اُنظُرlook إِلىat قَلَمٍa pen تَنَكَّسَhas bowed down رَأسُهُits head
اُنظُر إِلى قَلَمٍ تَنَكَّسَ رَأسُهُ
لِيَضُمَّso it may unite بَينَbetween مُوَصَّلٍwhat is joined وَمُفَصَّلِand what is separated
لِيَضُمَّ بَينَ مُوَصَّلٍ وَمُفَصَّلِ
Look at a pen whose head is bowed,
to bring together what is joined and what is separated.
تَنظُرyou see إِلىat مَخلابِa claw لَيثٍa lion ضَيغَمٍfierce-biting
تَنظُر إِلى مَخلابِ لَيثٍ ضَيغَمٍ
وَغِرارُand the blade's edge مَسنونِsharpened المَضارِبِthe striking edges مَفصِلِjoint-cleaving
وَغِرارُ مَسنونِ المَضارِبِ مَفصِلِ
You see the claw of a fierce lion,
and the edge of a sharp-bladed, joint-cleaving sword.
يَبدوit appears لِناظِرِهِto its beholder بِلَونٍin a hue أَصفَرِyellow
يَبدو لِناظِرِهِ بِلَونٍ أَصفَرِ
وَمَدامِعَand tear ducts سودٍblack وَجِسمٍand a body مُنحَلِwasted
وَمَدامِعَ سودٍ وَجِسمٍ مُنحَلِ
It appears to its beholder in a yellow hue,
and with black tear ducts and a wasted body.
فَالدِرجُso the scroll أَبيَضُwhite مِثلَlike خَدٍّa cheek واضِحٍradiant
فَالدِرجُ أَبيَضُ مِثلَ خَدٍّ واضِحٍ
يَثنيهِpairs with it أَسوَدُblack مِثلَlike طَرفٍan eye أَكحَلِkohl-rimmed
يَثنيهِ أَسوَدُ مِثلَ طَرفٍ أَكحَلِ
The scroll, then, is white, like a radiant cheek,
paired with black, like a kohl-rimmed eye.
قَسَمَit apportioned العَطاياgifts وَالمَناياand deaths فيamong الوَرىhumankind
قَسَمَ العَطايا وَالمَنايا في الوَرى
فَإِذاso when نَظَرتَyou look إِلَيهِat it فَاِحذَرthen beware وَأمَلِand hope
فَإِذا نَظَرتَ إِلَيهِ فَاِحذَر وَأمَلِ
It has apportioned gifts and deaths among humankind;
so when you look at it, beware and hope.
طَمعانِtwo desires شَوبُa mingling حَلاوَةٍsweetness بِمَرارَةٍwith bitterness
طَمعانِ شَوبُ حَلاوَةٍ بِمَرارَةٍ
كَالدَهرِlike time يَخلُطُit mixes شَهدَهُits honey بِالحَنظَلِwith colocynth
كَالدَهرِ يَخلُطُ شَهدَهُ بِالحَنظَلِ
Two desires—a mingling of sweetness with bitterness,
like time, which mixes its honey with colocynth.
فَإِذاso when تَصَرَّفَmoves about فيin يَدَيكَyour hands عَنانُهُits rein
فَإِذا تَصَرَّفَ في يَدَيكَ عَنانُهُ
أَلحَقتَyou join فيهِthrough it مُؤَمِّلاًone who hopes بِمُؤَمَّلِwith one in whom hope is placed
أَلحَقتَ فيهِ مُؤَمِّلاً بِمُؤَمَّلِ
So when its rein moves in your hands,
you rank, through it, the hopeful with one in whom hope is placed,
وَمُذَلَّلاًand one humbled بِمَعزَزٍwith one honored وَلَرُبَّماand how often
وَمُذَلَّلاً بِمَعزَزٍ وَلَرُبَّما
أَلحَقتَyou join فيهِthrough it مُعَزَّزاًone honored بِمُذَلَّلِwith one humbled
أَلحَقتَ فيهِ مُعَزَّزاً بِمُذَلَّلِ
and the humbled with the honored; and how often
you rank, through it, the honored with the humbled.
Sol 6.1