughs
كأنَّ أَعطاف أَماليدها
رنَّحهاset them reeling الغَيمُthe clouds بكاساتِwith cups of راحwine
رنَّحها الغَيمُ بكاساتِ راح
As though the limbs of its tender boughs
Were set reeling by clouds with cups of wine.
كأنماas though الآسُthe myrtle علىabove ورْدهِits roses
كأنما الآسُ على ورْدهِ
سُمْرُdusky العواليthe tall spears وخدودُand the cheeks المِلاحْof beauties
سُمْرُ العوالي وخدودُ المِلاحْ
As though the myrtle above its roses
Were dusky lances and beauties' cheeks.
كأنماas though الجدولُthe stream نشوانُintoxicated لاnot
كأنما الجدولُ نشوانُ لا
ينفكُّceases to be منfrom نشوتهits intoxication غيرَnot صاحsober
ينفكُّ من نشوته غيرَ صاح
As though the stream were drunk, never
Free of its intoxication, never sober.
كأنماas though السُّحْبُthe clouds رعالٌsquadrons بهاwithin them
كأنما السُّحْبُ رعالٌ بها
للخيلِfor the horses فيin كلevery مَغَارٍraid جِماحunbridled rushing
للخيلِ في كل مَغَارٍ جِماح
As though the clouds were squadrons within which
Horses rushed unbridled in every raid.
كأنَّas though أَطرافَtips بروقٍof lightning flashes هَفَتْflickered
كأنَّ أَطرافَ بروقٍ هَفَتْ
راياتُbanners صُفْرٌyellow ومواضٍand keen صِفاحْbroad blades
راياتُ صُفْرٌ ومواضٍ صِفاحْ
As though the tips of flickering lightning
Were yellow banners and keen, broad blades.
كأنماas though الرعدthunder كَمِيٌّan armored warrior سَطَاassailed
كأنما الرعد كَمِيٌّ سَطَا
علىupon كميٍan armored warrior ولَّىfled فصاحthen cried out
على كميٍ ولَّى فصاح
As though thunder were an armored warrior who charged
At a warrior who fled, then cried out.
كأنَّماas though الديمةُthe steady rain مُنْهَلَّةًpouring down
كأنَّما الديمةُ مُنْهَلَّةً
يمينُthe right hand إِسماعيلَof Ismail يومَon the day of السماحgenerosity
يمينُ إِسماعيلَ يومَ السماح
As though the steady rain, pouring down,
Were Ismail's right hand on a day of bounty.
Sol 6.1