وَبَرقٍand lightning سَرىcoursed by night وَاللَيلُwhile the night يُمحىis erased سَوادُهُits darkness
وَبَرقٍ سَرى وَاللَيلُ يُمحى سَوادُهُ
فَقُلتُso I said سِوارٌa bracelet فيon مَعاصِمِthe wrists of أَسمَراa dark-skinned man
فَقُلتُ سِوارٌ في مَعاصِمِ أَسمَرا
A lightning flash coursed as night’s blackness was wiped away;
And lightning coursed, as the night's darkness was erased;
I said, “A bracelet on the wrists of a dark-skinned man.”
So I said: “A bracelet on a dark-skinned man's wrists.”
وَقَدand already سَدَّhad blocked عَرضَthe breadth of الأُفقِthe horizon غَيمٌa cloud تَخالُهُyou imagine it
وَقَد سَدَّ عَرضَ الأُفقِ غَيمٌ تَخالُهُ
يَزُرُّbuttons up عَلىaround الدُنياthe world قَميصاًa shirt مُعَنبَراscented with ambergris
يَزُرُّ عَلى الدُنيا قَميصاً مُعَنبَرا
A cloud had blocked the whole breadth of the horizon—you would think it
And a cloud had blocked the breadth of the horizon; you would think it
was buttoning upon the world a shirt perfumed with amber.
Was buttoning an ambergris-scented shirt around the world.
تَهادىit swayed عَلىupon أَيديthe hands of الحَبائِبِthe beloveds وَالصِباand the east wind
تَهادى عَلى أَيدي الحَبائِبِ وَالصِبا
كَخَرقٍlike a clumsy fellow مِنَamong الفِتيانِthe young men نازَعَgrappled with مُسكِراan intoxicating drink
كَخَرقٍ مِنَ الفِتيانِ نازَعَ مُسكِرا
It drifted gently upon the hands of sweethearts and the east wind,
It swayed upon the hands of beloveds and the east wind,
like a heedless youth sharing an intoxicating cup.
Like a clumsy youth who had wrestled with strong drink.
تَخالُyou imagine بِهِin it مِسكاًmusk وَبِالقَطرِand in the rain لُؤلُؤاًpearls
تَخالُ بِهِ مِسكاً وَبِالقَطرِ لُؤلُؤاً
وَبِالرَوضِand in the meadows ياقوتاًrubies وَبِالوَحلِand in the mud عَنبَراambergris
وَبِالرَوضِ ياقوتاً وَبِالوَحلِ عَنبَرا
You would fancy musk within it, and pearls in the raindrops,
You fancy musk in it, and pearls in the rain,
rubies in the meadow, and amber in the mud:
And in the meadows rubies, and in the mud ambergris.
سَوادُthe blackness of غَمامٍclouds يَبعُثُsends forth الماءَwater أَبيَضاًwhite
سَوادُ غَمامٍ يَبعُثُ الماءَ أَبيَضاً
وَغَرَّةُand the bright brow of أَرضٍearth تُنبِتُbrings forth الزَهرَflowers أَصفَراyellow
وَغَرَّةُ أَرضٍ تُنبِتُ الزَهرَ أَصفَرا
the blackness of a cloud sending down water white,
A cloud's blackness sends forth white water,
and the bright brow of earth bringing forth blossoms yellow.
And earth's bright brow brings forth yellow blossoms.
أَتَتكَcame to you بِهِwith it أَنفاسُthe breaths of ريحٍa wind مَريضَةٍailing
أَتَتكَ بِهِ أَنفاسُ ريحٍ مَريضَةٍ
كَمَفظَعَةٍlike a fearsome woman رَعناءَreckless تَستاقُdriving عَسكَراan army
كَمَفظَعَةٍ رَعناءَ تَستاقُ عَسكَرا
The breaths of a languid wind brought it to you,
The breaths of an ailing wind brought it to you,
like a terrifying madwoman driving an army before her.
Like a fearsome, reckless woman driving an army.
فَأَلقىso it cast عَلىover الغُدرانِthe pools دَرعاًa coat of mail مَسَرَّداًinterlinked
فَأَلقى عَلى الغُدرانِ دَرعاً مَسَرَّداً
وَأَهدىand bestowed إِلىupon القيعانِthe lowland plains بُرداًa cloak مُحَبَّراrichly patterned
وَأَهدى إِلى القيعانِ بُرداً مُحَبَّرا
It cast upon the pools a coat of closely woven mail,
So it cast a coat of interlinked mail over the pools,
and bestowed upon the lowlands an embroidered mantle.
And bestowed on the lowland plains a richly patterned cloak.
تَخالُyou imagine الحَياthe rain فيin الجَوِّthe air دُرّاًpearls مُنَظَّماًstrung together
تَخالُ الحَيا في الجَوِّ دُرّاً مُنَظَّماً
وَفيand on وَجَناتِthe cheeks of الأَرضِthe earth دُرّاًpearls مُنَثَّراscattered
وَفي وَجَناتِ الأَرضِ دُرّاً مُنَثَّرا
You would think the rain in the sky was a string of pearls,
You see the rain in the air as pearls strung together,
and upon the cheeks of earth, pearls scattered wide.
And on the cheeks of the earth as scattered pearls.
وَأَقبَلَand came نَشرُthe fragrance of الأَرضِthe earth فيon نَفَسِthe breath of الصِباthe east wind
وَأَقبَلَ نَشرُ الأَرضِ في نَفَسِ الصِبا
فَباتَso it stayed overnight بِهِwith it ثَوبُthe garment of الهَواءِthe air مُعَطَّراperfumed
فَباتَ بِهِ ثَوبُ الهَواءِ مُعَطَّرا
The earth’s fragrance came forth upon the breath of the east wind,
And earth's fragrance came on the east wind's breath,
and through it the mantle of the air passed the night perfumed.
So the air's garment stayed perfumed with it all night.
إِذاwhen ما(emphasis) دَعَتcall فيهِwithin it الرُعودُthe thunderclaps فَأَسمَعَتthen make themselves heard
إِذا ما دَعَت فيهِ الرُعودُ فَأَسمَعَت
أَجابَanswer حُداةٌcamel-drivers وَاِستَهَلَّand it begins to pour فَأَغزَراthen pours abundantly
أَجابَ حُداةٌ وَاِستَهَلَّ فَأَغزَرا
Whenever the thunders called within it and made themselves heard,
Whenever thunderclaps call within it and make themselves heard,
camel drivers answered, and it burst into abundant rain.
Camel-drivers answer, and it breaks into rain, pouring abundantly.
وَيَبكيand it weeps إِذاwhen ما(emphasis) أَضحَكَmakes smile البَرقُthe lightning سِنَّهُits tooth
وَيَبكي إِذا ما أَضحَكَ البَرقُ سِنَّهُ
فَيَجعَلُso it turns نارَthe fire of البَرقِlightning ماءًwater مُفَجَّراgushing forth
فَيَجعَلُ نارَ البَرقِ ماءً مُفَجَّرا
It weeps whenever the lightning bares its tooth in laughter,
And it weeps whenever lightning makes its tooth smile,
turning the lightning’s fire into gushing water.
So it turns lightning's fire into gushing water.
كَأَنَّas though بِهِwithin it رُؤدَtender الشَبابِyouth خَريدَةًa shy maiden
كَأَنَّ بِهِ رُؤدَ الشَبابِ خَريدَةً
قَدِalready اِتَّخَذَتshe had taken ثِنيَa fold of السَحابَةِthe cloud مِعجَراa head-veil
قَدِ اِتَّخَذَت ثِنيَ السَحابَةِ مِعجَرا
It is as though within it were a sheltered maiden, tender in youth,
As though within it were a shy maiden in youth's tender bloom,
who had taken the cloud’s folded edge for a veil:
Who had taken a fold of the cloud as her head-veil.
فَثَغرٌso a mouth يُريناshows us مِنfrom بَعيدٍafar تَبَلُّجاًradiance
فَثَغرٌ يُرينا مِن بَعيدٍ تَبَلُّجاً
وَدَمعٌand tears يُريناshow us مِنfrom بَعيدٍafar تَحَدُّراflowing downward
وَدَمعٌ يُرينا مِن بَعيدٍ تَحَدُّرا
a mouth showing us its radiant smile from afar,
So a mouth shows us its radiance from afar,
and tears showing us, from afar, their downward flow.
And tears show us their downward flow from afar.
