لماwhen أتانيcame to me كتابٌa book جامعُgathering الطرفrare delights
لما أتاني كتابٌ جامعُ الطرف
تنزهتwandered for pleasure مقلتيmy eye فيin روضهits garden الأنفuntouched
تنزهت مقلتي في روضه الأنف
When a book gathering rare delights came to me,
When a book of collected beauty came to me
My eye wandered for pleasure through its untouched garden.
My thoughts strolled in a garden of bliss
ماnot دارoccurred فيin خلديmy mind منfrom قبلbefore رؤيتهseeing it
ما دار في خلدي من قبل رؤيته
أنthat ينبتsprout الزهرthe flowers فيin روضa garden منof الصحفthe pages
أن ينبت الزهر في روض من الصحف
Before seeing it, it had never crossed my mind
Never before had it crossed my mind
That flowers could bloom in a garden of pages.
That flowers could bloom from printed pages
حتىeven النجومthe stars نأتwithdrew عنfrom أفقهاtheir horizon وغدتand became
حتى النجوم نأت عن أفقها وغدت
تلوحgleam منfrom نقشهits lettering المسودblackened فيin سدفdarkness
تلوح من نقشه المسود في سدف
Even the stars withdrew from their horizon and began
Even the stars moved from their place
To gleam from its blackened lettering in the darkness.
Gleaming out of its blackened script
ومذand when وعتgrasped أذنيmy ear معنىthe meaning بلاغتهits eloquence
ومذ وعت أذني معنى بلاغته
علمتI understood كخيفprobably ‘how’ (apparent typo for كيف) مقرthe dwelling place الدرthe pearls فيin الصدفthe shells
علمت كخيف مقر الدر في الصدف
And when my ear grasped the meaning of its eloquence,
And when my ears took in its eloquence
I understood how pearls dwell within shells.
I knew, like a shell hiding a pearl
Sol 6.1