ولاعبٍand a player يعرِبُexpresses شطرنجهُhis chess
ولاعبٍ يعرِبُ شطرنجهُ
عنof فهمِهhis understanding المتَّقدِblazing الصائبunerring
عن فهمِه المتَّقدِ الصائب
And a player whose chess speaks
A player moves his chess pieces
of his blazing, unerring understanding.
Expressing his keen intellect
يغيبhe is absent لكنbut ذهنهhis mind حاضرٌpresent
يغيب لكن ذهنه حاضرٌ
ياoh حبَّذاhow admirable منas a حاضرٍpresent one غائبabsent
يا حبَّذا من حاضرٍ غائب
He is absent, yet his mind is present;
Though absent, his mind is present
oh, how admirable—present yet absent!
What a fine paradox of presence and absence
Sol 6.1