أُحذِّركُمْI warn you all أمواجَthe waves of دجلةَthe Tigris إذwhen غدَتْbecame
أُحذِّركُمْ أمواجَ دجلةَ إذ غدَتْ
مُصَنْدَلَةًsandalwood-colored بالمَدِّwith the flood أمواجُthe waves of مائِهاher waters
مُصَنْدَلَةً بالمَدِّ أمواجُ مائِها
I warn you of the Tigris’s waves, now that
I warn you of the Tigris's waves, now that they have turned
the waves of her waters are piled high by the flood.
sandalwood-colored with the flood—the waves of her waters.
وظلَّتand continued صِغارُthe small ones of السُّفنِthe boats ترقُصُdancing وسطَهاamid them
وظلَّت صِغارُ السُّفنِ ترقُصُ وسطَها
كَرَقْصِlike the dancing of بَنَاتِthe girls of الزَّنْجِthe Zanj عندَduring انتشائِهاtheir intoxication
كَرَقْصِ بَنَاتِ الزَّنْجِ عندَ انتشائِها
The little boats kept dancing in their midst,
And the little boats kept dancing in their midst,
like daughters of the Zanj dancing in their intoxication.
like Zanj girls dancing in their intoxication.
فكمfor many a منof غريقdrowned man قدindeed رأيتI have seen رداءهhis robe
فكم من غريق قد رأيت رداءه
يجولمجالcourses like the coursing of الطرفthe noble steed فوقover ردائهاher robe
يجولمجال الطرف فوق ردائها
How many a drowning man have I seen, his cloak
For I have seen many a drowned man's robe
roving as swiftly as the eye over her mantle.
course like a noble steed over her robe.
وماand whatever أنْسَI forget منof يومٍa day ذَممتُI condemned صنيعهَits deeds
وما أنْسَ من يومٍ ذَممتُ صنيعهَ
فماthen not أنسَI forget يوميmy day واقفاًstanding بِفنائهِاin her forecourt
فما أنسَ يومي واقفاً بِفنائهِا
Of all the days whose deed I cursed, I do not forget—
Though I may forget a day whose deeds I condemned,
never shall I forget my day standing at her edge—
I shall not forget the day I stood in her forecourt,
وقدand already عصفتْlashed violently بالجسرِagainst the bridge ريحٌa wind فأقبلتْso they began
وقد عصفتْ بالجسرِ ريحٌ فأقبلتْ
سفائِنُهُits boats تَعْوَجُّbecome crooked بعدَafter استوائِهاtheir straight alignment
سفائِنُهُ تَعْوَجُّ بعدَ استوائِها
when a wind lashed the bridge, and then
when a wind lashed the bridge, and then
its boats began twisting after lying straight.
its boats began to twist after lying straight.
فمنthen many a مُهجَةٍheart تَرتاعُtakes fright عندَat انخفاضِهاtheir dipping
فمن مُهجَةٍ تَرتاعُ عندَ انخفاضِها
وسَبَّابَةٍand an index finger تهتزُّtrembles عندَat اعتلائِهاtheir rising
وسَبَّابَةٍ تهتزُّ عندَ اعتلائِها
Many a heart took fright whenever they dipped,
Many a heart takes fright when they dip,
and many a pointing finger trembled whenever they rose.
and many an index finger trembles when they rise.
تُفرِّقُهاscatter them هُوجُthe fierce blasts of الرِّياحِthe winds وتَعتليand rise
تُفرِّقُها هُوجُ الرِّياحِ وتَعتلي
رُبىthe hills of الموجِthe waves منfrom قُدَّامِهاbefore them وورائِهاand behind them
رُبى الموجِ من قُدَّامِها وورائِها
The raging winds scatter them, while they climb
The raging winds scatter them, while up rise
the hills of waves before them and behind.
hills of waves before them and behind them.
فهنَّso they كدُهْمِlike the black ones of الخيلِthe horses جالَتْwheeled about صفوفُهاtheir ranks
فهنَّ كدُهْمِ الخيلِ جالَتْ صفوفُها
وقدand already نشرَتهاscattered them روعةٌa sudden fright منfrom ورائِهاbehind them
وقد نشرَتها روعةٌ من ورائِها
They are like black horses whose ranks wheel about,
So they are like black horses whose ranks wheel about,
scattered by a terror driving them from behind.
scattered by a sudden fright from behind them.
ودجلةُand the Tigris كَدْراءُmurky الأديمِthe skin سفيهةٌunruly
ودجلةُ كَدْراءُ الأديمِ سفيهةٌ
تعافُspurns سجاياthe natural traits of حَملِهاher burden-bearing وصفائِهاand her clarity
تعافُ سجايا حَملِها وصفائِها
The Tigris is murky-skinned and reckless,
And the Tigris, murky-skinned and unruly,
spurning her accustomed patient bearing and clarity.
spurns her customary burden-bearing and clarity.
كأنَّas though صنوفَkinds of الطَّيرِbirds عاذَتْsought refuge بأرضِهاon her ground
كأنَّ صنوفَ الطَّيرِ عاذَتْ بأرضِها
وقدand already سامَهاinflicted on them ضَيْماًoppression أُسُودُthe lions of سمائِهاher sky
وقد سامَها ضَيْماً أُسُودُ سمائِها
As though every kind of bird had sought refuge on her ground,
As though birds of various kinds had sought refuge on her ground,
after the lions of her sky had dealt them oppression;
after the lions of her sky had oppressed them,
أوor السَّبَجَjet المسوَدَّblack حُلَّتْwere unstrung عقودُهits necklaces
أو السَّبَجَ المسوَدَّ حُلَّتْ عقودُه
علىupon تُربةٍsoil محمرَّةٍreddened منof فَضائِهاher open expanse
على تُربةٍ محمرَّةٍ من فَضائِها
or as though black jet, its necklaces unstrung,
or black jet whose necklaces have been unstrung
lay upon reddish earth across her open expanse.
upon reddened soil within her open expanse.
