مسمعةa music-maker تطربdelight الحانهاits melodies
مسمعة تطرب الحانها
لكنهاbut it ليستis not بسماعهa listener
لكنها ليست بسماعه
A music-maker whose melodies delight,
A musical hourglass, though not a listener,
yet it is no listener.
Entrances with melodies played within.
وأنتand you تلقاهاmeet it بسمعby listening كماjust as
وأنت تلقاها بسمع كما
تلقاكit meets you فيin أمركyour command بالطاعهwith obedience
تلقاك في أمرك بالطاعه
And you meet it by listening, just as
You hear it as though it hears your command,
it meets you with obedience to your command.
Obedient in all that you ask it to do.
لهاit has بروجzodiacal signs ولهاand it has عقربa scorpion (also a clock hand)
لها بروج ولها عقرب
لاnot يألفfrequents البرجthe zodiacal sign سوىonly ساعهan hour
لا يألف البرج سوى ساعه
It has signs of the zodiac, and it has a scorpion,
It has signs and it has a pointer,
which dwells in each sign for only an hour.
Aligned but for a fleeting hour.
ويبدعand excels الرقاصthe pendulum (literally, dancer) فيin رقصهits dance
ويبدع الرقاص في رقصه
إذas يسمعit hears الضربthe striking وايقاعهand its rhythm
إذ يسمع الضرب وايقاعه
And the pendulum excels in its dance,
The dancer choreographs artfully,
as it hears the striking and its rhythm.
Step matching each rhythm and beat.
كأنهاas though it were تشدوsings بألحانهاwith its melodies
كأنها تشدو بألحانها
كاهنةa female soothsayer فيamong العربthe Arabs سجاعهspeaking in rhymed prose
كاهنة في العرب سجاعه
It seems, as it sings its melodies, to be
As if singing enchantingly,
a soothsayer among the Arabs, speaking in rhymed prose.
A soothsayer weaving magic with words.
رقاصهاits pendulum طفلa child لدىat مكتبa school
رقاصها طفل لدى مكتب
يقرأreads فيin الجزءthe section بتباعهwith a reading pointer
يقرأ في الجزء بتباعه
Its pendulum is a child at a school,
The dancer, a schoolboy at his desk
reading from the section with a pointer.
Studying verse in order and rhythm.
كأنهاas though it were عزاًin honor كتابa book الرضاal-Rida
كأنها عزاً كتاب الرضا
أينعripened فيهin it العيشlife أيناعهits ripening
أينع فيه العيش أيناعه
It is as though, in honor, it were al-Rida's book,
As if the book of contentment itself
in which life has ripened to its fullness.
Where satisfaction grows lush.
مولايmy lord ابياتكyour verses قدindeed احرزتhave secured
مولاي ابياتك قد احرزت
غرائبwonders الأوصافdescriptions فيabout الساعهthe clock
غرائب الأوصاف في الساعه
My lord, your verses have indeed captured
My lord, your verses have captured
wondrous descriptions of the clock.
The strangest metaphors in an instant.
ياO مفردpeerless الفضلexcellence الذيwho فيconcerning معاlofty merits (first part of معاليه)
يا مفرد الفضل الذي في معا
ليهhis (completes معاليه) اقامestablished الرأيopinion اجماعهits consensus
ليه اقام الرأي اجماعه
O peerless in excellence, concerning whose lofty
O singular in your virtuous grace
merits opinion has reached a consensus.
Whose wisdom brings consensus in council.
أنتyou ابوAbu (father of) المجدal-Majd (glory) الذيwho لمnot تزلذcease (apparent typo for تزل)
أنت ابو المجد الذي لم تزلذ
كلall رجالmen of المجدglory اتباعهhis followers
كل رجال المجد اتباعه
You are Abu al-Majd, who has always had
O father of glory, whom glory men
all men of glory as his followers.
Have always strived to follow.
Sol 6.1