هلhas …? زيدتbeen given more الشمسُthe sun للأنوارto the lights أنواراlights
هل زيدت الشمسُ للأنوار أنوارا
أمor عادتbecame الشُهبُthe bright stars فيin الأفلاكthe celestial spheres أقماراmoons
أم عادت الشُهبُ في الأفلاك أقمارا
Has the sun been granted light upon light?
Has the sun increased its lights with more lights?
Or have the bright stars in the celestial spheres become moons?
Or have the stars returned to the orbits as moons?
أمor أعطيwas granted الدهرُtime نوراًa light غيرother than نورِهماthe light of them both
أم أعطي الدهرُ نوراً غير نورِهما
فإنَّfor indeed للّهِbelonging to God فيin المعهودِthe familiar أسراراsecrets
فإنَّ للّهِ في المعهودِ أسرارا
Or has time been granted a light other than theirs?
Or has time given a light other than their two lights?
For indeed, God has secrets in the familiar.
For God has secrets in the familiar.
ليسis not الضياءُthe radiance الذيwhich قدindeed كنتُI used to أعهدُهُI know it
ليس الضياءُ الذي قد كنتُ أعهدُهُ
بلrather زادit increased حتىuntil وجدتُI found الوهمَthe imagination قدalready حاراbecame bewildered
بل زاد حتى وجدتُ الوهمَ قد حارا
This is not the radiance I once knew;
It is not the glow that I used to know,
Rather, it has grown until I found imagination bewildered.
But it has increased until I found the illusion confused.
ماnot ذاكthat إلاexcept لأمرٍbecause of a matter كلُّهall of it عجبٌa wonder
ما ذاك إلا لأمرٍ كلُّه عجبٌ
قدindeed أعطيَwas granted الدينُthe faith منهfrom it فوقbeyond ماwhat اختاراit chose
قد أعطيَ الدينُ منه فوق ما اختارا
That can only be due to a matter wholly wondrous,
That is only for a matter that is all wonder,
From which the faith has been granted more than it chose.
Religion has given it beyond what it chose.
كرءُreturn (uncertain reading) الأميرِthe prince أبيAbu (father of) حفصٍHafs تداخلناsuffused us
كرءُ الأميرِ أبي حفصٍ تداخلنا
سرورُهits joy فرأيناso we saw النورَthe light أنواراlights
سرورُه فرأينا النورَ أنوارا
The return of Prince Abu Hafs [reading uncertain]—we were filled
The joy of Emir Abi Hafs has overlapped with us,
With its joy, and saw the light as many lights.
His joy made us see the light as lights.
تبثُّscatters يُمناهhis right hand زهراًblossoms فيin الطروسthe pages ولاand not
تبثُّ يُمناه زهراً في الطروس ولا
نكرٌanything strange علىfor السحبthe clouds أنthat ينبتنthey make grow أزهاراflowers
نكرٌ على السحب أن ينبتن أزهارا
His right hand scatters blossoms across the pages, and it is not
His good omens scatter flowers in the Pleiades, and it is not
Strange for clouds to make flowers grow.
Strange for the clouds to sproot flowers.
خطٌّhandwriting هوit السحرmagic لكنَّاbut we ننزههwe hold it blameless
خطٌّ هو السحر لكنَّا ننزهه
ونجعلُand we deem القلمthe pen النفاثthe ink-spitting سَحَّاراa sorcerer
ونجعلُ القلم النفاث سَحَّارا
Handwriting that is magic—yet we hold it blameless,
It is magic in writing, but we exonerate it
And deem the ink-spitting pen a sorcerer.
And make the spraying pen a magician.
Sol 6.1