أَبَرقٌis it lightning يُتَوِّجُcrowns هامَthe heads of الرُباthe hills
أَبَرقٌ يُتَوِّجُ هامَ الرُبا
وَإِلّاand if not فهاتيكَthen that there نارُthe fire of القِرىhospitality
وَإِلّا فهاتيكَ نارُ القِرى
Is it lightning crowning the hilltops?
Lightning crowns the heights of the hills
Or else, that is the fire of hospitality.
Else yonder are the lights of dwellings
كَأنَّas though سناهُits gleam عُيونٌeyes مِراضٌailing
كَأنَّ سناهُ عُيونٌ مِراضٌ
يُحاوِلنَthey try تَحقيقَclearly discerning شَمسِthe sun of الضُحىmidmorning
يُحاوِلنَ تَحقيقَ شَمسِ الضُحى
As though its gleam were ailing eyes,
As though its flashes crazed eyes
Trying to discern the midmorning sun.
That try to find the sun of morning
وَإِلّاand if not فَتِلكَthen those مَصابيحُlamps قَبلَbefore انgoing out (first fragment)
وَإِلّا فَتِلكَ مَصابيحُ قَبلَ ان
طِفاءٍgoing out (second fragment) يَثُرنَflare up لِصدعِto cleave الدُجىthe darkness
طِفاءٍ يَثُرنَ لِصدعِ الدُجى
Or else, those are lamps that, before
Else those are lamps before extinguishing
Going out, flare up to cleave the darkness.
That blaze at nightfall's fracture
وَإِلّاand if not فَتلكthen those سيوفٌswords تَميلsway
وَإِلّا فَتلك سيوفٌ تَميل
بِأيديin the hands of كماةٍvaliant warriors عراهاovertook them الوَنىweariness
بِأيدي كماةٍ عراها الوَنى
Or else, those are swords swaying
Else those are swords aslant
In the weary hands of valiant warriors.
In the hands of warriors stripped by time
وَإلاand if not مواطىءُhoof-falls of خيلٍhorses علىupon
وَإلا مواطىءُ خيلٍ على
صخورٍrocks تطايَرflew off مِنهاfrom them اللَظىflames
صخورٍ تطايَر مِنها اللَظى
Or else, the hoof-falls of horses upon
And the rocks you see are naught
Rocks from which flames flew.
But roaming gazelles leading the does
وَماand not منany صُخورٍrocks تراهاbehold them العيونthe eyes
وَما من صُخورٍ تراها العيون
سوىnothing but غادِياتٍmorning rain clouds تَؤُمُّmake for الفَلاthe wilderness
سوى غادِياتٍ تَؤُمُّ الفَلا
And the rocks the eyes behold
About to take wing in yearning
Are but morning rain clouds bound for the wilderness.
When the hills' bright thirsty ones draw nigh
تكادُalmost تَطيرُfly اِشتِياقاًin longing لهاfor them
تكادُ تَطيرُ اِشتِياقاً لها
إذاwhen أَشرَفَتthey appear ظامِئاتُthe thirsty ones of الرُباthe hills
إذا أَشرَفَت ظامِئاتُ الرُبا
They almost fly in longing for them—
As though the earth would kiss their feet
The thirsty hills—whenever the clouds appear.
And the gazelles stretched out their necks
كَأنَّas though الثَرىthe earth رامsought تَقبيلَهاto kiss them
كَأنَّ الثَرى رام تَقبيلَها
فمدَّso it stretched إلَيهاtoward them رُءوسَthe heads of الزُبىthe hillocks
فمدَّ إلَيها رُءوسَ الزُبى
As though the earth sought to kiss them,
When it passed a verdant valley
So it stretched the heads of the hillocks toward them.
Dragging its train o'er the sand
إذاwhen هيَthey مَرَّتpassed بوادٍthrough a valley محيلٍbarren
إذا هيَ مَرَّت بوادٍ محيلٍ
وَجرَّتand trailed عليهِover it ذُيولَthe skirts of الحَياthe rain
وَجرَّت عليهِ ذُيولَ الحَيا
When they pass through a barren valley,
Raiment of brocade adorning its flanks
And trail the skirts of rain over it,
Its sides forget what gloom may be
كَسَتهُclothed it مطارِفَbordered mantles منof سُندُسٍfine silk
كَسَتهُ مطارِفَ من سُندُسٍ
وَأَنسَتand made forget جوانبَهُits sides ماwhat الظَماthirst
وَأَنسَت جوانبَهُ ما الظَما
They clothe it in mantles of fine silk,
Its fresh sweet rains nurtured its youth
And make its flanks forget what thirst is.
Once a garden of delights was it
سَقىmay water ريُّهاtheir thirst-quenching water العَذبُsweet عهدَthe days of الشَبابyouth
سَقى ريُّها العَذبُ عهدَ الشَباب
فقدfor indeed كانit was روضاًa garden شَهِيَّluscious الجَنىthe fruit
فقد كان روضاً شَهِيَّ الجَنى
May their sweet rain water the days of youth,
When life was soft as the bending bough
For that time was a garden of luscious fruit,
Bowing with the weight of the wished fruit
إذwhen العيشُlife كالغُصنِlike a bough فيin لينهِits suppleness
إذ العيشُ كالغُصنِ في لينهِ
يَميلُbends بِعبءِunder the weight of ثمارِthe fruits of المُنىhopes
يَميلُ بِعبءِ ثمارِ المُنى
When life was like a supple bough,
How oft yearning makes you changeful
Bending beneath the weight of the fruits of hope.
How oft youth's morn makes you yearn
أَقَلبيَO my heart كمhow long ذاthis (emphatic) تُواليyou continue الحَنينَlonging
أَقَلبيَ كم ذا تُوالي الحَنينَ
وكمand how often ذاthis (emphatic) يَشوقُكmakes you yearn عَصرُthe days of الصِباearly youth
وكم ذا يَشوقُك عَصرُ الصِبا
O my heart, how long will you go on yearning?
Patience, I've seen hearts broken
And how often the days of early youth make you yearn!
By this and that and one another
رُوَيدَكrestrain yourself إنيindeed I رَأَيتُhave seen القُلوبhearts
رُوَيدَك إني رَأَيتُ القُلوب
تَفَطَّرُshatter منfrom ذاthis وَمنand from بعضِpart of ذاthis
تَفَطَّرُ من ذا وَمن بعضِ ذا
Gently, now: I have seen hearts
You've befriended sorrow since those days
Shatter from this, and even from part of this.
As though making sorrow pleasant to you
صحِبتَyou kept company with الأَسىsorrow بعدَafter ذاكَthat الزَمانtime
صحِبتَ الأَسى بعدَ ذاكَ الزَمان
كأَنَّكas though you مُستَعذِبٌfinding sweetness لِلأَسىin sorrow
كأَنَّك مُستَعذِبٌ لِلأَسى
You kept company with sorrow after that time,
As though you find sorrow sweet.
Partial English translation: 28 of 30 Arabic lines translated.