البَرقُ طَرزٌ وَالغُيومُ سَتائِرُ

البَرقُ طَرزٌ وَالغُيومُ سَتائِرُ

وَالقاشُ دَرجٌ وَالنَباتُ جَواهِرُ

وَالقاشُ دَرجٌ وَالنَباتُ جَواهِرُ

Lightning is embroidery, and the clouds are curtains;

The lightning is embroidery and the clouds are curtains

and al-Qash is a casket, and the plants are jewels.

The meadow is a staircase and the plants are gems

فَاِشرَب عَلَيهِ وَسَقِّني مِن قَبلُ أَن

فَاِشرَب عَلَيهِ وَسَقِّني مِن قَبلُ أَن

يُطوى مِنَ الديباجِ ما هُوَ ناشِرُ

يُطوى مِنَ الديباجِ ما هُوَ ناشِرُ

So drink amid it and pour me—before

So drink to it and serve me before

the brocade now outspread is folded away—

The brocade is folded up that which is laid out

بِكراً إِذا شُجَّت رَأَيتَ لِوَجهِها

بِكراً إِذا شُجَّت رَأَيتَ لِوَجهِها

عَرَقاً يُنَظِّمُهُ المَرارُ الثائِرُ

عَرَقاً يُنَظِّمُهُ المَرارُ الثائِرُ

virgin wine: when cut with water, you see upon its face

In the morning when she frowns you see on her face

sweat that the seething bile strings into beads.

Sweat that bitter defiance arranges

فَكَأَنَّما الغُدران فيهِ مَطارِحٌ

فَكَأَنَّما الغُدران فيهِ مَطارِحٌ

وَكَأَنَّما الكُثبانُ فيهِ مَساوِرُ

وَكَأَنَّما الكُثبانُ فيهِ مَساوِرُ

So it is as though the pools within it were mattresses,

It's as though there were in it abandoned encampments

and as though the dunes within it were bolsters.

And it's as though there were in it bracelets