أقولُI say لحنَّانِto the plaintive singer of العَشيِّthe evening المُغَرِّدِwarbling
أقولُ لحنَّانِ العَشيِّ المُغَرِّدِ
يهُزُّbrandishes صفيحَthe broad blade of البارقِthe lightning المتوقِّدِblazing
يهُزُّ صفيحَ البارقِ المتوقِّدِ
I say to the evening's plaintive singer,
Brandishing the broad blade of blazing lightning:
تَبَسَّمَsmiled عنrevealing رَيِّthe full watering of البلادِthe lands حَبيُّهits banked cloud
تَبَسَّمَ عن رَيِّ البلادِ حَبيُّه
ولمand it did not يبتسمْsmile إلاexcept لإنجازِto fulfill مَوْعِدِa promise
ولم يبتسمْ إلا لإنجازِ مَوْعِدِ
Its banked cloud smiled, heralding the land's full watering,
And smiled only to fulfill a promise,
علىover الشَّرَفِthe height المعمورِenlivened بالعَمْرِby the monastery فالرُّباthen the hills
على الشَّرَفِ المعمورِ بالعَمْرِ فالرُّبا
فتلكَthen those الثَّناياmountain passes فالطريقِthen the road المعبَّدِpaved
فتلكَ الثَّنايا فالطريقِ المعبَّدِ
Over the height enlivened by the monastery, then the hills,
Then those mountain passes, then the paved road,
فسُودِthen the blackness of اللَّياليthe nights منfrom بَنِيَّةِthe edifice of جَعْفَرٍJaʿfar
فسُودِ اللَّيالي من بَنِيَّةِ جَعْفَرٍ
فَدِمنَةِthen the ruined site of آثارِthe remains of الخليفةِthe caliph أحمدِAhmad
فَدِمنَةِ آثارِ الخليفةِ أحمدِ
Then the night-black remains of Jaʿfar's edifice,
Then the ruined site of Caliph Ahmad's monuments,
بِصَفحةِbeside the expanse of مصقولِpolished الأديمِskin كأنَّماas though
بِصَفحةِ مصقولِ الأديمِ كأنَّما
سَفائِنُهُits ships رُبْدُdusky النَّعامِostriches المُشرَّدِscattered in flight
سَفائِنُهُ رُبْدُ النَّعامِ المُشرَّدِ
Beside a river with polished skin, as though
Its ships were dusky ostriches scattered in flight,
شَوائِلُwith upraised أذنابٍtails يُخَيَّلُone imagines أنَّهاthat they are
شَوائِلُ أذنابٍ يُخَيَّلُ أنَّها
عقارِبُscorpions دَبَّتْcrept فَوقَover صَرْحٍa palace court مُمَرَّدِpolished
عقارِبُ دَبَّتْ فَوقَ صَرْحٍ مُمَرَّدِ
Their tails held high—one imagines them
Scorpions creeping over a polished palace court.
فمَشهَدُthen the shrine of عمروٍʿAmr حيثُwhere يُلعَنُis cursed ظالِمٌa tyrant
فمَشهَدُ عمروٍ حيثُ يُلعَنُ ظالِمٌ
وتَبكيand weeps علىfor المظلومِthe wronged one آلُthe family of محمَّدِMuhammad
وتَبكي على المظلومِ آلُ محمَّدِ
Then ʿAmr's shrine, where a tyrant is cursed,
And Muhammad's family weeps for the wronged one.
مَحلُّthe abode of الهَوىlove العُذريِّchaste فيin غَيرِother than حِلَّةٍan inhabited settlement
مَحلُّ الهَوى العُذريِّ في غَيرِ حِلَّةٍ
وعَهْدُand the memory of الشَّبابِyouth الغَضِّtender فيin غَيرِother than مَعهَدِa familiar haunt
وعَهْدُ الشَّبابِ الغَضِّ في غَيرِ مَعهَدِ
A home of chaste love, yet no inhabited abode,
And a memory of tender youth, yet no familiar haunt.
مَضَتhas passed نَومَةُthe sleep of التَّعريسِthe traveler's night-halt فيin ظلِّthe shade of أمنِهِits safety
مَضَت نَومَةُ التَّعريسِ في ظلِّ أمنِهِ
وأعقَبهاand followed it ليلُthe night of السَّليمِthe snakebitten one المُسَهَّدِkept sleepless
وأعقَبها ليلُ السَّليمِ المُسَهَّدِ
Gone is the sleep of the traveler's night-halt beneath its sheltering peace,
And after it came the sleepless night of the snakebitten.
أمُجُّI spit out لهbecause of it العَذْبَthe sweet water النَّميرَpure and wholesome كأنَّهas though it were
أمُجُّ له العَذْبَ النَّميرَ كأنَّه
مُجاجةُthe spittle of مُحمَرِّreddened الحماليقِthe inner eyelids أسوَدِa black serpent
مُجاجةُ مُحمَرِّ الحماليقِ أسوَدِ
Because of it I spit out sweet, wholesome water, as though it were
The spittle of a red-eyed black serpent.
ولاand no وِصْلَreunion إلاexcept أنthat أروحَI set out مُغَرِّراًrisking myself
ولا وِصْلَ إلا أن أروحَ مُغَرِّراً
بأدهمَin a black vessel فيin تَيَّارِa torrent أخضرَgreen مُزبِدِfoaming
بأدهمَ في تَيَّارِ أخضرَ مُزبِدِ
No reunion, unless I set out, risking myself,
In a black vessel through a green, foaming torrent.
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle أَهَلَّembarks الرَّكْبُthe traveling party فيهin it جَرَىit runs لَهُمfor them
إذا ما أَهَلَّ الرَّكْبُ فيه جَرَى لَهُم
علىalong سَنَنٍa straight course كالمَشرفيِّlike a Mashrafi sword المُجرَّدِunsheathed
على سَنَنٍ كالمَشرفيِّ المُجرَّدِ
Whenever the travelers embark in it, it speeds along for them
On a straight course, like an unsheathed Mashrafi sword.
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle ارتدَىit dons اللَّيلَthe night البَهيمَpitch-black فإنَّنيthen indeed I
إذا ما ارتدَى اللَّيلَ البَهيمَ فإنَّني
بلَيْلَينِin two nights منهfrom it والدُّجُنَّةِand the darkness مُرتَديam clad
بلَيْلَينِ منه والدُّجُنَّةِ مُرتَدي
When it dons the pitch-black night, I am
Clad in two nights—its own darkness and the gloom.
أرىI see بلداًa land يشكوcomplaining منَof الماءِthe water مثلَjust like ماwhat
أرى بلداً يشكو منَ الماءِ مثلَ ما
شَكاcomplained الغِمْدُthe sheath منof حَدِّthe edge of الحُسامِthe sword المُهَنَّدIndian-forged
شَكا الغِمْدُ من حَدِّ الحُسامِ المُهَنَّد
I see a land complaining of water, just as
The sheath complained of the edge of an Indian-forged sword.
تَحَوَّفَit gnawed away غَربيَّthe western side of القصورِthe palaces كأنَّماas though
تَحَوَّفَ غَربيَّ القصورِ كأنَّما
رُمينَthey were struck علىover الأيَّامِthe days منهby it بمِبرَدِwith a file
رُمينَ على الأيَّامِ منه بمِبرَدِ
It has gnawed away the palaces' western side, as though
Through the years they had been struck with its file.
مُكَفَّرَةُbowed in homage الجُدرانِthe walls للمَدِّto the flood لاnot تَنيceasing
مُكَفَّرَةُ الجُدرانِ للمَدِّ لا تَني
تَخُرُّthey fall عليهupon it منsome رُكوعٍbowing وسُجَّدِand prostrate
تَخُرُّ عليه من رُكوعٍ وسُجَّدِ
With walls bowing in homage to the flood, they never cease
To fall before it, some bowed and some prostrate.
وعَهْديand my memory بهاof them مثلُlike الفَراقدِthe Farqad stars تُنْتَضىraised aloft
وعَهْدي بها مثلُ الفَراقدِ تُنْتَضى
ذَوائِبُهاtheir crests ماthe space بينَbetween نَسْرٍNasr وفَرقَدِand Farqad
ذَوائِبُها ما بينَ نَسْرٍ وفَرقَدِ
I remember them like the Farqad stars; upraised
Were their crests between Nasr and Farqad.
بقيَّةُthe remnants of أبشارِthe outer skins of البناءِthe buildings كأنماas though
بقيَّةُ أبشارِ البناءِ كأنما
تَصوغُfashion لهاfor them الآصالُthe late afternoons تِيجانَcrowns of عَسجَدِgold
تَصوغُ لها الآصالُ تِيجانَ عَسجَدِ
The buildings' surviving skins look as though
Late afternoon were forging crowns of gold for them.
فياso O سطوةَonslaught of الأيَّامthe days ِعُوديreturn لسِلْمِهاto peace with them
فيا سطوةَ الأيَّام ِعُودي لسِلْمِها
كماas كنتِyou were قبلَbefore اليومِtoday مَغلولةَfettered اليَدِthe hand
كما كنتِ قبلَ اليومِ مَغلولةَ اليَدِ
So, O onslaught of days, be at peace with them again,
As you were before today, your hand in chains.
وياand O جانِبيَهْاits two banks بالمُناخِat al-Munakh سُقيتُماmay you both be watered
ويا جانِبيَهْا بالمُناخِ سُقيتُما
بأعذبَwith something sweeter ممَّاthan what يُسقَيانِthey both are watered with وأبرَدِand cooler
بأعذبَ ممَّا يُسقَيانِ وأبرَدِ
And O its two banks at al-Munakh, may you both be watered
With water sweeter and cooler than what waters you.
وياand O ديْرَهاits monastery الشَّرقيَّeastern لازالَmay there always be رائحٌan evening visitor
ويا ديْرَها الشَّرقيَّ لازالَ رائحٌ
يَحُلُّloosens عُقودَthe knots of المُزنِthe rainclouds فيكَover you ويَغتديand comes at dawn
يَحُلُّ عُقودَ المُزنِ فيكَ ويَغتدي
And O its eastern monastery, may an evening visitor always
Unbind the rainclouds' knots over you, and come at dawn.
مَوارِدُwatering places of لَهْوٍpleasure صَفَّقَتْrippled فيin ظِلالِهاtheir shade
مَوارِدُ لَهْوٍ صَفَّقَتْ في ظِلالِها
مَوارِدُpools منof ماءِthe juice of الكرومِthe vines مُوَرَّدِrose-tinted
مَوارِدُ من ماءِ الكرومِ مُوَرَّدِ
Haunts of pleasure, beneath whose shade rippled
Pools of rose-tinted juice of the vines.
عليلَةُlanguid أنفاسِthe breaths of الرِّياحِthe winds كأنَّماas though
عليلَةُ أنفاسِ الرِّياحِ كأنَّما
يُعَلُّis watered anew بماءِwith the water of الوَرْدِroses نَرجِسُهاtheir narcissus النَّديdewy
يُعَلُّ بماءِ الوَرْدِ نَرجِسُها النَّدي
Languid are the breaths of the winds, as though
Their dewy narcissus were watered anew with rosewater.
يَشُقُّtears open جيوبَthe collars of الوَرْدِthe roses فيin شَجَراتِهاtheir bushes
يَشُقُّ جيوبَ الوَرْدِ في شَجَراتِها
نَسيمٌa breeze متىwhenever يَنْظُرْit looks إلىat الماءِthe water يَبرُدِit grows cool
نَسيمٌ متى يَنْظُرْ إلى الماءِ يَبرُدِ
The roses' collars on their bushes are torn open
By a breeze that grows cool whenever it looks upon the water.
وملعَبُand the playground of إفرِنْدِيَّةِthe brocade-like blooms of الرَّوْضِthe garden يَعْتَليrises
وملعَبُ إفرِنْدِيَّةِ الرَّوْضِ يَعْتَلي
عليهabove it خَلوقيُّsaffron-hued البِناءthe masonry المُشَيَّدِlofty
عليه خَلوقيُّ البِناء المُشَيَّدِ
And above the playground of the garden's brocade-like blooms rises
Saffron-hued, lofty masonry.
صوامعُmonastery towers فيamid سَروٍcypresses أنافَsoaring high كأَنهاas though they were
صوامعُ في سَروٍ أنافَ كأَنها
قِبابُdomes of عقيقٍagate فيamid قِبابِdomes of زَبَرْجَدِchrysolite
قِبابُ عقيقٍ في قِبابِ زَبَرْجَدِ
Monastery towers amid soaring cypresses, as though they were
Domes of agate amid domes of chrysolite.
Translation model: Sol 6.1