مَنْ رأى لي في الدّجى ذا خَطَلٍ

مَنْ رأى لي في الدّجى ذا خَطَلٍ

أقْدَمَ الأشواقَ لمّا قَدِما

أقْدَمَ الأشواقَ لمّا قَدِما

Who has seen for me, in the darkness, one so fickle,

When I saw someone approach me in the dark,

that brought longings when it came?

My longing quickened its pace to meet him.

لاح منه طَرَفٌ ذو مَلَّةٍ

لاح منه طَرَفٌ ذو مَلَّةٍ

لم ينرْ في الأفق حتّى اِلتَأَما

لم ينرْ في الأفق حتّى اِلتَأَما

An edge of it gleamed, quick to tire;

A glance shone from him, inclined with grace,

no sooner had it shone on the horizon than it closed up.

Before it vanished into the horizon's seam.

كلّما قلتُ أتى ولَّى وإنْ

كلّما قلتُ أتى ولَّى وإنْ

ضاء لِي شيئاً قليلاً أظلما

ضاء لِي شيئاً قليلاً أظلما

Whenever I said, 'It has come,' it turned away; and if

Whenever I spoke he came and went away,

it shone for me a little, it grew dark.

Though he shed some dim light, it darkened my day.

خِلتُه مُقتَبِساً ذا عجلٍ

خِلتُه مُقتَبِساً ذا عجلٍ

أو فماً من عَجَبٍ مُبتَسِما

أو فماً من عَجَبٍ مُبتَسِما

I imagined it someone borrowing fire in haste,

I imagined him hurrying, aflame and awake,

or a mouth smiling in wonder,

Or with a look of wonder, smiling in his gait,

أَو جَباناً هابَ من إقدامِه

أَو جَباناً هابَ من إقدامِه

أو لساناً عن مقالٍ جَمْجَما

أو لساناً عن مقالٍ جَمْجَما

or a coward afraid of his own advance,

Or a coward, recoiling from his daring,

or a tongue that faltered at speaking,

Or with a tongue that stammered over sharing,

أَوْ تَقيّاً وَرِعاً ذا عِفَّةٍ

أَوْ تَقيّاً وَرِعاً ذا عِفَّةٍ

كُلّما همَّ بِذَنبٍ نَدِما

كُلّما همَّ بِذَنبٍ نَدِما

or a pious, scrupulous, chaste man,

Or virtuous and devout, of modesty full,

who felt remorse whenever he contemplated a sin,

Whenever he thought of sin, regretting in pull,

أوْ حُساماً ردّه مَنْ سَلَّهُ

أوْ حُساماً ردّه مَنْ سَلَّهُ

أو فتىً أفْصحَ ثمّ اِستعجما

أو فتىً أفْصحَ ثمّ اِستعجما

or a keen sword put back by the one who drew it,

Or a sword he once wielded, now turned away,

or a youth who spoke clearly, then grew inarticulate.

Or an eloquent youth, grown inarticulate today.

فهو النّاكصُ عن زَوْرَتِهِ

فهو النّاكصُ عن زَوْرَتِهِ

وهو الرّاجع عمّا غرما

وهو الرّاجع عمّا غرما

So it draws back from its visit,

He’s the one who deserted his own lies,

and turns away from what it had yearned for.

And turned back from all he owed in his eyes.

عَصْفَرَ الأفقَ فقلنا إنّه

عَصْفَرَ الأفقَ فقلنا إنّه

أمْطَر الجوَّ عن الأرضِ دما

أمْطَر الجوَّ عن الأرضِ دما

It dyed the horizon safflower-red, so we said it

The horizon yellowed, so we said: “Look!

had rained blood on the sky instead of the earth.

The sky is raining blood upon the earth.”

كانَ سُقمي قَد مضى من جسدي

كانَ سُقمي قَد مضى من جسدي

فأزار البرق جسمي السَّقَما

فأزار البرق جسمي السَّقَما

My sickness had already left my body;

My sickness had left my body,

then lightning brought sickness back to visit my body.

So lightning adorned my frame, no longer sickly.