كَأَنَّas though الشَرارَthe sparks عَلىabove نارِهاits fire
كَأَنَّ الشَرارَ عَلى نارِها
وَقَدand indeed راقَdelighted مَنظَرُهاits appearance كُلَّevery عَينِeye
وَقَد راقَ مَنظَرُها كُلَّ عَينِ
As though the sparks above its fire—
The sparks above its fire seem—
whose spectacle has delighted every eye—
its sight having delighted every eye—
سُحالَةُfilings تِبرٍunworked gold إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle عَلاit rises
سُحالَةُ تِبرٍ إِذا ما عَلا
فَإِمّاand if هَوىit falls فَفُتاتُthen fragments of اللُجَينِthe silver
فَإِمّا هَوى فَفُتاتُ اللُجَينِ
were filings of raw gold whenever they rose;
like gold filings when they rise,
for they are nothing but fragments of silver.
and, when they fall, like fragments of silver.
