وَمُشتَمَّةٍ لِلأَرضِ حَتَّى كَأَنَّها

وَمُشتَمَّةٍ لِلأَرضِ حَتَّى كَأَنَّها

تَقَصَّى مُحولاً في البطاح المواحل

تَقَصَّى مُحولاً في البطاح المواحل

And a cloud sniffing the earth, until it seemed

Cursed and condemned be the land as though

to seek out parched places in the muddy plains.

It had traversed mazy mountains and trackless wilds.

فَجنَّت كَما جَنَّ الظَّلامُ وَأَفرَغَت

فَجنَّت كَما جَنَّ الظَّلامُ وَأَفرَغَت

عَلينا كَإِفراغِ الدِّلاءِ الحَوافل

عَلينا كَإِفراغِ الدِّلاءِ الحَوافل

Then it closed in, as darkness does, and poured

It rained on us as darkness rains, pouring down

upon us like brimful buckets being emptied.

Like cloud-bursts' headlong, gushing waters.

أَطَلَّت غَديراً في الهَواء كَأَنَّهُ

أَطَلَّت غَديراً في الهَواء كَأَنَّهُ

هو البحرُ يجري بالسفينِ الحوامل

هو البحرُ يجري بالسفينِ الحوامل

It loomed overhead, a pool in the air, as though it

It hung above in the air like a sea about to burst,

were the sea flowing with laden ships.

As if it were the deep with ships and swelling sails.

فَلَو أَنَّها صَبَّت جَميعاً لَغَرَّقَت

فَلَو أَنَّها صَبَّت جَميعاً لَغَرَّقَت

وَلَكنما أَرواحُها كَالمناخل

وَلَكنما أَرواحُها كَالمناخل

So, had it poured out in full, it would have drowned us;

Had it but poured its waters altogether, it would have drowned us.

but its winds are like sieves.

But its drops were like the spent arrows of fate.

كَأَنَّ غَديرَ الماءِ بَينَ حَبابِهِ

كَأَنَّ غَديرَ الماءِ بَينَ حَبابِهِ

وَبَينَ شُخُوصٍ قُمنَ مثلَ الأَنامل

وَبَينَ شُخُوصٍ قُمنَ مثلَ الأَنامل

As though the pool of water, between its bubbles

As though pearls of water amid its spray

and shapes standing up like fingertips,

And towers shattered stood like human forms.

مَساميرُ دُرٍّ تَعتَلي برءوسنا

مَساميرُ دُرٍّ تَعتَلي برءوسنا

مِراراً وَطوراً تَعتلي بِالأَسافل

مِراراً وَطوراً تَعتلي بِالأَسافل

were nails of pearl, rising at our heads

Nails of pearl rain down on our heads

repeatedly, and at times rising at the lower ends.

Now and again, now striking the heights, now the depths.