وَأَدكنَand a dusky beast مثلlike الطَودِthe mountain أمّاas for سراتُهُits back
وَأَدكنَ مثل الطَودِ أمّا سراتُهُ
فَفَيحاءُso it is broad يَعلوهاis atop it عَديدٌa host مِنof الرجلِmen
فَفَيحاءُ يَعلوها عَديدٌ مِن الرجلِ
And a dusky beast like a mountain—as for its back,
His body is like a mountain, dark and towering,
It is broad, with a host of men upon it.
With a sweet fragrance rising above it.
لَهُit has جُثَّةٌa body عُظمىimmense كَأنَّas though إِهابَهُits hide
لَهُ جُثَّةٌ عُظمى كَأنَّ إِهابَهُ
صَفيحُa sheet حَديدٍof iron لاnot يُخَرَّقُis pierced بِالنَبلِby arrows
صَفيحُ حَديدٍ لا يُخَرَّقُ بِالنَبلِ
It has an immense body, as though its hide
He has a huge frame, as if his coat of mail
Were a sheet of iron that arrows cannot pierce.
Were iron armor that no arrows can pierce.
لموحٌkeen-sighted بِلخصاوَينِwith two thick-lidded eyes كَالنارlike fire أُشعِلَتkindled
لموحٌ بِلخصاوَينِ كَالنار أُشعِلَت
يَرىit sees بِهماwith them both ماwhat كانَwas أَخفىharder to discern مِنthan النَملِants
يَرى بِهما ما كانَ أَخفى مِن النَملِ
Keen-sighted, with two thick-lidded eyes like kindled fire,
His tusks gleam like kindled flames,
It sees with them what is harder to discern than ants.
Revealing what ants had hidden from sight.
وَيردىand it strides عَلىon غُلبٍstout legs غِلاظٍthick كَأَنَّهاas though they were
وَيردى عَلى غُلبٍ غِلاظٍ كَأَنَّها
عوامِدُpillars صَخرٍof rock قَدindeed غَنِينَhave no need عَنof النَقلِbeing moved
عوامِدُ صَخرٍ قَد غَنِينَ عَن النَقلِ
And it strides on stout, thick legs, as though they were
He charges at mighty, stalwart elephants
Pillars of rock with no need to be moved.
As if they were pillars of rock beyond moving.
إِذاwhen هَزَّit shakes ماwhat بِالأَرضِon the earth مادَتit sways بِأَهلهاwith its inhabitants
إِذا هَزَّ ما بِالأَرضِ مادَت بِأَهلها
كَأنَّas though بِهاwithin it الزِلزالَthe earthquake مِنfrom وَطأةِthe pressure of الثِقلِthe weight
كَأنَّ بِها الزِلزالَ مِن وَطأةِ الثِقلِ
When it shakes what is on the earth, the earth reels with its inhabitants,
When he shakes the ground, those on it sway
As though an earthquake shook it beneath the pressure of that weight.
As in an earthquake from his massive weight.
سَفينةُa ship بَرٍّof land قَلعهاits sail أذُنٌan ear لَهُbelonging to it
سَفينةُ بَرٍّ قَلعها أذُنٌ لَهُ
تُراوِحُfans alternately جَنبيهِits two sides فَيَمشيand so it walks عَلىat رَسلِease
تُراوِحُ جَنبيهِ فَيَمشي عَلى رَسلِ
A land-ship, with an ear for its sail,
A landship whose sail is one large ear,
Fanning its sides in turn, while it walks at an easy pace.
Flapping at his sides as he strides on long legs,
وَخُرطومُهand its trunk قَدindeed قامَhas stood فيماin whatever يَرومُهُit seeks it
وَخُرطومُه قَد قامَ فيما يَرومُهُ
مَقامَin the place of يَدٍa hand فيin الأَخذِgrasping وَالرَميِand throwing وَالأَكلِand eating
مَقامَ يَدٍ في الأَخذِ وَالرَميِ وَالأَكلِ
And its trunk, in all it seeks to do, has taken
His trunk serves the tasks of hands—
The place of a hand in grasping, throwing, and eating.
Grasping, throwing, and filling his mouth.
عجِبتُI marveled لَهُat it مِنat جِلدَةٍa piece of skin لانَwas soft مسُّهاits touch
عجِبتُ لَهُ مِن جِلدَةٍ لانَ مسُّها
وَيَقوىand it is strong عَلىenough for قَلعِuprooting العَظيمِthe great ones مِنamong النَخلِpalm trees
وَيَقوى عَلى قَلعِ العَظيمِ مِن النَخلِ
I marveled at it: a piece of skin so soft to the touch,
I marveled at his thick hide, which no touch can harm,
And yet it is strong enough to uproot great palm trees.
And empowered him to uproot the tallest palm.
وَيَملؤُهand it fills it ماءًwith water يبخُّit sprays بِهِwith it الوَرىpeople
وَيَملؤُه ماءً يبخُّ بِهِ الوَرى
كَأَنَّهُمas though they قَدhad indeed رَشَّهُمit sprinkled them مِنهُfrom it بِالعطلِwith large buckets
كَأَنَّهُم قَد رَشَّهُم مِنهُ بِالعطلِ
And it fills it with water, spraying people with it,
He sprays water to soak all the land around,
As though they had been sprinkled with bucketfuls from its trunk.
As if raining down showers on them.
وَيَلعَبُand it plays بِالأَسيافِwith swords حَتّىuntil كَأَنَّهاas though they were
وَيَلعَبُ بِالأَسيافِ حَتّى كَأَنَّها
مَخاريقُcloth whips بِالأَيديin the hands تُحَفُّare swished فَتَستعليand so they rise high
مَخاريقُ بِالأَيدي تُحَفُّ فَتَستعلي
And it plays with swords until they seem like
He plays with swords as if they were
Cloth whips in hands, swished about and rising high.
Shovels wielded by hands that rise up high.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle رَأىit sees السُلطانَthe sultan قَدindeed خَرَّit falls down بارِكاًkneeling
إِذا ما رَأى السُلطانَ قَد خَرَّ بارِكاً
لَهُto him خدمةin service غَرزاًdigging in بِأَنيابِهِwith its tusks العُصلِcurved
لَهُ خدمة غَرزاً بِأَنيابِهِ العُصلِ
When it sees the sultan, it falls down kneeling,
When he sees the sultan dismount to honor him,
In homage to him, driving its curved tusks into the ground.
He kneels in service, tusks probing the ground.
ذَكيٌّintelligent أَخوفَهمٍpossessed of understanding عَلىdespite عظمِthe bulk of جسمِهِits body
ذَكيٌّ أَخوفَهمٍ عَلى عظمِ جسمِهِ
يَكادُit almost يُباريrivals فيin الذَكاءِintelligence ذَويthose endowed with العَقلِreason
يَكادُ يُباري في الذَكاءِ ذَوي العَقلِ
Intelligent, gifted with understanding despite its body's bulk,
Wisest of beasts for his giant size,
It almost rivals those endowed with reason in intelligence.
His intellect rivals that of rational minds.
فَلَوso if صَحَّwere true قَولٌa doctrine بِالتَناسُخِof transmigration of souls قُلتُI would say قَدsurely
فَلَو صَحَّ قَولٌ بِالتَناسُخِ قُلتُ قَد
سَرَتhas passed رَوحُthe spirit of أَرسطوAristotle لِجُثمانِهِinto its body العَبلِmassive
سَرَت رَوحُ أَرسطو لِجُثمانِهِ العَبلِ
So, were the doctrine of transmigration true, I would say: surely
If reincarnation were true, I’d say
Aristotle's spirit has passed into its massive frame.
Aristotle’s soul inhabited his mighty frame.
غَريبa stranger بِلادٍlands قَدalready تَأنَّسَhas grown tame بَعدafter ماhaving
غَريب بِلادٍ قَد تَأنَّسَ بَعد ما
تَوحَّشَlived wild دَهراًfor a long time فيin يَبابٍwasteland وَفيand in أَهلِinhabited country
تَوحَّشَ دَهراً في يَبابٍ وَفي أَهلِ
A stranger to these lands, now grown tame after
A strange creature, now tamed though long
Long living wild in wasteland and in inhabited country.
Savage in wilderness and among kin.
تَعالىexalted is الَّذيHe who أَنشاهُcreated it شكلَin the shape of بَعوضَةٍa mosquito
تَعالى الَّذي أَنشاهُ شكلَ بَعوضَةٍ
فَلاso there is no فَرقَdifference إِلاexcept بِالتَكثُّرِin greater size وَالقِلِّand smallness
فَلا فَرقَ إِلا بِالتَكثُّرِ وَالقِلِّ
Exalted is He who created it in the shape of a mosquito,
Exalted is He who created him with the form
So there is no difference except in largeness and smallness.
Of a gnat—no difference but abundance or lack.
Sol 6.1