لِمَنwhose غُرَّةٌa radiant brow تَنجَليis revealed مِنfrom بَعيدafar
لِمَن غُرَّةٌ تَنجَلي مِن بَعيد
بِمَرأىًin a vision كَماlike الحُلمُthe dream ضاحَradiant سَعيدhappy
بِمَرأىً كَما الحُلمُ ضاحَ سَعيد
Whose radiant brow emerges from afar,
For whom is there a radiance unveiled from afar
In a vision like a dream, bright and glad?
In sight, like a dream suddenly made joyful?
تَهُزُّstirs الوُجودَexistence تَباشيرُهاher first gleams
تَهُزُّ الوُجودَ تَباشيرُها
كَماas هَزَّstirred مِنin والِدَيهِits two parents الوَليدthe newborn
كَما هَزَّ مِن والِدَيهِ الوَليد
Her first gleams stir all existence,
Its tidings shake existence,
As a newborn stirs its parents.
As an infant shook its parents.
وَيَغشىand envelops الدُناthe worlds مِنfrom حُلاهاher ornaments سَنىًa radiance
وَيَغشى الدُنا مِن حُلاها سَنىً
أَضاءَilluminated لَناfor us كُلَّevery حالٍadorned نَضيدlayered
أَضاءَ لَنا كُلَّ حالٍ نَضيد
And from her ornaments a radiance envelops the worlds,
And it covers the abodes with its beauty,
Lighting for us each jeweled tier
Illuminating for us every condition we settle in.
مِنَfrom المَوجِthe waves مُلتَمِعٌglittering مِثلَماjust as
مِنَ المَوجِ مُلتَمِعٌ مِثلَما
تَحَلَّتwere adorned نُحورُthe necks الدُمىthe statues بِالعُقودwith necklaces
تَحَلَّت نُحورُ الدُمى بِالعُقود
Of waves, glittering just as
The waves gather like
The necks of statues are adorned with necklaces.
The smooth necks were adorned with necklaces.
أَتَتناshe came to us مِنَfrom الماءِthe water مُهتَزَّةًquivering
أَتَتنا مِنَ الماءِ مُهتَزَّةً
مُنَوِّرَةًradiating light تَعتَليrises لِلوُجودinto existence
مُنَوِّرَةً تَعتَلي لِلوُجود
She came to us from the water, quivering,
It came to us from the water, quivering,
Radiant, rising into existence.
Lighting up, rising into existence,
وَتَصعَدُand ascends مِنfrom غَيرِwithout ماemphatic particle سُلَّمٍa ladder
وَتَصعَدُ مِن غَيرِ ما سُلَّمٍ
فَياso, oh لِلمُصَوِّرِfor the Fashioner هَذاthis الصُعودascent
فَيا لِلمُصَوِّرِ هَذا الصُعود
And she ascends without any ladder—
And ascending without any ladder.
So marvel at the Fashioner of this ascent!
What an ascent this painter made!
وَهَذاand this المُنيرُthe radiant one القَريبُnear القَريبnear
وَهَذا المُنيرُ القَريبُ القَريب
وَهَذاand this المُنيرُthe radiant one البَعيدُfar البَعيدfar
وَهَذا المُنيرُ البَعيدُ البَعيد
And this radiant one, near, so near,
This nearby, nearby luminary,
And this radiant one, far, so far,
This far, far luminary,
وَهَذاand this المُنيرُthe radiant one الَّذيthat لَنwill not يُرىbe seen
وَهَذا المُنيرُ الَّذي لَن يُرى
وَهَذاand this المُنيرُthe radiant one وَكُلٌّand everyone شَهيدa witness
وَهَذا المُنيرُ وَكُلٌّ شَهيد
And this radiant one that will not be seen,
This luminary that will not be seen,
And this radiant one, with everyone a witness,
This luminary, each a witness,
وَهَذاand this الجُسامُthe massive one الخَفيفُlight الخُطاthe steps
وَهَذا الجُسامُ الخَفيفُ الخُطا
وَهَذاand this الجُسامُthe massive one الَّذيthat ماnot يَميدsways
وَهَذا الجُسامُ الَّذي ما يَميد
And this massive one, light of step,
This nimble, delicate body,
And this massive one that does not sway.
This body that does not waver,
وَياand oh لِلمُصَوِّرِfor the Fashioner آثارَهاher effects
وَيا لِلمُصَوِّرِ آثارَها
بِكُلِّin all بِحارٍseas وَفيand in كُلِّall بيدdeserts
بِكُلِّ بِحارٍ وَفي كُلِّ بيد
And marvel at the Fashioner of her effects
What traces did the painter make
In every sea and in every desert,
In every sea and in every hand!
وَتَقليلِهاand her diminishing كُلَّevery جَمِّabundant in السَناradiance
وَتَقليلِها كُلَّ جَمِّ السَنا
وَتَصغيرِهاand her making small كُلَّevery عالٍlofty مَشيدerected
وَتَصغيرِها كُلَّ عالٍ مَشيد
And her dimming all that is rich in radiance,
He diminished every lofty mountain,
And her dwarfing every lofty edifice.
Made small every firm, established edifice.
مِنَof النارِfire لَكِنَّyet أَطرافَهاher edges
مِنَ النارِ لَكِنَّ أَطرافَها
تَدورُrevolve بِياقوتَةٍaround a ruby لَنwill not تَبيدperish
تَدورُ بِياقوتَةٍ لَن تَبيد
Of fire, yet her edges
Of fire, but its edges
Circle a ruby that will never perish.
Revolve with an unfading ruby,
مِنَof النارِfire لَكِنَّyet أَنوارَهاher lights
مِنَ النارِ لَكِنَّ أَنوارَها
إِلَهِيَّةٌdivine زُيِّنَتwere adorned لِلعَبيدfor the servants
إِلَهِيَّةٌ زُيِّنَت لِلعَبيد
Of fire, yet her lights
Of fire, but its lights
Are divine, adorned for His servants.
Are divine, adorned for the servants.
هِيَshe الشَمسُthe sun كانَتwas كَماas شاءَهاHe willed her
هِيَ الشَمسُ كانَت كَما شاءَها
مَماتُthe death القَديمِthe old حَياةُthe life الجَديدthe new
مَماتُ القَديمِ حَياةُ الجَديد
She is the sun; she came to be as He willed her:
It is the sun, however it desired to be,
The death of the old, the life of the new.
The death of the ancient, life of the new,
تَرُدُّreturns المِياهَthe waters إِلىto حَدِّهاtheir bounds
تَرُدُّ المِياهَ إِلى حَدِّها
وَتُبليand wears away جِبالَmountains الصَفاhard rock وَالحَديدand iron
وَتُبلي جِبالَ الصَفا وَالحَديد
She returns the waters to their bounds,
It holds back the waters to their limit,
And wears away mountains of hard rock and iron.
Melting the mountains of loftiness and steel,
وَتَطلُعُand rises بِالعَيشِwith life أَوor بِالرَدىwith death
وَتَطلُعُ بِالعَيشِ أَو بِالرَدى
عَلىupon الزَرعِthe crops قائِمِهِits standing portion وَالحَصيدand the reaped
عَلى الزَرعِ قائِمِهِ وَالحَصيد
And she rises bringing life or death
It rises with life or destruction
Upon the crops, standing and reaped.
Upon the standing crops and harvest,
وَتَسعىand moves لِذاfor these الناسِpeople مَهماhowever سَعَتshe moves
وَتَسعى لِذا الناسِ مَهما سَعَت
بِخَيرِwith the best of الوُعودِthe promises وَشَرِّand the worst of الوَعيدthe threat
بِخَيرِ الوُعودِ وَشَرِّ الوَعيد
And she moves for these people, however she moves,
It hastens to the people no matter how it hastens
With the best of promises and the worst of threats.
With the best promises and worst threats,
وَقَدand perhaps تَتَجَلّىreveals herself إِذاwhen أَقبَلَتshe approaches
وَقَد تَتَجَلّى إِذا أَقبَلَت
بِنُعمىwith bliss الشَقِيِّthe wretched وَبُؤسىand misery السَعيدthe happy
بِنُعمى الشَقِيِّ وَبُؤسى السَعيد
And she may reveal herself, when she comes,
It may show kindness when it approaches
Bringing bliss to the wretched and misery to the happy.
With the bliss of the wretched and misery of the happy,
وَقَدand perhaps تَتَوَلّىturns away إِذاwhen أَدبَرَتshe departs
وَقَد تَتَوَلّى إِذا أَدبَرَت
وَلَيسَتand she is not بِمَأمونَةٍassured أَنthat تَعودshe will return
وَلَيسَت بِمَأمونَةٍ أَن تَعود
And she may turn away, when she departs,
It may abandon when it turns away,
And there is no assurance that she will return.
And it is not to be trusted that it will return.
فَماso what لِلغُروبِabout sunset يَهيجُstirs الأَسىsorrow
فَما لِلغُروبِ يَهيجُ الأَسى
وَكانَand was الشُروقُsunrise لَناfor us أَيَّwhat a عيدfestival
وَكانَ الشُروقُ لَنا أَيَّ عيد
So why does sunset stir sorrow,
So why does sunset stir up sorrow,
When sunrise was such a festival for us?
When sunrise was such a feast for us?
كَذاso too المَرءُa person ساعَةَat the hour of ميلادِهِhis birth
كَذا المَرءُ ساعَةَ ميلادِهِ
وَساعَةَand at the hour يَدعوcalls الحِمامُdeath العَنيدrelentless
وَساعَةَ يَدعو الحِمامُ العَنيد
So too is man at the hour of his birth,
Thus is man in the hour of his birth,
And at the hour when relentless death calls.
And the hour when the obstinate dove calls,
وَلَيسَand is not بِجارٍunfolding وَلاnor واقِعٍoccurring
وَلَيسَ بِجارٍ وَلا واقِعٍ
سِوىexcept الحَقِّwhat is right مِمّاof what قَضاهُHe decreed it المُريدthe One who wills
سِوى الحَقِّ مِمّا قَضاهُ المُريد
And nothing unfolds or comes to pass
And there is neither neighbor nor reality,
But what is right, as the One who wills decreed.
Except the truth of what the desirous one decreed.
Sol 6.1