فيin اللَيلthe night عَمقdepth وَفيand in الدُجىthe darkness نَفقa tunnel
في اللَيل عَمق وَفي الدُجى نَفق
لَوif صَبَwere poured فيهِinto it الزَمانtime لابتلعهit would swallow it
لَو صَبَ فيهِ الزَمان لابتلعه
In the night is depth, and in the darkness a tunnel;
In the night there is depth, and in gloom there is a tunnel
if time were poured into it, it would swallow it.
If time poured into it, it would swallow it
لَوif مَزَقtore الرَعدthunder مَسمَعيthe two ears of أَحَدanyone
لَو مَزَق الرَعد مَسمَعي أَحَد
فيin عُمقthe depth of ذاكَthat الدُجىthe darkness لَمّاwould not سَمعهhe heard it
في عُمق ذاكَ الدُجى لَمّا سَمعه
If thunder tore anyone's ears,
If thunder tore my hearing someone
in the depths of that darkness, he would not hear it.
In the depth of that gloom it would not hear it
لَوif أَفرَغwere poured out الفَجرthe dawn ذُوpossessing الجَوانبexpanses فيinto
لَو أَفرَغ الفَجر ذُو الجَوانب في
أَدنىthe smallest إِناءvessel مِنfrom عِندَهits keeping وَسغهwould hold it (uncertain spelling)
أَدنى إِناء مِن عِندَه وَسغه
If dawn, with all its breadth, were poured into
If dawn with its edges poured in
the smallest vessel in its keeping, it would hold it.
The smallest vessel in its possession and flooded it
تَظَلremain فيin صَدرِهِits breast كَواكبهits stars
تَظَل في صَدرِهِ كَواكبه
غَرقىdrowned وأمand the mother of النُجومthe stars مَضطجَعَهreclining
غَرقى وأم النُجوم مَضطجَعَه
Its stars remain within its breast,
Its stars would remain drowned in its chest
drowned, and the mother of stars lies reclining.
And the mother of stars lying in its bed
تَضلloses فيهِwithin it الحَياةlife عالمهاits world
تَضل فيهِ الحَياة عالمها
كَماas يَضَلloses الغَريبthe stranger مَرتبعهhis springtime abode
كَما يَضَل الغَريب مَرتبعه
Life loses its world within it,
Life would lose its world in it
as a stranger loses his springtime abode.
As the stranger loses his dwelling place
وَيَنزَويand withdraws العالمthe world العَريضvast إِلىinto
وَيَنزَوي العالم العَريض إِلى
رُكنa corner مَنيعimpregnable لاnot يَستَبينbecomes discernible مَعَهin its presence
رُكن مَنيع لا يَستَبين مَعَه
And the vast world withdraws into
And the vast world would shrink into
an impregnable corner, indistinguishable in its presence.
A sturdy corner that nothing can be seen with it
يَمسَحerases ماwhatever لِلوجودbelonging to existence مَنof أَثَرa trace
يَمسَح ما لِلوجود مَن أَثَر
مَكانهits place فيin الزَمانtime أَوor ضَيعهlet it be lost
مَكانه في الزَمان أَو ضَيعه
It erases whatever trace existence has—
It would wipe out whatever traces existence has
its place in time—or has let it vanish.
Its place in time or lost it
وَيَطمسand effaces القَبحugliness وَالجَمالand beauty فَماso no
وَيَطمس القَبح وَالجَمال فَما
فيin الكَونthe universe مَعنىmeaning إِلّاexcept وَقَدand already نَزَعَهstripped it away
في الكَون مَعنى إِلّا وَقَد نَزَعَه
And it effaces ugliness and beauty: there is no
And would erase ugliness and beauty, so that
meaning in the universe that it has not stripped away.
In the universe there would be no meaning left that it had not taken away
فيin حَيثwhere أَضفىdraped المَسوحsackcloth garments تَحسبهyou think it
في حَيث أَضفى المَسوح تَحسبه
أَرثfrayed حَبلthe cord of الحَياةlife فَاِقتَطَعهand so severed it
أَرث حَبل الحَياة فَاِقتَطَعه
Where it has draped sackcloth, you would think
In where the wiping clouds it, you would think it
it had frayed life's cord and severed it.
Inherited the rope of life and cut it off
مَرَتpassed عَلَيهِover it الحَياةlife تَعبرهcrossing it
مَرَت عَلَيهِ الحَياة تَعبره
فيin زَورَقa boat أَعرفI know الَّذيthe one who صَنَعَهmade it
في زَورَق أَعرف الَّذي صَنَعَه
Life passed over it, crossing it
Life passed over it crossing it
in a boat whose maker I know.
In a boat that I know who built it
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِستَقَلrode upon آذيهits surging waves
حَتّى إِذا ما اِستَقَل آذيه
طَغىsurged عَلَيهِover it العَبابthe swelling surge فَاِبتَلَعَهand so swallowed it
طَغى عَلَيهِ العَباب فَاِبتَلَعَه
Until, when it rode upon its surging waves,
Until when its banks became independent
the swelling surge overwhelmed it and swallowed it.
The deep swallowed it
وَكانَand there was دَهرan age وَنَكبتand were stricken حقبepochs
وَكانَ دَهر وَنَكبت حقب
وَالجَهلand ignorance يَغرىincites عَلىupon ثَرىthe earth سَبعهits beast of prey
وَالجَهل يَغرى عَلى ثَرى سَبعه
And there was an age, and epochs were stricken,
And there was an age and eras fell down
while ignorance goaded its beast of prey upon the earth.
And ignorance inciting over its dusty ground
يَردrepels سَهمthe arrow of الضِياءlight دارعهits armored defender
يَرد سَهم الضِياء دارعه
وَيَحتَميand shelters بِالكُهوفin the caves أَنlest تزعهrestrain it
وَيَحتَمي بِالكُهوف أَن تزعه
Its armored defender repels the arrow of light,
Repelling the arrow of light with its shield
and shelters in caves lest it be restrained.
And taking refuge in caves so that it would not shake it off
حَتّىuntil أَفاضَoverflowed الضِياءlight وَاِنفَجَرَتand burst forth
حَتّى أَفاضَ الضِياء وَاِنفَجَرَت
عَينa spring مِنof النُورlight شَرَدَتscattered بدعهits heresies
عَين مِن النُور شَرَدَت بدعه
Until light overflowed, and there burst forth
Until the light overflowed and a
a spring of light that scattered its heresies.
Source of light gushed out, its innovation astray
فَاليَومso today لاnot مَركَبthe vessel of الضُحىmidmorning عسرdifficult
فَاليَوم لا مَركَب الضُحى عسر
وَلاnor مَراقيthe stairways of السَماءthe sky مُمتنعهinaccessible
وَلا مَراقي السَماء مُمتنعه
So today the vessel of morning is not hard to board,
So today no boat of morning is difficult
nor are the sky's stairways inaccessible.
Nor are the harbors of the sky inaccessible
ضوءa light مِنfrom العلمknowledge فيin مدارجهits ascending paths
ضوء مِن العلم في مدارجه
نَسعىwe strive وللعلمand knowledge has فيin الوُجودexistence سِعَهample scope
نَسعى وللعلم في الوُجود سِعَه
A light from knowledge: along its ascending paths
A light from knowledge on its steps
we strive, and knowledge has ample scope in existence.
We strive and for knowledge in existence there is capacity
Sol 6.1