فتنravages النارthe fire إذاwhen ماfor emphasis أذهبتwent far
فتن النار إذا ما أذهبت
فيthrough أفانينvarieties الأذىharm يأبينrefuse حصراenumeration
في أفانين الأذى يأبين حصرا
The fire's ravages, when it ranges far
The passions of fire, when they destroy
through manifold forms of harm, defy all counting.
In the avenues of harm, refuse confinement
ومنand among الممتعwhat delights فوقbeyond المشتهىwhat is desired
ومن الممتع فوق المشتهى
بدعmarvels جاءcame بهاwith them التنويعvariety تترىone after another
بدع جاء بها التنويع تترى
And among delights beyond what one desires
And above desire is the pleasurable
are marvels that variety brings one after another.
With innovations brought by variations seen
هذهthis قنطرةa bridge شاهقةtowering
هذه قنطرة شاهقة
غارsank منهاof it جانبone side فيin الماءthe water طمراsubmerged
غار منها جانب في الماء طمرا
Here is a towering bridge;
This is a lofty bridge
one side of it sank beneath the water, submerged.
Whose side in the water sank into rubble
ذاكthat صرحan edifice جردتwere stripped أطلالهits ruins
ذاك صرح جردت أطلاله
منof حليornaments كنthey were ملءfilling العينthe eye سبراwith beauty
من حلي كن ملء العين سبرا
There is an edifice whose ruins were stripped
That is a palace whose ruins
of ornaments that once filled the eye with splendor.
Were stripped of jewelry that filled the eye's probing
تلكthat منfrom عهدan age عهيدlong past دوحةa spreading tree
تلك من عهد عهيد دوحة
ظلkept يسقيهاwatering it سحابclouds العفوbounty ثراcopiously
ظل يسقيها سحاب العفو ثرا
There is a spreading tree from an age long past,
That is from an ancient grove
which clouds of bounty kept watering abundantly.
Whose clouds of pardon kept watering it
عقدتformed أغصانهاits branches تاجa crown سنىradiance
عقدت أغصانها تاج سنى
وخبتand died down بينamong مدلاةdangling branches وكسرىand broken ones
وخبت بين مدلاة وكسرى
Its branches formed a crown of radiance,
Its branches knitted a crown of years
and died down, some dangling and some broken.
And it withered between garlands and Chosroes
ثمthen حولturn وجهةthe direction of الطرفthe gaze تجدyou will find
ثم حول وجهة الطرف تجد
صوراimages أسوغmore palatable فيin النفسthe soul وأمرىand more wholesome
صورا أسوغ في النفس وأمرى
Then turn your gaze, and you will find
Then turn your gaze, and you find
images more palatable to the soul and more wholesome.
Images more wondrous to the soul and sight
نمرa leopard منfrom فرطthe extremity of ماwhat حاقbefell بهupon it
نمر من فرط ما حاق به
دارcircled آناa while فيin مدارa circular course ثمthen خراcollapsed
دار آنا في مدار ثم خرا
A leopard, from the severity of what befell it,
A leopard who from excess that befell him
circled awhile, then collapsed.
His abode turned and then fell
سالflowed منfrom فكيهits two jaws داميbloody زبدfoam
سال من فكيه دامي زبد
حينwhen مسtouched الأرضthe ground نشتhissed منهfrom it حرىburning hot
حين مس الأرض نشت منه حرى
Bloody foam flowed from its jaws;
Foam of blood dripped from his jaws
when it touched the ground, the hot earth hissed.
When he touched the ground, it ignited from him, heated
فهدa cheetah غابforest كسرتwas broken شرتهits ferocity
فهد غاب كسرت شرته
صارbecame كالهرlike a cat وماand not يرهبfears فأرa mouse
صار كالهر وما يرهب فأر
A forest cheetah, its ferocity broken,
A gazelle whose mottles were broken
became like a housecat, feared by no mouse.
Became like a cat, no mouse did it frighten
وعلan ibex منfrom شدةthe intensity of البرحtorment ارتمىflung itself
وعل من شدة البرح ارتمى
ببقاياwith the remnants of روقهits horn ينطحbutting صخراrocks
ببقايا روقه ينطح صخرا
An ibex, in fierce torment, hurled itself forward,
A camel from severe exhaustion fell
butting rocks with what remained of its horn.
With remnants of its leaves butting a boulder
ورلa monitor lizard أفلتescaped منfrom جحرa burrow فلمbut did not
ورل أفلت من جحر فلم
يلفfind منof شيءanything سوىexcept الرمضاءscorching ground جحراa burrow
يلف من شيء سوى الرمضاء جحرا
A monitor lizard escaped its burrow, but did not
A hedgehog sparked from his thorns
find any burrow except the scorching ground.
A flame that illuminated colors abundant
قنفذa hedgehog أوقدkindled منfrom أشواكهits spines
قنفذ أوقد من أشواكه
شكةa suit of armor لاحتgleamed بهاon it الألوانcolors كثراmany
شكة لاحت بها الألوان كثرا
A hedgehog kindled from its spines
A scorpion whose head’s tongues
a suit of armor, gleaming with many colors.
And tail hastened writhing and stinging
عقربa scorpion شالتlifted زبانىpincers رأسهاits head
عقرب شالت زبانى رأسها
والذنابىand the tail عجلتhastened خلجاtwitching وأبراand stinging
والذنابى عجلت خلجا وأبرا
A scorpion raised the pincers of its head,
Lightning flashed to the eye but it
and its tail twitched and stung in haste.
Was only serpents, hissing and coiled
شبهa semblance of برقlightning لاحflashed للطرفto the eye ولمand not
شبه برق لاح للطرف ولم
يكwas إلاexcept أفعواناa male viper مسجهراrigidly stretched out
يك إلا أفعوانا مسجهرا
Something like lightning flashed before the eye, yet
Images whose signs of years are unknown
it was only a male viper, rigidly stretched out.
Or a small serpent slithering stealthily
صورimages لمnot يدرwas known آياتmarvels سنىradiance
صور لم يدر آيات سنى
أمor خشاشsmall creatures حيةliving تسجرbeing set ablaze سجراfiercely
أم خشاش حية تسجر سجرا
Images—one could not tell whether they were marvels of radiance
And besides that how many views
or small living creatures being fiercely burned.
Reality adorned with illusion it engulfed
وسوىand besides ذلكthat كمhow many منof منظلاa scene (uncertain reading)
وسوى ذلك كم من منظلا
لابسmingled with الوهمillusion بهin it الحقtruth فغراand so beguiled
لابس الوهم به الحق فغرا
And besides these, how many a scene
How many mirages of smoke you imagined
where illusion mingled with truth and beguiled!
As it pretended upon an elephant massive
كمhow many مهاةan oryx منof دخانsmoke ألفيتyou found
كم مهاة من دخان ألفيت
وهيwhile it تستعديseeks aid علىagainst فيلan elephant هزبراa lion
وهي تستعدي على فيل هزبرا
How many an oryx of smoke you found,
How many crosses enraged lent
while it sought a lion's aid against an elephant!
A fang wherewith he assaulted and conquered
كمhow many سبنتىa lion حنقenraged أقرضهlent it
كم سبنتى حنق أقرضه
ضرمflame ناباa fang بهwith it يسطوattacks وظفراand a claw
ضرم نابا به يسطو وظفرا
How many an enraged lion was lent
How many crows appeared fallen
by flame a fang to attack with, and a claw!
Like shooting stars hurling swift
كمhow many غرابa crow قدindeed تبدىappeared واقعاfalling
كم غراب قد تبدى واقعا
كشهابlike a meteor وتردىand plummeted مصمقراscorching hot
كشهاب وتردى مصمقرا
How many a crow appeared, falling
How many eagles dived and soared
like a meteor, and plummeted, scorching hot!
Suddenly snatching the hunter bare
كمhow many عقابan eagle درجتmoved along فانضرجتthen split apart
كم عقاب درجت فانضرجت
بغتةsuddenly تقتنصhunting البازيthe goshawk حراfree
بغتة تقتنص البازي حرا
How many an eagle moved along, then split apart
How many clouds of shining haze
suddenly, while hunting a free-flying goshawk!
Resembling a water-skin bursting with drops
كمhow many سحابa cloud منof هباءfine dust ساطعshining
كم سحاب من هباء ساطع
أشبهresembled المزنةa rain cloud إيماضاin flashing وقطراand rainfall
أشبه المزنة إيماضا وقطرا
How many a cloud of shining dust
resembled a rain cloud in its flashes and drops!
Partial English translation: 42 of 44 Arabic lines translated.