أيُّwhich of شِعريmy poetry نظَرتُI examined فيهin it لِضَبٍّfor a lizard
أيُّ شِعري نظَرتُ فيه لِضَبٍّ
أوحَدٍsolitary ماnot لَهُit has علىagainst الدهرِtime عونُa helper
أوحَدٍ ما لَهُ على الدهرِ عونُ
Which of my poems did I examine for a lizard—
What poetry of mine have I looked upon as just
Which of my verses did I inspect for a lizard,
a solitary one, with no helper against time?
One solid piece, with no aid against time?
A solitary wretch with no aid against Time?
كُلُّevery بيتٍverse يجيءُcomes يبرزemerges فيهin it
كُلُّ بيتٍ يجيءُ يبرز فيه
لكَto you منfrom جوهَرِthe essence of الفصاحَةِeloquence لونُa hue
لكَ من جوهَرِ الفصاحَةِ لونُ
In every verse that comes forth, there emerges
Every verse comes forward displaying for you
Every line that comes forth reveals within it
for you a hue from the essence of eloquence.
Some hue of eloquence, some tone.
For you, a facet of the essence of eloquence.
ياO لكto you الويلُwoe ليسَnot يعجزthwarts موسىMoses
يا لك الويلُ ليسَ يعجز موسى
رجُلٌa man حشوthe stuffing of جلدِهhis skin فرعونُPharaoh
رجُلٌ حشو جلدِه فرعونُ
Woe to you! Moses cannot be thwarted
Woe to you! Not even Moses despairs-
Woe unto you! Moses is not baffled by
by a man whose skin is stuffed with Pharaoh.
A man whose innards are Pharaoh.
A man whose very skin is stuffed with Pharaoh.
أناI فيin عينكَyour eye الظلامُdarkness كماjust as أنـthat (first part)
أنا في عينكَ الظلامُ كما أنـ
ـنَthat (completion) بياضَthe whiteness of النهارِday عندكَin your view جونُblack
ـنَ بياضَ النهارِ عندكَ جونُ
In your eyes I am darkness, just as
To your eyes I am darkness, just as I am
To your eye I am darkness, just as
the whiteness of day is black to you.
The essence of daylight to you, Jonah.
The whiteness of the day is, to you, pitch black.