أُحذِّركُمْ أمواجَ دجلةَ إذ غدَتْ

مُصَنْدَلَةً بالمَدِّ أمواجُ مائِها

I warn you of the Tigris’s waves, now that

the waves of her waters are piled high by the flood.

وظلَّت صِغارُ السُّفنِ ترقُصُ وسطَها

كَرَقْصِ بَنَاتِ الزَّنْجِ عندَ انتشائِها

The little boats kept dancing in their midst,

like daughters of the Zanj dancing in their intoxication.

فكم من غريق قد رأيت رداءه

يجولمجال الطرف فوق ردائها

How many a drowning man have I seen, his cloak

roving as swiftly as the eye over her mantle.

وما أنْسَ من يومٍ ذَممتُ صنيعهَ

فما أنسَ يومي واقفاً بِفنائهِا

Of all the days whose deed I cursed, I do not forget—

never shall I forget my day standing at her edge—

وقد عصفتْ بالجسرِ ريحٌ فأقبلتْ

سفائِنُهُ تَعْوَجُّ بعدَ استوائِها

when a wind lashed the bridge, and then

its boats began twisting after lying straight.

فمن مُهجَةٍ تَرتاعُ عندَ انخفاضِها

وسَبَّابَةٍ تهتزُّ عندَ اعتلائِها

Many a heart took fright whenever they dipped,

and many a pointing finger trembled whenever they rose.

تُفرِّقُها هُوجُ الرِّياحِ وتَعتلي

رُبى الموجِ من قُدَّامِها وورائِها

The raging winds scatter them, while they climb

the hills of waves before them and behind.

فهنَّ كدُهْمِ الخيلِ جالَتْ صفوفُها

وقد نشرَتها روعةٌ من ورائِها

They are like black horses whose ranks wheel about,

scattered by a terror driving them from behind.

ودجلةُ كَدْراءُ الأديمِ سفيهةٌ

تعافُ سجايا حَملِها وصفائِها

The Tigris is murky-skinned and reckless,

spurning her accustomed patient bearing and clarity.

كأنَّ صنوفَ الطَّيرِ عاذَتْ بأرضِها

وقد سامَها ضَيْماً أُسُودُ سمائِها

As though every kind of bird had sought refuge on her ground,

after the lions of her sky had dealt them oppression;

أو السَّبَجَ المسوَدَّ حُلَّتْ عقودُه

على تُربةٍ محمرَّةٍ من فَضائِها

or as though black jet, its necklaces unstrung,

lay upon reddish earth across her open expanse.