كَمhow many لَيلةa night ساهَرَتI kept vigil with أَنجُمُهاits stars لَدىbeside
كَم لَيلة ساهَرَت أَنجُمُها لَدى
عَرصاتthe open expanses of أَرضٍa land ماؤُهاits water كَسَمائِهاlike its sky
عَرصات أَرضٍ ماؤُها كَسَمائِها
How many a night its stars kept vigil with me beside
How many a night I kept vigil with its stars beside
the expanses of a land whose water was like its sky!
The open expanses of a land whose water is like its sky!
قَدindeed سَيرَتwere set moving فيهاwithin it النُجومthe stars كَأَنَّماas though
قَد سَيرَت فيها النُجوم كَأَنَّما
فَلكthe sphere of السَماءheaven يَدورrevolves فيin أَرجائِهاits reaches
فَلك السَماء يَدور في أَرجائِها
It set the stars journeying across it, as though
The stars were set moving within it, as though
the sphere of heaven were turning through its reaches.
The sphere of heaven were revolving throughout its reaches.
أَحسَنhow beautiful بِهاit is لَججاas deep waters إِذاwhen اِلتَبَسthickened الدُجىthe darkness
أَحسَن بِها لَججا إِذا اِلتَبَس الدُجى
كانَتwere نُجومthe stars of اللَيلthe night مِنamong حَصبائِهاits pebbles
كانَت نُجوم اللَيل مِن حَصبائِها
How lovely its depths when darkness gathered thick:
How lovely its deep waters! When darkness thickened,
the stars of night were numbered among its pebbles.
The stars of night were among its pebbles.
وَإِذاand when تَنَفَسَتbreathed الصِباthe east wind فيacross مَتنِهاits back
وَإِذا تَنَفَسَت الصِبا في مَتنِها
حَكَتresembled الدُروعcoats of mail بِحُسنin the beauty of وَشيthe embroidery of رِدائِهاits robe
حَكَت الدُروع بِحُسن وَشي رِدائِها
And when the east wind breathed across its surface,
And when the east wind breathed across its back,
it resembled coats of mail in the lovely patterning of its mantle.
It resembled coats of mail in the beauty of its robe’s embroidery.
وَإِذاand when اِستَمَنgrew strong بِهاupon it الهُبوبthe blowing wind تَطايَرتflew apart
وَإِذا اِستَمَن بِها الهُبوب تَطايَرت
زَهرbright ones among الكَواكبthe stars فيin بَسيطthe expanse of هَوائِهاits air
زَهر الكَواكب في بَسيط هَوائِها
And when the gusts drew bounty from it, there flew
And when the wind grew strong upon it, off flew
the blossoms of the stars across the broad expanse of its air.
The bright stars across the expanse of its air.
وَتَرَجحتand swayed فيهاwithin it السَماءthe sky وَلَمand did not تَزَلcease
وَتَرَجحت فيها السَماء وَلَم تَزَل
خَضراؤهاits green vault تَرتَجtrembles فيwithin خَضرائِهاits green waters
خَضراؤها تَرتَج في خَضرائِها
The sky swayed within it, and all the while
And the sky swayed within it, and still
its blue-green vault kept swaying in its blue-green deep.
Its green vault trembled within its green waters.
تَرنوit gazes إِلىtoward الجَوزاءOrion وَهِيَwhile it is غَريقةsubmerged
تَرنو إِلى الجَوزاء وَهِيَ غَريقة
تَبغيit seeks النِجاءescape وَلاتbut it is not حينَthe time for نَجائِهاits escape
تَبغي النِجاء وَلات حينَ نَجائِها
It gazed toward Gemini while itself submerged,
It gazed toward Orion, submerged,
seeking deliverance—but this was no time for its deliverance.
Seeking escape, though the time for its escape was past.
تَطفوit floats وَتَرسبand it sinks فيamid اِصِطفاقthe clashing of مِياهِهاits waters
تَطفو وَتَرسب في اِصِطفاق مِياهِها
لاno مُستَعانone to call on for help لَهاfor it سِوىexcept أَسمائهاits names
لا مُستَعان لَها سِوى أَسمائها
It floated and sank amid the clashing of its waters,
It floated and sank amid the clashing of its waters,
with no aid to call upon except its names.
With none to call on for help except its names.
وَالبَدرand the full moon يَخفقthrobs وَسطهاin its midst فَكَأَنَّهُso it is as though it were
وَالبَدر يَخفق وَسطها فَكَأَنَّهُ
قَلبa heart لَهاfor it قَدindeed ريعwas terrified فيwithin أَحشائِهاits entrails
قَلب لَها قَد ريع في أَحشائِها
The full moon throbbed at its center as though it were
And the full moon throbbed in its midst, as though it were
a heart of hers, struck with terror deep in her vitals.
Its heart, struck with terror within its entrails.
