لوif أنَّthat بيضةَan egg زاغٍof a crow راحَbegan يحضُنُهاto brood over it
لو أنَّ بيضةَ زاغٍ راحَ يحضُنُها
فيin جَنّةِthe Garden الخلْدِof eternity طاووسٌa peacock ويرأَمُهاand cherishes it
في جَنّةِ الخلْدِ طاووسٌ ويرأَمُها
If a crow’s egg were brooded over
If a toad's egg was nurtured
In the Garden of Eternity by a peacock that cherished it,
In Paradise by a peacock who warmed it
وكانand was بالكوثرِby al-Kawthar العذبsweet الفراتfresh and palatable لِدىbeside
وكان بالكوثرِ العذب الفرات لِدى
حَضيرةthe precinct القدسِof holiness مرباهاits rearing place ومطعمهاand its food
حَضيرة القدسِ مرباها ومطعمها
And by al-Kawthar, sweet and fresh, beside
And the sweet Euphrates River by the Kauthar
The holy precinct, were its rearing place and its food,
Was its habitat and feeding place in the vicinity of Jerusalem
لمdid not تأتِcome إِلاّexcept بزاغٍwith a crow وهيwhile it was صاغرةabased
لم تأتِ إِلاّ بزاغٍ وهي صاغرة
وذلكand that الأصلُorigin لاnot ينفكُّceases يَلْزَمُهاclings to it
وذلك الأصلُ لا ينفكُّ يَلْزَمُها
It would hatch nothing but a crow, itself abased,
It would still come out only as a gaping toad
And that origin would never cease to cling to it.
For that is the essence it cannot escape or shed
Sol 6.1