ومُرْوٍ صَدى الرّوضاتِ يسحبُ دائباً

ومُرْوٍ صَدى الرّوضاتِ يسحبُ دائباً

على الأرْضِ منه جُمْلَةً تَتَبَعّضُ

على الأرْضِ منه جُمْلَةً تَتَبَعّضُ

And a stream that slakes the gardens' thirst, ceaselessly trailing

The echo of the gardens continuously draws

across the earth a mass of itself that divides into parts.

On the ground from it a sequence that scatters

إِذا ما جرَى واهتَزَّ للعينِ مُزْبِداً

إِذا ما جرَى واهتَزَّ للعينِ مُزْبِداً

حَسِبتَ به فَرواً مِنَ النّسْرِ يُنفَضُ

حَسِبتَ به فَرواً مِنَ النّسْرِ يُنفَضُ

Whenever it flows and quivers, foaming before the eye,

When it flows and sways before the eye foaming

you would think it a vulture's pelt being shaken out.

You would think it a plume of eagles scattering

وتَنسابُ منه حَيَّةٌ غَيرَ أَنَّها

وتَنسابُ منه حَيَّةٌ غَيرَ أَنَّها

تطولُ على قَدْرِ المَسابِ وتعْرُضُ

تطولُ على قَدْرِ المَسابِ وتعْرُضُ

And a serpent glides from it, except that it

And a serpent flows from it, except that it

lengthens to the measure of its channel, and grows wide.

Lengthens to the extent of the staff and widens

وتحسبُهُ إن حَبّكَتْ مَتْنَهُ الصَّبا

وتحسبُهُ إن حَبّكَتْ مَتْنَهُ الصَّبا

عموداً علاهُ النّقْشُ وهو مُفضَّضُ

عموداً علاهُ النّقْشُ وهو مُفضَّضُ

And you would think it, if the east wind wove patterns on its back,

And if the morning breeze braided its body

a column overlaid with tracery and plated with silver.

You would think it a column engraved and fractured

لهُ رِعْدَةٌ تعتادُهُ في انحدارِهِ

لهُ رِعْدَةٌ تعتادُهُ في انحدارِهِ

كما تَبْسُطُ الكفُّ العنانَ وتقبضُ

كما تَبْسُطُ الكفُّ العنانَ وتقبضُ

It has a tremor that returns as it descends,

It has a rumbling that it is accustomed to in its descent

as the hand lets out the rein and draws it in.

As the palm extends and tightens the rein

كَأَنَّ لَهُ في الجسمِ روحاً إذا جرى

كَأَنَّ لَهُ في الجسمِ روحاً إذا جرى

به نَهْضَةٌ والجسمُ بالروح يَنْهضُ

به نَهْضَةٌ والجسمُ بالروح يَنْهضُ

As though it had a soul within its body: when it flows,

As if it has in its body a spirit, so that when it flows

it stirs, and the body rises through the soul.

A vigor moves it and the body moves with the spirit

وما هوَ إلا دمْعُ عينٍ كأنّها

وما هوَ إلا دمْعُ عينٍ كأنّها

لطولِ بكاءٍ دهرَهَا لا تُغمِّضُ

لطولِ بكاءٍ دهرَهَا لا تُغمِّضُ

And it is nothing but the tears of an eye that seems,

Yet it is but a teardrop as if its source

from long weeping, never to close throughout its life.

From weeping so long does not close its eyes

إذا سَرَحَتْ للسقي من كلّ جانبٍ

إذا سَرَحَتْ للسقي من كلّ جانبٍ

رأيتَ بقاعَ الأرض منها تُرَوِّضُ

رأيتَ بقاعَ الأرض منها تُرَوِّضُ

When it streams forth to irrigate from every side,

When it roams to irrigate on every side

you see the tracts of earth turn into gardens through it.

You see the land it waters flourishing

يُقيمُ عَلَيها الأنسُ والصبحُ مقبلٌ

يُقيمُ عَلَيها الأنسُ والصبحُ مقبلٌ

ويرحلُ عنها الوحشُ والليل معرضُ

ويرحلُ عنها الوحشُ والليل معرضُ

Human company dwells there as morning approaches,

In it, company and the morning remain

and wild beasts depart from there as night turns away.

And from it, wilderness and night depart