ومُديمةٍand a steadily raining cloud لَمْعَthe gleam of البروقِlightning كأنّماas though
ومُديمةٍ لَمْعَ البروقِ كأنّما
هَزّتْshe shook منof البيضِthe gleaming swords الصفاحِbroad-bladed متوناbacks
هَزّتْ من البيضِ الصفاحِ متونا
And a cloud of ceaseless rain, her lightning flashing as though
she shook the backs of gleaming, broad-bladed swords.
وسرتْand swept along بهاwith her الرّيحُthe wind الشمالُthe north wind فكمand how many a يدٍhand (favor)
وسرتْ بها الرّيحُ الشمالُ فكم يدٍ
كانتwas لهاhers عندwith الرّياضthe gardens يميناa right hand
كانت لها عند الرّياض يمينا
And the north wind bore her along; how many a hand
of hers was a kindly right hand to the gardens!
صرَختْshe cried out بصَوْتِin the voice of الرّعدthunder صرْخةthe cry of حاملa pregnant woman
صرَختْ بصَوْتِ الرّعد صرْخة حامل
ملأتْshe filled بهاwith it الليلَthe night البهيمَpitch-black أنيناgroans
ملأتْ بها الليلَ البهيمَ أنينا
She cried in thunder's voice, the cry of a pregnant woman,
with which she filled the pitch-black night with groans.
حتىuntil إذاwhen ضاقتْshe grew cramped بمضمرby the hidden contents of حملهاher burden
حتى إذا ضاقتْ بمضمر حملها
ألْقَتْshe cast forth بحجرِinto the lap of الأرضِthe earth منهfrom it جنيناan unborn child
ألْقَتْ بحجرِ الأرضِ منه جنينا
Until, when she grew cramped by her hidden burden,
she cast an unborn child from it into the earth's lap:
قطراًrain تَنَاثَرَscattered حَبُّهُits beads فلوَand if اَنّهُthat it
قطراً تَنَاثَرَ حَبُّهُ فلوَ اَنّهُ
دُرٌّpearls تنظّمهyou string it لكانit would be ثميناprecious
دُرٌّ تنظّمه لكان ثمينا
rain whose beads scattered; and if it were
pearls you could string, it would be precious.
وكأنّماand as though عُمْيthe blind ones of الرياضِthe gardens بدمعهwith its tears
وكأنّما عُمْي الرياضِ بدمعه
كُسِيَتْwere clothed منof الزّهْرِthe flowers الأنيقِlovely عيوناeyes
كُسِيَتْ من الزّهْرِ الأنيقِ عيونا
And it was as though the blind gardens, through its tears,
were clothed in eyes of lovely flowers.