وَبَرقٍ سَرى وَاللَيلُ يُمحى سَوادُهُ

وَبَرقٍ سَرى وَاللَيلُ يُمحى سَوادُهُ

فَقُلتُ سِوارٌ في مَعاصِمِ أَسمَرا

فَقُلتُ سِوارٌ في مَعاصِمِ أَسمَرا

A lightning flash traveled as the night's blackness faded;

And lightning flashed as night's darkness faded away

so I said: 'A bracelet on a dusky man's wrists.'

So I said, a bracelet on the wrists of a dark-skinned beloved

وَقَد سَدَّ عَرضَ الأُفقِ غَيمٌ تَخالُهُ

وَقَد سَدَّ عَرضَ الأُفقِ غَيمٌ تَخالُهُ

يَزُرُّ عَلى الدُنيا قَميصاً مُعَنبَرا

يَزُرُّ عَلى الدُنيا قَميصاً مُعَنبَرا

A cloud had blocked the horizon's breadth—you would think it

And a cloud has blocked the horizon’s breadth, appearing to it

was buttoning an ambergris-scented shirt upon the world.

Like a brocade shirt visiting the world

تَهادى عَلى أَيدي الحَبائِبِ وَالصِبا

تَهادى عَلى أَيدي الحَبائِبِ وَالصِبا

كَخَرقٍ مِنَ الفِتيانِ نازَعَ مُسكِرا

كَخَرقٍ مِنَ الفِتيانِ نازَعَ مُسكِرا

It swayed upon the hands of beloveds and the east wind,

Swaying into the hands of sweethearts and youth

like a reckless youth who had wrestled with strong drink.

Like a piece of cloth snatched by rowdy boys from a drunkard

تَخالُ بِهِ مِسكاً وَبِالقَطرِ لُؤلُؤاً

تَخالُ بِهِ مِسكاً وَبِالقَطرِ لُؤلُؤاً

وَبِالرَوضِ ياقوتاً وَبِالوَحلِ عَنبَرا

وَبِالرَوضِ ياقوتاً وَبِالوَحلِ عَنبَرا

You imagine musk in it, and pearls in the rain,

It seems with it to be musk, and with drops, pearls

rubies in the meadow, and ambergris in the mud.

And in the meadow, ruby, and in the mud, ambergris

سَوادُ غَمامٍ يَبعُثُ الماءَ أَبيَضاً

سَوادُ غَمامٍ يَبعُثُ الماءَ أَبيَضاً

وَغَرَّةُ أَرضٍ تُنبِتُ الزَهرَ أَصفَرا

وَغَرَّةُ أَرضٍ تُنبِتُ الزَهرَ أَصفَرا

A cloud's blackness sends forth white water,

The darkness of clouds sends down white water

and earth's bright brow brings forth yellow blossoms.

And the greenness of land grows yellow flowers

أَتَتكَ بِهِ أَنفاسُ ريحٍ مَريضَةٍ

أَتَتكَ بِهِ أَنفاسُ ريحٍ مَريضَةٍ

كَمَفظَعَةٍ رَعناءَ تَستاقُ عَسكَرا

كَمَفظَعَةٍ رَعناءَ تَستاقُ عَسكَرا

The breaths of an ailing wind brought it to you,

The breaths of a sick wind brought it to you

like a fearsome, reckless woman driving an army.

Like a snoring she-camel greedily seeking fodder

فَأَلقى عَلى الغُدرانِ دَرعاً مَسَرَّداً

فَأَلقى عَلى الغُدرانِ دَرعاً مَسَرَّداً

وَأَهدى إِلى القيعانِ بُرداً مُحَبَّرا

وَأَهدى إِلى القيعانِ بُرداً مُحَبَّرا

Then it cast an interlinked coat of mail over the pools,

So it threw over the hollows an outspread coat of mail

and bestowed a richly patterned mantle on the lowlands.

And gifted the valleys an embroidered cloak

تَخالُ الحَيا في الجَوِّ دُرّاً مُنَظَّماً

تَخالُ الحَيا في الجَوِّ دُرّاً مُنَظَّماً

وَفي وَجَناتِ الأَرضِ دُرّاً مُنَثَّرا

وَفي وَجَناتِ الأَرضِ دُرّاً مُنَثَّرا

You would think the rain in the air was strung pearls,

It appears to be, in the air, strung pearls

and on the cheeks of earth, scattered pearls.

And, in the earth's gardens, scattered pearls

وَأَقبَلَ نَشرُ الأَرضِ في نَفَسِ الصِبا

وَأَقبَلَ نَشرُ الأَرضِ في نَفَسِ الصِبا

فَباتَ بِهِ ثَوبُ الهَواءِ مُعَطَّرا

فَباتَ بِهِ ثَوبُ الهَواءِ مُعَطَّرا

Earth's fragrance came upon the east wind's breath,

And the earth's blossoming began in the breath of morning

so all night the air's robe was perfumed with it.

So the air's garment was perfumed overnight

إِذا ما دَعَت فيهِ الرُعودُ فَأَسمَعَت

إِذا ما دَعَت فيهِ الرُعودُ فَأَسمَعَت

أَجابَ حُداةٌ وَاِستَهَلَّ فَأَغزَرا

أَجابَ حُداةٌ وَاِستَهَلَّ فَأَغزَرا

Whenever the thunderclaps call within it and make themselves heard,

Whenever in it thunder rumbled, it responded

camel-drivers answer, and it begins to rain, then pours abundantly.

With hailstones, and burst forth pouring down

وَيَبكي إِذا ما أَضحَكَ البَرقُ سِنَّهُ

وَيَبكي إِذا ما أَضحَكَ البَرقُ سِنَّهُ

فَيَجعَلُ نارَ البَرقِ ماءً مُفَجَّرا

فَيَجعَلُ نارَ البَرقِ ماءً مُفَجَّرا

And it weeps whenever lightning bares its tooth in a smile,

And it weeps when lightning smiles its teeth

turning lightning's fire into gushing water.

Making the fire of lightning gushing water

كَأَنَّ بِهِ رُؤدَ الشَبابِ خَريدَةً

كَأَنَّ بِهِ رُؤدَ الشَبابِ خَريدَةً

قَدِ اِتَّخَذَت ثِنيَ السَحابَةِ مِعجَرا

قَدِ اِتَّخَذَت ثِنيَ السَحابَةِ مِعجَرا

As though within it were a maiden, tender in her youth,

As if in it the rashness of youth were a necklace

who had taken a fold of cloud for a head-veil.

That took the fold of a cloud as its setting

فَثَغرٌ يُرينا مِن بَعيدٍ تَبَلُّجاً

فَثَغرٌ يُرينا مِن بَعيدٍ تَبَلُّجاً

وَدَمعٌ يُرينا مِن بَعيدٍ تَحَدُّرا

وَدَمعٌ يُرينا مِن بَعيدٍ تَحَدُّرا

Thus a mouth shows us its radiance from afar,

A mouth that from afar shows us glittering

and tears show us their streaming down from afar.

And a tear that from afar shows us trickling