كَأَنَّ حَريقاً ثاقِباً في أَباءَةٍ

كَأَنَّ حَريقاً ثاقِباً في أَباءَةٍ

هَديرُهُما بِالسَبسَبِ المُتَماحِلِ

هَديرُهُما بِالسَبسَبِ المُتَماحِلِ

As though a piercing blaze within a cane-thicket

As though a brightly blazing fire in a reed-bed

Were the roar of the two across the parched open plain—

were the pair’s roar on the far-stretching plain.

فَرابِيَةُ التَأويلِ في كُل نُهزَةٍ

فَرابِيَةُ التَأويلِ في كُل نُهزَةٍ

إِلى بَحَراتِ الحَبل مِنهُ الغَياطِلِ

إِلى بَحَراتِ الحَبل مِنهُ الغَياطِلِ

Thus looming larger in conjecture with every surge

And al-Ta’wil’s hill, at every opportunity,

Toward the ridge’s broad hollows and its dense, dark thickets.

toward its sand ridge’s broad, densely wooded flats.