أَرِقتُI lay sleepless لِبَرقٍbecause of lightning كَمَتنِlike the flat of الحُساthe sword (word continues)
أَرِقتُ لِبَرقٍ كَمَتنِ الحُسا
مِcompletion of ‘the sword’ يَبدوappears مِراراًrepeatedly وَيَخفىand vanishes مِراراrepeatedly
مِ يَبدو مِراراً وَيَخفى مِرارا
I lay sleepless because of lightning like the flat of a sword,
I was kept awake by lightning like the winking eyes of a doe
appearing time and again and vanishing time and again.
That appears and disappears repeatedly
كَأَنَّas though الصَّباحَdawn أًتىcame زائِراًas a visitor
كَأَنَّ الصَّباحَ أًتى زائِراً
إِلىto اللَّيلِthe night ثُمَّthen تَوَلّىturned away فِراراin flight
إِلى اللَّيلِ ثُمَّ تَوَلّى فِرارا
As though dawn had come as a visitor
As though dawn had come to visit the night, then hurried away in flight
to the night, then turned away in flight.
The camels say, wearied of a group that has lost its way upon them:
تَقولُsay المَطاياthe mounts وَقَدwhile already عَزَّهاit had overcome them
تَقولُ المَطايا وَقَد عَزَّها
لِرَكبٍto a band of riders تَهادواguided one another عَلَيهِtoward it حَيارىbewildered
لِرَكبٍ تَهادوا عَلَيهِ حَيارى
The mounts, already overcome by it, say
“Come to generosity! The clan of Amer has kindled in the darkness of night a fire.”
to riders who guided one another toward it, bewildered:
هَلُمُّواcome, all of you إِلىto الجودِgenerosity قَدalready أَوقَدَتhave kindled
هَلُمُّوا إِلى الجودِ قَد أَوقَدَت
بَنوthe sons of عامِرٍAmir فيin دُجاthe darkness of اللَّيلِthe night ناراa fire
بَنو عامِرٍ في دُجا اللَّيلِ نارا
“Come to generosity! They have kindled—
the sons of Amir—a fire in the darkness of night.”
Partial English translation: 5 of 8 Arabic lines translated.