ورافضةٍ من مائها في هوائِها

ورافضةٍ من مائها في هوائِها

نَثاراً يُريها في عدادِ النَواصبِ

نَثاراً يُريها في عدادِ النَواصبِ

And a 'Rejecter,' casting some of her water into her air,

And those who refuse its water as it sprays into the air

in a spray that ranks her among the 'Hostile Ones.'

Are shown to be rigid enemies

تمُجُّ كِبار الدُّرّ في دَوَرَانِها

تمُجُّ كِبار الدُّرّ في دَوَرَانِها

فلو لُقِطتْ زانَتْ نُحورَ الكَواعبِ

فلو لُقِطتْ زانَتْ نُحورَ الكَواعبِ

She disgorges great pearls as she turns,

The large pearls churn in their orbit

which, if gathered, would adorn the throats of budding-breasted maidens.

If they were to crystallize, they would adorn the necks of gazelles

وتُفْرِغُ أنواع الفُروغ صَوادِقاً

وتُفْرِغُ أنواع الفُروغ صَوادِقاً

دِلاءٌ لها مُنْهَلّةٌ كالسّحائبِ

دِلاءٌ لها مُنْهَلّةٌ كالسّحائبِ

And varied streams are poured out faithfully

And it empties its abundant treasures into ponds

by her buckets, pouring down like clouds.

With freely pouring rivulets like clouds

بناتُ الرياضِ العِينُ من أخواتِها

بناتُ الرياضِ العِينُ من أخواتِها

فتَبكي عَليها بالدموعِ السّواكبِ

فتَبكي عَليها بالدموعِ السّواكبِ

The wide-eyed daughters of the gardens are among her sisters,

The orchard’s daughters, their eyes like their sisters’

so she weeps over them with streaming tears.

Weep for them with pouring tears

وتَجعلُ تَرْدادَ الحَنينِ لأصْلِها

وتَجعلُ تَرْدادَ الحَنينِ لأصْلِها

دلالَةَ طِيب المُنْتَمَى والضَرائبِ

دلالَةَ طِيب المُنْتَمَى والضَرائبِ

And makes her repeated yearning cries for her roots

And they long mournfully for their origin

a sign of good ancestry and innate character.

Signifying the scent of a noble ancestry and tithes

فَإنْ يَكُ للماء السّلاسِل رُوحُها

فَإنْ يَكُ للماء السّلاسِل رُوحُها

فَجُثمانُها في الدّوْحِ عالِي المَناسبِ

فَجُثمانُها في الدّوْحِ عالِي المَناسبِ

For if her soul belongs to the sweet-flowing water,

If the essence of gentle water were chained

then her body has lofty lineage among the spreading trees,

Its body lies lofty in the hollow

من الخائِضاتِ النهرِ يَسمو حَبَابُه

من الخائِضاتِ النهرِ يَسمو حَبَابُه

فيُذْكرُ من حُسْنٍ ثُغورَ الحَبائبِ

فيُذْكرُ من حُسْنٍ ثُغورَ الحَبائبِ

from those that wade the river, whose bubbles rise

Of those who plunge into the river, its bubbles rise high

and in their beauty recall beloveds' smiling mouths.

Speaking of beauty, the crests of hills

فمِن مبطئٍ يَحكِي إِذا انحطّ أوْ رَقَى

فمِن مبطئٍ يَحكِي إِذا انحطّ أوْ رَقَى

جَمال سَمَاءٍ زُيّنَت بكَواكِبِ

جَمال سَمَاءٍ زُيّنَت بكَواكِبِ

So one of them, moving slowly as it descends or rises, mirrors

When slow it tells, when it descends or rises

the beauty of a sky adorned with stars.

The beauty of a sky adorned with stars

تَدورُ عليهِ فهيَ تَخشاهُ هَيْبَةً

تَدورُ عليهِ فهيَ تَخشاهُ هَيْبَةً

في ما من الكمِيّ المُحاربِ

في ما من الكمِيّ المُحاربِ

She turns upon him, fearing him in awe,

Around it they turn so it frightens them

for what [he has] of an armored warrior in battle.

With awe, so much of the fierce warrior

ومن عَجَلٍ فيها ورَيْثٍ تَخَالُها

ومن عَجَلٍ فيها ورَيْثٍ تَخَالُها

إذا اعْتوَرَتْها طامِيات الغَواربِ

إذا اعْتوَرَتْها طامِيات الغَواربِ

And from her haste and slowness, you would think—

And when hurried, with determination it imagines them

when waves with swelling crests assail her in turn—

When dusty storms rage against it

تُولّي فِراراً منه خِيفَة نَهْشِهِ

تُولّي فِراراً منه خِيفَة نَهْشِهِ

فَيُنْشِبُ في أضْلاعِها فَمَ جاذِبِ

فَيُنْشِبُ في أضْلاعِها فَمَ جاذِبِ

she turns away, fleeing him for fear of his bite,

It turns to flee, fearing its bite

so he sinks a pulling mouth into her ribs.

And it sinks its mouth into their ribs

وقَدْ أصْبَحَا إلْفَيْن يَعتَنِقان في

وقَدْ أصْبَحَا إلْفَيْن يَعتَنِقان في

مُلاعَبَةٍ أثْناء تِلْكَ المَلاعبِ

مُلاعَبَةٍ أثْناء تِلْكَ المَلاعبِ

Yet they have become two intimates, embracing in

Until the two have become intimate, embracing

playful dalliance amid those playgrounds.

During the course of that courtship

فَتَأتِي لَه مِثْل الغِياثِ لِوَقْتِه

فَتَأتِي لَه مِثْل الغِياثِ لِوَقْتِه

بِمُنْسابة منْساحَة في المَذانبِ

بِمُنْسابة منْساحَة في المَذانبِ

So she comes to him like succor at its due time,

She comes to him like help in his time of need

with a gliding stream spreading through the irrigation channels:

With a gentle gait during the pleasures

أرَاقِمُ للبُستَانِ خَيْرُ رَواقِم

أرَاقِمُ للبُستَانِ خَيْرُ رَواقِم

سَوالِبُ لِلأشْجان خَيْرُ سَوالِبِ

سَوالِبُ لِلأشْجان خَيْرُ سَوالِبِ

speckled serpents, the garden's finest embroiderers,

The orchards' pillars are the best pillars

thieves of sorrow, the finest of thieves.

The winding streams the best winding