ظهرت والفريق في دعةٍ

ظهرت والفريق في دعةٍ

بعد أن أرسل الدجى سدلَهُ

بعد أن أرسل الدجى سدلَهُ

There appeared, while the camp lay at ease,

The clouds appeared while the group was resting

after darkness had let fall its curtain,

After the darkness had cast its veil

سحابة في الفضاء سابحة

سحابة في الفضاء سابحة

فوق رؤوس الجبال من كسله

فوق رؤوس الجبال من كسله

a cloud swimming through the sky,

A cloud swimming in space

above the mountain summits of Kassala,

Above the lazy mountains' heads

تحجب في الجو عنك أنجمه

تحجب في الجو عنك أنجمه

فلا ترى نسره ولا زحله

فلا ترى نسره ولا زحله

veiling the sky's stars from you,

Concealing its stars from you in the sky

so you see neither its Eagle nor its Saturn.

So you cannot see its eagle or Saturn

كأنها القارة العظيمة والجو

كأنها القارة العظيمة والجو

محيط البرق قد صقله

محيط البرق قد صقله

As though it were a vast continent, and the sky

As if it were the great continent and the sky

an ocean that lightning had polished.

An ocean of lightning it had polished

قد عبرت فوقنا مغربةً

قد عبرت فوقنا مغربةً

فَنَسى كل آمل أمله

فَنَسى كل آمل أمله

It crossed above us, heading west,

It crossed over us setting

so every hopeful soul forgot his hope.

And every hopeful forgot his hope

كأنها والبروق تضرمها

كأنها والبروق تضرمها

جزيرة في السماء مشتعله

جزيرة في السماء مشتعله

As though, with lightning setting it ablaze, it were

As if it and the lightning kindling it

an island burning in the sky.

Were an island in the blazing sky

وكلما صار بعضها مطراً

وكلما صار بعضها مطراً

اجتذب البرق نحوها بدله

اجتذب البرق نحوها بدله

And whenever part of it turned to rain,

And whenever some of it turned to rain

lightning drew its replacement toward it.

The lightning attracted its replacement toward it

ولو ترى الحي عندما رعدت

ولو ترى الحي عندما رعدت

أشجع من فيه قلبه خذله

أشجع من فيه قلبه خذله

And had you seen the camp when it thundered—

And if you could see the living when it thundered

even its bravest man's heart failed him.

The boldest among them, it made their hearts fail

تذوب كالثلج فوق تربته

تذوب كالثلج فوق تربته

فنبصر الماء غامرا جبله

فنبصر الماء غامرا جبله

It melts like snow upon the camp's soil,

Melting like snow above its soil

so we see the water engulfing its mountain.

We see the water inundating its mountain

قد حمد الله عندما ذهبت

قد حمد الله عندما ذهبت

وأذهبت من ربوعه محله

وأذهبت من ربوعه محله

The people thanked God when the cloud had departed

It praised God when it departed

and driven drought from their lands.

And took from its meadows their places

فانتقل البعض للزراعة

فانتقل البعض للزراعة

والبعض الى الغاب راعياً إبله

والبعض الى الغاب راعياً إبله

Then some turned to farming,

Then some turned to farming

and others to the woods, herding their camels.

And some to the forest, shepherding their camels

قد كان كالقفر لا نبات به

قد كان كالقفر لا نبات به

فأصارته جنة خضله

فأصارته جنة خضله

It had been like a wasteland, with no plants in it;

It had been like a wasteland, no plants in it

then the cloud turned it into a lush garden.

But it made it a verdant garden

كأنها بالحياة مثقلةٌ

كأنها بالحياة مثقلةٌ

فوق ربوع السودان منتقله

فوق ربوع السودان منتقله

As though it were laden with life,

As if laden with life

moving over the lands of Sudan.

Passing over the meadows of Sudan

وهكذا يرسل المهيمن بالرحمة

وهكذا يرسل المهيمن بالرحمة

والفضل للورى رسله

والفضل للورى رسله

And thus the Guardian sends, with mercy

And so the Guardian sends mercy

and bounty, His messengers to humankind.

And grace to the world through his messengers