خُبزُbread إِسماعيلَIsmail كَالوَشlike brocade (word continues)
خُبزُ إِسماعيلَ كَالوَش
يِcompletion of 'brocade' إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِنشَقَّit tears يُرفاit is darned
يِ إِذا ما اِنشَقَّ يُرفا
Ismail's bread is like brocade:
The bread of Ismael is like gauze
Ismail's bread is like a brocade cloth,
whenever it tears, it is darned.
When split, it gently opens
That is repaired whenever it is torn.
عَجَباًhow astonishing! مِنat أَثَرِthe trace الصَنthe craftsmanship (word continues)
عَجَباً مِن أَثَرِ الصَن
عَةِcompletion of 'craftsmanship' فيهِin it كَيفَhow يَخفىit is hidden
عَةِ فيهِ كَيفَ يَخفى
How astonishing the trace of craftsmanship—
Wondrous is the effect of craft
I marvel at the trace of workmanship,
how it stays hidden in it!
In it, how hidden it is
Within it, how it stays unseen, unworn.
إِنَّindeed رَفّاءَكَyour darner هَذاthis
إِنَّ رَفّاءَكَ هَذا
أَحذَقُthe most skillful الأُمَّةِthe nation كَفّاin handwork
أَحذَقُ الأُمَّةِ كَفّا
Indeed, this darner of yours
Verily, your bread-making
Indeed, this mender whom you utilize,
has the deftest hand in the nation.
Is the most skillful of all people
Is the most skilled of hands in all the land.
وَإِذاand when قابَلَhe matches بِالنِصwith the half (word continues)
وَإِذا قابَلَ بِالنِص
فِcompletion of 'half' مِنَof الجَردَقِthe round flatbread نِصفاa half
فِ مِنَ الجَردَقِ نِصفا
And when he matches one half
And when confronted with a loaf
For when he matches one half of a loaf,
of a round flatbread with another half,
From simple dough made in halves
Against another half within his hand,
يُلصِقُhe sticks النِصفَthe half بِنِصفٍto a half
يُلصِقُ النِصفَ بِنِصفٍ
فَإِذاand behold قَدalready صارَit has become أَلفاa thousand
فَإِذا قَد صارَ أَلفا
he sticks half to half,
It sticks one half to the other half
He sticks the one half to the other half,
and behold, it has become a thousand.
And it becomes a whole loaf
So that the two become a single whole.
أَلطَفَhe refined الصَنعَةَthe workmanship حَتّىuntil
أَلطَفَ الصَنعَةَ حَتّى
لاnot تَرىyou see مِغرَزَa puncture إِشفىan awl
لا تَرى مِغرَزَ إِشفى
He refines the workmanship until
With the gentlest craft, until
He makes the craft so fine you cannot see,
you can see no puncture from an awl.
No trace of a seam is seen
The insertion of the needle or the awl.
مِثلَماjust as جاءَit came مِنَfrom التَنthe oven (word continues)
مِثلَما جاءَ مِنَ التَن
نورِcompletion of 'oven' ماnot غادَرَhe left behind حَرفاan edge
نورِ ما غادَرَ حَرفا
Just as it came from the oven,
As it came from the oven
Just as it came directly from the stove,
not an edge has been left behind.
Without a letter left behind
With not a single detail gone astray.
وَلَهُand he has فيin الماءِthe water أَيضاًalso
وَلَهُ في الماءِ أَيضاً
عَمَلٌa feat أَبدَعَhe devised ظَرفاcleverness
عَمَلٌ أَبدَعَ ظَرفا
And with water, too, he has
And with water too
And regarding water, he also has,
a clever feat of his devising:
It has made the most creative work
A practice of a wit on full display.
مَزجُهُhis mixing العَذبَthe sweet water بِماءِwith water الthe
مَزجُهُ العَذبَ بِماءِ ال
بِئرِwell كَيso that يَزدادُit increases ضِعفاtwofold
بِئرِ كَي يَزدادُ ضِعفا
mixing sweet water with water from the
Mixing fresh with well water
He mixes sweet water with water of,
well, so that its quantity doubles.
So it becomes twice as soft
The well, so that the volume multiplies.
فَهوَso he لاnot يَسقيكَgives you to drink مِنهُof it
فَهوَ لا يَسقيكَ مِنهُ
مِثلَماjust as يَشرَبُhe drinks صِرفاunmixed
مِثلَما يَشرَبُ صِرفا
So he does not give you any of it to drink
It neither gives you to drink from it
Thus he will never offer you a cup,
as he drinks it himself—unmixed.
Like one who gulps it down
As pure as that which he himself enjoys.
Sol 6.1