ماnot زِلتُI have ceased أَكلَأُI watch بَرقاًlightning فيin جَوانِبِهِits sides
ما زِلتُ أَكلَأُ بَرقاً في جَوانِبِهِ
كَطَرفَةِlike a blink العَينِthe eye يَخبوfades ثُمَّthen يَختَطِفُdazzles
كَطَرفَةِ العَينِ يَخبو ثُمَّ يَختَطِفُ
Still I keep watch over a lightning flash across its reaches,
I have kept watching lightning along its flanks;
like the blink of an eye: it dims, then flashes suddenly.
like the blink of an eye, it fades, then dazzles.
بَرقٌlightning تَجاسَرَventured boldly مِنfrom خَفّانَKhaffān لامِعُهُits gleam
بَرقٌ تَجاسَرَ مِن خَفّانَ لامِعُهُ
يَقضيsatisfies اللُبانَةَthe longing مِنfrom قَلبيmy heart وَيَنصَرِفُand departs
يَقضي اللُبانَةَ مِن قَلبي وَيَنصَرِفُ
A lightning flash grew bold from the pulsing of its gleam;
Lightning whose gleam ventured boldly from Khaffān
it fulfills my heart’s longing, and then departs.
satisfies my heart’s longing and departs.
