مفروشةٌpaved حجراًwith stone تبعثَرwas scattered بعضُهُsome of it
مفروشةٌ حجراً تبعثَر بعضُهُ
والبعضand the rest ضارعَrivaled صقلهits smoothness المنشاراthe saw
والبعض ضارعَ صقله المنشارا
Paved with stone—some of it lies scattered,
Paved with stones, some of which lie scattered,
while the rest, for smoothness, rivals a saw.
while the rest are as smooth as a saw.
أضواؤهاits lights فيin الليلthe night نورlight حُباحبٍa firefly
أضواؤها في الليل نور حُباحبٍ
ماnot إنat all (emphasis) تقيلspare بنيsons of السبيلthe road عثاراstumbling
ما إن تقيل بني السبيل عثارا
Its lights at night are the glow of fireflies,
Its lights at night are a firefly's glow;
scarcely sparing wayfarers a fall.
they do not keep wayfarers from stumbling.
أوحالهاits mud مركومةٌheaped up كجبالهاlike its mountains
أوحالها مركومةٌ كجبالها
حتىuntil يجاوزpass beyond أهلهاits inhabitants آذاراMarch
حتى يجاوز أهلها آذارا
Its mud lies heaped up like its mountains
Its mud lies heaped up like its mountains,
until its people make it past March.
until its people have passed beyond March.
ماnot إنat all (emphasis) يروقكdelights you فيin مروركyour passing منظرٌa sight
ما إن يروقك في مرورك منظرٌ
يثنيكturns you aside عنfrom أنto ترمقgaze at الأقذاراthe filth
يثنيك عن أن ترمق الأقذارا
No sight delights you as you pass through,
As you pass, there is no sight to delight you
to turn you from staring at the filth.
and turn you from gazing at the filth.
تَربٌdust تثورrise up بهِwith it لرياحthe winds (apparent typo) حواملاًcarrying
تَربٌ تثور بهِ لرياح حواملاً
للأنفto the nose نتاًa stench يحصدreaps الأعماراlives
للأنف نتاً يحصد الأعمارا
Dust the winds stir up there, bearing
Dust the winds stir up, carrying
for the nose a stench that harvests lives.
to the nose a stench that reaps lives.
وكذاand likewise المياهthe water تفيضflows forth منfrom ينبوعهاits spring
وكذا المياه تفيض من ينبوعها
عَذباًsweet زُلالاًcrystal-clear جارياًflowing نهاراcopious in flow
عَذباً زُلالاً جارياً نهارا
Likewise, its waters gush from their spring,
And likewise, the water flows from its spring,
sweet and crystal-clear, flowing by day,
sweet and crystal-clear, flowing abundantly,
حتىuntil إذاwhen بلغتreached مرابعَdwelling places of أهلهاits inhabitants
حتى إذا بلغت مرابعَ أهلها
عادتbecame مزيجاa mixture جامعاcontaining أخطاراdangers
عادت مزيجا جامعا أخطارا
until, upon reaching its people's dwellings,
until, when it reaches its people's dwellings,
they become a mixture fraught with dangers.
it becomes a mixture fraught with dangers.
فيهاin it جراثيمgerms of الوباءpestilence ولودَةٌprolific
فيها جراثيم الوباء ولودَةٌ
فيin كلevery ملءِa full measure of زُجاجةٍa bottle ملياراa billion
في كل ملءِ زُجاجةٍ مليارا
Within it, the germs of pestilence breed prolifically—
Within it are prolific germs of pestilence—
a billion in every bottleful.
a billion in every bottleful.
