كَمhow many قَدindeed قَطَعتُI have crossed إِلَيكَto you مِنof دَيمومَةٍa vast desert
كَم قَد قَطَعتُ إِلَيكَ مِن دَيمومَةٍ
نُطَفُdrops المِياهِthe water بِهاin it سَوادُthe blackness of الناظِرِthe eye’s pupil
نُطَفُ المِياهِ بِها سَوادُ الناظِرِ
How many a trackless waste I have crossed to reach you—
How many a vast desert have I crossed to reach you,
where the only drop of water is the eye’s dark pupil—
Where water-drops are like an eye’s dark pupil,
فيin لَيلَةٍa night فيهاin it السَماءُthe sky مُرِزَّةٌthundering
في لَيلَةٍ فيها السَماءُ مُرِزَّةٌ
سَوداءُblack مُظلِمَةٌdark كَقَلبِlike the heart of الكافِرِthe unbeliever
سَوداءُ مُظلِمَةٌ كَقَلبِ الكافِرِ
on a night when the sky was heavy with rain,
On a night when the sky was thundering,
black and lightless as an unbeliever’s heart.
Black, dark as an unbeliever’s heart.
وَالبَرقُand the lightning يَخطَفُdarts مِنfrom خِلالِthe midst of سَحابِهاits clouds
وَالبَرقُ يَخطَفُ مِن خِلالِ سَحابِها
خَطفَthe snatching of الفُؤادِthe heart لِمَوعِدٍat a promised meeting مِنfrom زائِرِa visitor
خَطفَ الفُؤادِ لِمَوعِدٍ مِن زائِرِ
Lightning darted through the rifts in its clouds,
And lightning darts through its clouds,
as the heart is snatched away by a visitor’s promised coming;
Like a heart’s sudden leap at a visitor’s promised coming;
وَالغَيثُand the rain مُنهَلٌّpouring down يَسُحُّstreams down كَأَنَّهُas though it were
وَالغَيثُ مُنهَلٌّ يَسُحُّ كَأَنَّهُ
دَمعُthe tears of المُوَدِّعِthe one bidding farewell إِثرَafter إِلفٍa beloved companion سائِرِdeparting
دَمعُ المُوَدِّعِ إِثرَ إِلفٍ سائِرِ
and the rain came streaming down, gushing as though it were
And the rain pours down, streaming as though it were
the tears of one bidding farewell in a departing beloved’s wake.
The tears of one bidding farewell after a beloved companion departs.
