لاعَبَplayed with تِلكَthat الريحَthe wind ذاكَthat اللَهَبُthe flame
لاعَبَ تِلكَ الريحَ ذاكَ اللَهَبُ
فَعادَthen became عَينَthe very essence of الجِدِّseriousness ذاكَthat اللَعِبُplay
فَعادَ عَينَ الجِدِّ ذاكَ اللَعِبُ
That flame played with that wind,
That breeze played with that flame
Then that play became seriousness itself.
And turned the serious eye into play
وَباتَand spent the night فيin مَسرىthe course of الصَباthe east wind يَتبَعُهُit follows it
وَباتَ في مَسرى الصَبا يَتبَعُهُ
فَهوَso it لَهاfor her مُضطَرِمٌblazing مُضطَرِبُquivering
فَهوَ لَها مُضطَرِمٌ مُضطَرِبُ
And all night it followed the east wind's course,
It spent the night following the zephyr
So it blazes and quivers for her.
So it was compelled and perturbed by it
ساهَرتُهُI kept vigil with it أَحسِبُهُI think it مُنتَشِياًintoxicated
ساهَرتُهُ أَحسِبُهُ مُنتَشِياً
يَهُزُّsways عِطفَيهِits two flanks هُناكَthere الطَرَبُrapture
يَهُزُّ عِطفَيهِ هُناكَ الطَرَبُ
I kept vigil with it, thinking it intoxicated,
Its sleeplessness makes me think it is awake
Rapture swaying its flanks there.
Swaying its shoulders there is rapture
لَوif جاءَهُcame to it مُنتَقِدٌan assayer لَماwould not دَرىknow
لَو جاءَهُ مُنتَقِدٌ لَما دَرى
أَلَهَبٌis it a flame? مُتَّقِدٌblazing أَمor ذَهَبُgold
أَلَهَبٌ مُتَّقِدٌ أَم ذَهَبُ
If an assayer came to it, he would not know
If a critic came, it wouldn't know
Whether it was a blazing flame or gold.
Whether it was a flaming flame or gold
تَلثُمُkisses مِنهُof it الريحُthe wind خَدّاًa cheek خَجِلاًblushing
تَلثُمُ مِنهُ الريحُ خَدّاً خَجِلاً
حَيثُwhere الشَرارُthe sparks أَعيُنٌeyes تَرتَقِبُkeep watch
حَيثُ الشَرارُ أَعيُنٌ تَرتَقِبُ
The wind kisses its blushing cheek,
The wind kisses its cheek shyly
Where the sparks are eyes keeping watch.
Where embers are eyes waiting
فيin مَوقِدٍa hearth قَدalready رَقرَقَgently poured الصُبحُdawn بِهِin it
في مَوقِدٍ قَد رَقرَقَ الصُبحُ بِهِ
ماءًwater عَلَيهِupon it مِنof نُجومٍstars حَبَبُbubbles
ماءً عَلَيهِ مِن نُجومٍ حَبَبُ
In a hearth where dawn has gently poured
In a hearth where the dawn sparkled over it
Water, with stars for bubbles upon it.
With water from stars it fancied
مُنقَسِمٌdivided بَينَbetween رَمادٍash أَزرَقٍblue
مُنقَسِمٌ بَينَ رَمادٍ أَزرَقٍ
وَبَينَand between جَمرٍembers خَلفَهُbehind it يَلتَهِبُblazes
وَبَينَ جَمرٍ خَلفَهُ يَلتَهِبُ
It is divided between blue ash
Divided between blue ashes
And embers blazing behind it,
And embers behind it blazing
كَأَنَّماas though خَرَّتfell سَماءٌa sky فَوقَهُupon it
كَأَنَّما خَرَّت سَماءٌ فَوقَهُ
وَاِنكَدَرَتand tumbled down لَيلاًby night عَلَيهِupon it شُهُبُshooting stars
وَاِنكَدَرَت لَيلاً عَلَيهِ شُهُبُ
As though a sky had fallen upon it
As if a sky fell upon it
And shooting stars had tumbled onto it by night.
And stars poured down on it at night