وَخَلقٍand a creature غَريبِstrange الشَكلِin shape فيin مصرَEgypt ناشيءnative
وَخَلقٍ غَريبِ الشَكلِ في مصرَ ناشيء
وَماand not هُوَit فيin أَرضٍany land سِوىother than مِصرَEgypt يُوجَدُis found
وَما هُوَ في أَرضٍ سِوى مِصرَ يُوجَدُ
And a creature of strange shape, native to Egypt,
A creature of strange form in Egypt arising
is found in no land other than Egypt.
Found nowhere on earth except in Egypt abiding
هُوَit السَبُعُthe beast of prey العاديravening بِنيلِin the Nile of صَعيدِهاits upper region
هُوَ السَبُعُ العادي بِنيلِ صَعيدِها
يُقافِصُpounces on مَنwhoever للماءِfor water فيin النيلِthe Nile يقصدُheads toward
يُقافِصُ مَن للماءِ في النيلِ يقصدُ
It is the ravening beast in the Nile of Upper Egypt,
The crocodile common in her Upper Nile
pouncing on whoever comes to the Nile for water.
Who lies in wait for any water in the Nile providing
وَيخطُفُهُand snatches him خَطفas the snatching of العُقابِthe eagle لِصَيدهاof its prey
وَيخطُفُهُ خَطف العُقابِ لِصَيدها
وَيفصلُهand dismembers him عُضواًone limb فَعُضواًthen another limb وَيزرَدُand gulps down
وَيفصلُه عُضواً فَعُضواً وَيزرَدُ
It snatches him as the eagle snatches its prey,
And snatches them up with a hawk's abrupt violence
and tears him apart, limb by limb, and gulps him down.
Ripping them member from member and swallowing
وَماand not مِنamong شُخوصِthe creatures of النيلِthe Nile خَلقٌa creature لَهُit has يَدٌa foreleg
وَما مِن شُخوصِ النيلِ خَلقٌ لَهُ يَدٌ
وَرجلٌand a hindleg سواهُexcept it وَهوَand it فيonto البَرِdry land يصعَدُclimbs
وَرجلٌ سواهُ وَهوَ في البَرِ يصعَدُ
Among the Nile's creatures, none has a foreleg
Of all the Nile's creatures none but he is found
and a hindleg but this one, which climbs onto land.
With hands and feet on land upright and bounding
وَربَّتَماand sometimes يَلقىencounters لَدىupon البرland كاسِراًa beast of prey
وَربَّتَما يَلقى لَدى البر كاسِراً
وَيجريand runs كَمثلِlike الطرفِthe swift steed أَوor هُوَit أَزيَدُfaster
وَيجري كَمثلِ الطرفِ أَو هُوَ أَزيَدُ
Sometimes it encounters a beast of prey on land,
Oft he is found on land a terror
and runs like a swift steed, or faster still.
Darting as swift as a whip or faster yet sounding
لَهُit has ذَنبٌa tail مُرخىًtrailing طَويلٌlong يُقيمُهُit raises it
لَهُ ذَنبٌ مُرخىً طَويلٌ يُقيمُهُ
يلُفُّit coils بِهِwith it مَنwhoever كانَwas فيamong الناسِpeople يفقدُis lost
يلُفُّ بِهِ مَن كانَ في الناسِ يفقدُ
It has a long, trailing tail, which it raises,
With swaying tail long he keeps erect
coiling it round whoever among men is to be lost.
To entwine any among men he finds astounding
وَأَسنانُهُand its teeth أُنثىfemale عَلىupon ذكرٍmale أَتَتare set
وَأَسنانُهُ أُنثى عَلى ذكرٍ أَتَت
لِكَسرِto break العِظامِbones الصُلبِhard مِنهاamong them تفقّدُseek out
لِكَسرِ العِظامِ الصُلبِ مِنها تفقّدُ
Its teeth are set, female upon male,
His teeth are female set in male
to crush bones, seeking out the hard ones among them.
To break the sturdy bones their power demanding
وَيحفُرُand it digs فيin رَملٍsand وَيدفنُand buries بيضَهُits eggs
وَيحفُرُ في رَملٍ وَيدفنُ بيضَهُ
يُعاهِدُهاit tends them غِباًevery other day إِلىuntil حينthe time تولَدُthey hatch
يُعاهِدُها غِباً إِلى حين تولَدُ
It digs in sand and buries its eggs,
He digs in the sand and buries his eggs
tending them every other day until they hatch.
Leaving them secretly until they are hatching
وَلاand not تَعمَلُhave an effect الأَسيافُswords فيهِon it كَأَنَّماas though
وَلا تَعمَلُ الأَسيافُ فيهِ كَأَنَّما
عَلىupon جلدِهِits hide مِنهُof its own صَفيحٌmetal plating مُسرَّدُriveted together
عَلى جلدِهِ مِنهُ صَفيحٌ مُسرَّدُ
Swords have no effect on it, as though
Swords do him no harm as though
upon its hide lay riveted armor plates of its own.
His skin were iron armor fully enfolding
وَلَكنَّand yet تَحتَbeneath الإبطِthe armpit ليِّنَtender جلدةٍskin
وَلَكنَّ تَحتَ الإبطِ ليِّنَ جلدةٍ
فَمِنهاso through it المَناياdeaths دونَهُtoward it تَتَصَعَّدُclimb upward
فَمِنها المَنايا دونَهُ تَتَصَعَّدُ
But beneath its armpit is a patch of tender skin,
But under the armpit lies a soft spot
and through it death climbs up to reach it.
Whence death creeps up while he lies there reposing
وَلَيسَand there is no لَهُfor it دُبرٌanus فَيُخرِجso as to expel نَجوَهُits dung
وَلَيسَ لَهُ دُبرٌ فَيُخرِج نَجوَهُ
وَلَكنand instead إِلىto حُلقومِهِits gullet يَتَرَدَّدُit returns
وَلَكن إِلى حُلقومِهِ يَتَرَدَّدُ
It has no anus through which to expel its dung;
No tail has he to eject his waste
instead, the dung returns to its gullet.
But to his gullet it keeps on forwarding
فَيفتَحso it opens فاهُits mouth ثُمthen يَدخُلُenters طائِرٌa bird
فَيفتَح فاهُ ثُم يَدخُلُ طائِرٌ
فَيلفظthen it spits out ماwhat قَدalready كانَhad been فيهِinside it يدودُgrowing worm-ridden
فَيلفظ ما قَد كانَ فيهِ يدودُ
So it opens its mouth, and then a bird enters,
He opens his mouth and in flies a bird
and spits out what had grown worm-ridden inside.
To take what filth in his stomach was goading
فَإِنthen if رامَit attempts إِطباقاًa closing عَليهupon it فَإِنَّهthen it
فَإِن رامَ إِطباقاً عَليه فَإِنَّه
يَكونُit is لسقفِin the roof of الحلقِthe throat بِالريشِby the feathers يُفصَدُpierced to draw blood
يَكونُ لسقفِ الحلقِ بِالريشِ يُفصَدُ
If it tries to close its jaws upon the bird, then
Would he snap shut the bird meets its doom
the feathers pierce the roof of its throat and draw blood.
As the feathers close off his throat palisading
وَيقتُلُهand kills it الجاموسُthe buffalo فَهوَso it إِذاwhen دَرىbecomes aware
وَيقتُلُه الجاموسُ فَهوَ إِذا دَرى
بِهِof it فَرَّflees مِنهُfrom it وَهوَwhile it فيin السِبحِswimming يُجهَدُis hard-pressed
بِهِ فَرَّ مِنهُ وَهوَ في السِبحِ يُجهَدُ
The buffalo kills it, so when it becomes aware
The hippo kills him though when it spies
of one, it flees, hard-pressed as it swims.
Him floundering in the marsh his strength degrading
وَيَخدَعُهُand tricks it الإِنسانُman حَتّىuntil يَصيدَهُhe catches it
وَيَخدَعُهُ الإِنسانُ حَتّى يَصيدَهُ
وَيَربُطُهُand ties it كَالعَنزِlike a she-goat بِالحَبلِwith rope تُصفَدُis fettered
وَيَربُطُهُ كَالعَنزِ بِالحَبلِ تُصفَدُ
Man tricks it until he catches it,
Man tricks him and hunts him down
and ties it with rope, as a she-goat is fettered.
Tying his legs like a goat securely braiding
رَأَيناهُwe saw it مَحمولاًbeing carried عَلىon جَمَلٍa camel وَقَدand already
رَأَيناهُ مَحمولاً عَلى جَمَلٍ وَقَد
أَتَتreached طرفاهُits two ends الأَرضَthe ground فيهاin it يخددُit cuts furrows
أَتَت طرفاهُ الأَرضَ فيها يخددُ
We saw it carried on a camel, with
We've seen him hauled on a camel's back
both ends reaching the ground and cutting furrows in it.
His limbs trailing the ground on either side grading
وَللعقلِand reason has فيin صَيدِcatching التَماسيحِcrocodiles صَنعَةٌa craft
وَللعقلِ في صَيدِ التَماسيحِ صَنعَةٌ
يُرتِّبُهاarranges it الفكرُthought المُصِيبُsound فَتُحمَدُand so it is praised
يُرتِّبُها الفكرُ المُصِيبُ فَتُحمَدُ
Reason has a craft for catching crocodiles,
The mind has cunning for catching crocodiles
which sound thought devises, and which earns praise.
Which thoughtful wit carefully premeditating
وَذوand the possessor of العَقلِreason مَقدورٌsubject to power عَلَيهِover him وَقادِرٌand powerful
وَذو العَقلِ مَقدورٌ عَلَيهِ وَقادِرٌ
عَلىover كُلِّevery ذيpossessor of روحٍa soul رَقيبٌwatchful مُؤيدُstrengthened
عَلى كُلِّ ذي روحٍ رَقيبٌ مُؤيدُ
The man of reason is subject to power, yet powerful
He who has wit has power over creatures all
over every living soul, watchful and strengthened.
Each living thing by a vigilant lord created
فَلاso no الطَيرُbirds فيin جَوٍّthe sky وَلاnor الوَحشُwild beasts فيin الفَلاthe wilderness
فَلا الطَيرُ في جَوٍّ وَلا الوَحشُ في الفَلا
وَلاnor سافِحٌa shedder of blood إِلّاexcept لَهُfor him مُتَرَدّدُa way of access
وَلا سافِحٌ إِلّا لَهُ مُتَرَدّدُ
No bird in the sky, no wild beast in the wilderness,
Neither birds in the air nor beasts in the wild
nor any blood-shedding creature lies beyond his reach.
Nor the mountains except to his will relegated
فَيقهَرهُso he subdues it قَتلاًby killing وَذَبحاًand slaughter وَخدمةًand service
فَيقهَرهُ قَتلاً وَذَبحاً وَخدمةً
وَفيand in آخرٍthe end ذوthe possessor of العَقلِreason فيin الرَمسِthe grave يُلحَدُis laid to rest
وَفي آخرٍ ذو العَقلِ في الرَمسِ يُلحَدُ
He subdues them through killing, slaughter, and service;
He subdues them killing and slaughtering
yet in the end the man of reason is laid in the grave.
And in the end only man's grave is never waiting
Sol 6.1