إِذا البَرقُ مِن شَرقِيِّ دَجلَةَ يَنبَري

إِذا البَرقُ مِن شَرقِيِّ دَجلَةَ يَنبَري

عَلى صَفَحاتِ البارِقِ المُتَأَلِّقِ

عَلى صَفَحاتِ البارِقِ المُتَأَلِّقِ

When lightning flashes forth from east of the Tigris,

When lightning cracks from eastern Tigris

Across the expanses of the gleaming storm cloud,

Upon the shining pages of the flashes

أُشَبِّهُهُ دَهراً أَغَرَّ مُحَجَّلاً

أُشَبِّهُهُ دَهراً أَغَرَّ مُحَجَّلاً

نَعِمنا بِهِ في ظِلِّ فَينانَ مورِقِ

نَعِمنا بِهِ في ظِلِّ فَينانَ مورِقِ

I liken it to a time, white-blazed and white-footed,

I liken it to a charming time

In which we lived in bliss beneath a spreading, leafy tree.

That blessed us in the shade of burgeoning trees

فَمَرَّ كَرَجعِ الطَرفِ لَيسَ يَرُدُّهُ

فَمَرَّ كَرَجعِ الطَرفِ لَيسَ يَرُدُّهُ

حَنينٌ إِلى مَخبورَةِ المُتَعَشِّقِ

حَنينٌ إِلى مَخبورَةِ المُتَعَشِّقِ

Then it passed like the blink of an eye; it is not brought back

Yet it passed like a glance that cannot be recalled

By yearning for what the lover once knew.

By the yearning of the enamored one

وَقَد يَعرُدُ المَحذورُ مِن حَيثُ يُرتَجى

وَقَد يَعرُدُ المَحذورُ مِن حَيثُ يُرتَجى

وَيُمكِنُكَ المَرجُوُّ مِن حَيثُ تَتَّقي

وَيُمكِنُكَ المَرجُوُّ مِن حَيثُ تَتَّقي

Yet what is feared may emerge from where hope is placed,

And what is feared may happen from whence it is hoped

And what you hope for may come within your reach from where you fear harm.

And what is hoped may enable you from whence you take precautions