وَتَنوفَةٍand a trackless wilderness مَدthe reach of الضَميرthought قَطَعتهاI crossed it
وَتَنوفَةٍ مَد الضَمير قَطَعتها
وَاللَيلand the night فَوقَabove آكامهاits hills يَتَرَبعsits enthroned
وَاللَيل فَوقَ آكامها يَتَرَبع
And I crossed a wilderness as vast as the reach of thought,
The path of longing has cut across a meadow,
while night sat enthroned above its hills.
And the night sits enthroned above its slopes.
لَيلa night يَمُدُّextends دُجاهits darkness دونَbefore صَباحهits dawn
لَيل يَمُدُّ دُجاه دونَ صَباحه
آمالthe hopes of ذيone possessed of الحرصgreed الَّذيwho لاnot يَقنَعis content
آمال ذي الحرص الَّذي لا يَقنَع
A night whose darkness, before its dawn, was prolonged
A night that extends its darkness without dawn,
by the hopes of a covetous man who was never content.
The hopes of one insatiate that is never content.
باتَتspent the night كَواكبهits stars تَحوطguarding بَقاءهits continuance
باتَت كَواكبه تَحوط بَقاءه
فيin كُلِevery أُفقhorizon مِنهُof it نجمa star يَلمَعgleams
في كُلِ أُفق مِنهُ نجم يَلمَع
Its stars spent the night guarding its continuance;
Its stars encircle its survival,
in each of its horizons, a star gleamed.
In every horizon a star glitters bright.
زَهرٌradiant stars يُثيرrouses عَلىagainst الصَباحthe dawn طَلائِعاًscouts
زَهرٌ يُثير عَلى الصَباح طَلائِعاً
حَولَaround السَماءthe sky فَهُنَّso they are حَسرىweary ضلعlimping
حَولَ السَماء فَهُنَّ حَسرى ضلع
Radiant stars roused scouts against the dawn
A blossom that stirs the dawn’s vanguards about the sky,
around the sky; they were weary and limping,
Where they are ribs of yearning in sighs.
مُتَيَقِظاتvigilant فيon المَسيرthe journey كَأَنَّهاas though they
مُتَيَقِظات في المَسير كَأَنَّها
باتَتspent the night تُناجيwhispering بِالَّذيabout what يَتَوَقعanticipates
باتَت تُناجي بِالَّذي يَتَوَقع
vigilant on their journey, as though they
Awakened in their course as though they had
had spent the night whispering about what lay ahead.
Spent the night whispering to the expected one.
وَالصُبحand dawn يَرقبwatches for مِنfrom دُجاهits darkness غُرةan opening
وَالصُبح يَرقب مِن دُجاه غُرة
مُتَضائلshrinking مِنfrom سحقهits remoteness يَتَطَلَعpeers out
مُتَضائل مِن سحقه يَتَطَلَع
And dawn watched for an opening in its darkness,
And the dawn watches from its darkness for the surprise
small and faint, peering out from far away,
Of its rise, diminished, aspiring from its crushing.
مُتَنَفِّساًbreathing فيهِwithin it جِناناًa heart واهِناweak
مُتَنَفِّساً فيهِ جِناناً واهِنا
فيin كُلevery لَحظةinstant ساعةa span of time يَتَشَجَعgrows bolder
في كُل لَحظة ساعة يَتَشَجَع
breathing within it, faint of heart,
Breathing lightly in it, gardens and meadows faint,
growing bolder with every instant of time,
In every moment an hour it emboldens itself.
حَتّىuntil اِنزَوىwithdrew اللَيلthe night البَهيمpitch-black لِضوئِهِbefore its light
حَتّى اِنزَوى اللَيل البَهيم لِضوئِهِ
وَقدand already اِستَجابَyielded ظَلامهits darkness يَتَقَشَعdisperses
وَقد اِستَجابَ ظَلامه يَتَقَشَع
until pitch-black night withdrew before its light,
Until the savage night withdrew before its light,
and its darkness yielded, dispersing.
And its darkness responded being shredded.
وَبَدَتand appeared كَواكبهits stars حَيارىbewildered فيهِwithin it لاnot
وَبَدَت كَواكبه حَيارى فيهِ لا
تَدريknow بِوَشكwith the imminence of زيالهاtheir departure ماwhat تَصنَعthey do
تَدري بِوَشك زيالها ما تَصنَع
And its stars appeared bewildered within it, not
And its stars appeared confused in it, not knowing
knowing what to do as their departure drew near,
In their setting, what they should do.
مُتهادِلاتdrooping النورlight فيin آفاقِهاtheir horizons
مُتهادِلات النور في آفاقِها
مُستَعبِراتweeping فيin الدُجىthe darkness تَستَرجعsay 'To God we return'
مُستَعبِرات في الدُجى تَستَرجع
their light drooping along their horizons,
Competing in light in their horizons,
weeping in the darkness, saying, 'To God we belong, and to Him we return.'
Recovering in the gloom what they had lost.
وَكَواكبand the stars of الجَوزاءOrion تَبسطspread باعَهاtheir armspan
وَكَواكب الجَوزاء تَبسط باعَها
لِتُعانقto embrace الظَلماءthe darkness وَهِيَwhile it تَودعbids farewell
لِتُعانق الظَلماء وَهِيَ تَودع
And Orion's stars stretched out their arms
And Virgo’s stars spread out their hands
to embrace the darkness as it bade farewell.
To embrace the darkness while taking leave.
وَكَأَنَّهاand as though they فيin الجَوthe sky نَعشa bier أَخيa brother of بِلىdecay
وَكَأَنَّها في الجَو نَعش أَخي بِلى
يَبكيweeps وَيوقفand is halted تارةat times وَيَشيعand is escorted to burial
يَبكي وَيوقف تارة وَيَشيع
And in the sky they seemed the bier of one consigned to decay,
As though a bier of my brother worn in the air
amid weeping, halted at times, and escorted to burial.
Weeping, stopping at times, being escorted.
وَكَأَنَّماand as though الشعرىSirius العبورthe Crossing Star وَراءَهاbehind them
وَكَأَنَّما الشعرى العبور وَراءَها
ثَكلىa bereaved mother لَهاshe has دَمعٌtears غَزيرcopious يهمعstream down
ثَكلى لَها دَمعٌ غَزير يهمع
And Sirius, the Crossing Star, behind them, seemed
As though Scorpio behind it were a copious tear
a bereaved mother whose copious tears streamed down.
That gushes for it lamenting.
وَبَناتand the Daughters of نَعشٍthe Bier قَدalready بَرَزنَemerged حَواسِراًbareheaded
وَبَنات نَعشٍ قَد بَرَزنَ حَواسِراً
قَدامهاahead of them أَخواتهنّtheir sisters الأَربعthe four
قَدامها أَخواتهنّ الأَربع
And the Daughters of the Bier had emerged bareheaded,
And daughters of the bier had come out tearful,
their four sisters ahead of them;
Before them their four sisters.
عَبرىtearful هَتَكنَthey tore away قِناعهنtheir veils عَلىover الدُجىthe darkness
عَبرى هَتَكنَ قِناعهن عَلى الدُجى
جَزَعاًin anguish وَآلتand vowed بَعدُthereafter لاnot تَتَقنعveil themselves
جَزَعاً وَآلت بَعدُ لا تَتَقنع
tearful, they tore away their veils over the darkness
They rent their veils in grief over the darkness
in anguish, and vowed never again to veil themselves.
Inconsolable afterwards, they would not be consoled.
وَكانَand was أفقاًa horizon مِنfrom تَلألئthe twinkling of نَجمِهِits star
وَكانَ أفقاً مِن تَلألئ نَجمِهِ
عِندَat اِفتِقادthe loss of اللَيلthe night عَينٌan eye تَدمَعweeps
عِندَ اِفتِقاد اللَيل عَينٌ تَدمَع
And a horizon, through its star's twinkling, was
And from the loss of its star it had been a horizon
an eye that wept at the loss of night.
When the night missed it, an eye that tears.
وَالفَجرand dawn فيin صَفوِthe clarity of الهَواءthe air مَوردrose-red
وَالفَجر في صَفوِ الهَواء مَورد
مَلlike (unclear in the supplied text) المدامةwine فيin الزُجاجglass تَشَعشَعsparkles
مَل المدامة في الزُجاج تَشَعشَع
And dawn in the clear air was rose-red,
And the dawn in the purity of the air a reservoir
[like] wine sparkling in glass.
Full like wine in glass scintillating.
ياO لَيلnight ماwhat لَكَis with you لاnot تَغيبyou conceal كَواكِباًstars
يا لَيل ما لَكَ لا تَغيب كَواكِباً
زَفراتهاtheir sighs وَجداًin longing عَلَيكَfor you تَقطعbreak off
زَفراتها وَجداً عَلَيكَ تَقطع
O night, why do you not conceal the stars
O night why do you not set, stars
whose sighs break off in longing for you?
Whose sighs over you bitterly torment.
لَوif أَنَّthat ليfor me بِضياءagainst the light of صُبحكyour dawn طاقةstrength
لَو أَنَّ لي بِضياء صُبحك طاقة
ياO لَيلnight كُنتُI would be أَودهwishing it لاnot يَسطَعto shine
يا لَيل كُنتُ أَوده لا يَسطَع
If I had strength against the light of your dawn,
If I had the power of your dawn,
O night, I would wish it not to shine,
O night, I would ruin it, it would not shine.
حَذراًout of concern عَلَيكfor you وَلَوand if قَدرتI could بِحيلَتيby my cunning
حَذراً عَلَيك وَلَو قَدرت بِحيلَتي
جرعتهI would make it swallow الغصصthe choking griefs الَّتيthat تَتَجَرعyou swallow
جرعته الغصص الَّتي تَتَجَرع
out of concern for you; and if I could, by my cunning,
Beware of me, even if I could by my cunning
I would make it swallow the choking griefs you swallow.
Make it taste the anguish you taste.
ياO صُبحdawn هاكَtake شَبيبتيmy youth فافتكthen ravage بِهاit
يا صُبح هاكَ شَبيبتي فافتك بِها
وَدَعand let الدُجىthe darkness بِسوادِهِin its blackness يَتَمَتعdelight
وَدَع الدُجى بِسوادِهِ يَتَمَتع
O dawn, take my youth and ravage it,
O dawn here is my youth, so redeem it
and let the darkness delight in its blackness.
And leave the darkness to enjoy its blackness.
أَفقدتَنيyou deprived me أُنسيmy solace بِأَنجُمِهاin its stars الَّتيwhich
أَفقدتَني أُنسي بِأَنجُمِها الَّتي
أَصبَحَتI have become مِنfrom فَقديmy loss لَهاof them أَتَوجَعI ache
أَصبَحَت مِن فَقدي لَها أَتَوجَع
You have robbed me of my solace in its stars, which
You have deprived me of my companion stars
I now grieve to have lost.
That from losing them I am in agony.