لمdid not أنسَI forget موقفَa halt ساعةan hour فيin موطنٍa place
لم أنسَ موقفَ ساعة في موطنٍ
يستوقفُbrings to a halt العجلانَthe hasty one طيبُpleasantness عيانِهِits appearance
يستوقفُ العجلانَ طيبُ عيانِهِ
I have not forgotten an hour's halt in a place
I cannot forget the moment in a homeland
Whose pleasing sight brings the hasty to a stop.
Where its good sights made the careless pause
بقرارةin the hollow of الواديthe valley بشطَّbeside the bank of معينِهits flowing water
بقرارة الوادي بشطَّ معينِه
بملاكِat the heart of نُزْهِتهits delight بشادِورانِهِat its cascade fountain
بملاكِ نُزْهِته بشادِورانِهِ
In the valley's hollow, beside its flowing water,
In the valley's stillness, by its clear spring
At the heart of its delight, beside its cascade fountain.
By its angelic charm and its shadoofs
هجمَrushed upon النعيمُbliss بهin it عليّupon me فجاءَةًsuddenly
هجمَ النعيمُ به عليّ فجاءَةً
فوقفتso I stood مُسْتَنداًleaning إِلىagainst أفنانِهِits branches
فوقفت مُسْتَنداً إِلى أفنانِهِ
Bliss rushed upon me there, suddenly,
Bliss assaulted me suddenly there
So I stood, leaning against its branches,
So I stood leaning on its branches
مُتخضِلاًdrenched برشاشهwith its spray متعجّباًmarveling
مُتخضِلاً برشاشه متعجّباً
منat باردِcold الكافورcamphor فيamid غليَانِهِits boiling
من باردِ الكافور في غليَانِهِ
Drenched with its spray, marveling
Delighted by its cool camphor in the boiling
At cold camphor amid its boiling.
As if its streams were gardens playing with hail
وكأنّماand as though فليهin it (probable reading) ملاعبُplaygrounds جِنَّةٍjinn
وكأنّما فليه ملاعبُ جِنَّةٍ
فتقاذفتso they pelted one another بالثلجwith snow منfrom جريانِهِits flow
فتقاذفت بالثلج من جريانِهِ
And it was as though within it lay playgrounds for jinn,
The ambitious fish prevailed in it
Who pelted one another with snow from its flow.
So it showed effort in its disobedience
وطغىand rebelled بهin it السَمَكُthe fish الطموحُupward-striving لحربهِto fight it
وطغى به السَمَكُ الطموحُ لحربهِ
فغداso it began يريناit shows us الجهدthe effort فيin عصيانِهِits defiance
فغدا يرينا الجهد في عصيانِهِ
And the upward-striving fish rebelled within it to fight it,
It scratched an interwoven, glossy pattern
So it began showing us the effort of its defiance,
On the current with the twinkle of its scales
يُبديit reveals مصندلةًa sandalwood-hued form لناto us موشيَّةًembroidered
يُبدي مصندلةً لنا موشيَّةً
أرْبَتْsurpassed علىbeyond التيارthe current فيin لمعَانِهِits brilliance
أرْبَتْ على التيار في لمعَانِهِ
Revealing to us a sandalwood-hued, embroidered form
The breeze tore the chains of your love with its longing
Which surpassed the current in brilliance.
So the necklace of pearls was undone
خرقit tore through السلاسلِthe chains منfrom حبيكthe woven pattern of نَسيمهِits breeze
خرق السلاسلِ من حبيك نَسيمهِ
بطموحهwith its upward leap فارفضَّso scattered عِقْدُthe necklace of جُمانِهِits pearls
بطموحه فارفضَّ عِقْدُ جُمانِهِ
It tore through the chains woven by its breeze,
You delighted my eyes with the beauty of what you see
With its upward leap—and its necklace of pearls scattered.
And watered my heart beyond what it can hold
نَزَّهُتَyou refreshed طرْفيmy gaze فيamid محاسِنِthe beauties of ماwhat ترىyou see
نَزَّهُتَ طرْفي في محاسِنِ ما ترى
ووسَقْتُand I loaded قلبيmy heart فوقَbeyond ماwhat إِمكانِهِits capacity
ووسَقْتُ قلبي فوقَ ما إِمكانِهِ
You refreshed my gaze amid the beauties you see,
And I loaded my heart beyond its capacity.
Partial English translation: 16 of 18 Arabic lines translated.