مِنof صفةthe nature الجَوْهِرِthe jewel أَنْthat يَرْسُبَاit sinks
مِن صفة الجَوْهِرِ أَنْ يَرْسُبَا
فَماso what الذِيthat which أَوْجَبَcaused أَنthat تَعْجَبَاyou marvel
فَما الذِي أَوْجَبَ أَن تَعْجَبَا
It is a jewel's nature to sink;
The essence bears tranquility
so what has made you marvel?
So what caused you to marvel?
إنَّindeed الرَّدَىDeath غَاصَdived علَىfor دُرَّةٍa pearl
إنَّ الرَّدَى غَاصَ علَى دُرَّةٍ
عَزَّتْwas elusive علَىto غَيْرِanyone other than الرَّدَىDeath مَطْلَباto obtain
عَزَّتْ علَى غَيْرِ الرَّدَى مَطْلَبا
Indeed, Death dived for a pearl
Ruin plunged for a pearl
that was hard for anyone but Death to obtain.
Missing the pearl was hard on all but ruin
وَغَالand slew بَحْرُthe sea النِيّلِof the Nile أَجْزَىmore generous نَداًin bounty
وَغَال بَحْرُ النِيّلِ أَجْزَى نَداً
مِنهُthan it وَقُلْand say أَجْدَىmore beneficent وَقُلْand say أَعْذَبَاsweeter
مِنهُ وَقُلْ أَجْدَى وَقُلْ أَعْذَبَا
And the Nile's sea slew one more generous in bounty
The Nile rose high, more pleasing
than itself—say more beneficent, and say sweeter.
And fresher than its waters
وَيَكْمُدُand grieve inwardly الأَنْدادُrivals كَمْhow much بَينَهُمْamong them
وَيَكْمُدُ الأَنْدادُ كَمْ بَينَهُمْ
تَحاسُدٌmutual envy أَوْجَبَcaused مَاwhat أَوْجَبَاit caused
تَحاسُدٌ أَوْجَبَ مَا أَوْجَبَا
And rivals grieve—how rife among them
Rivals smolder, however much hatred
is mutual envy, which has wrought what it has wrought!
Or envy stoked between them
أَينَwhere وَفَاءُthe faithfulness النِيلِof the Nile أَمْor لَيْسَis not ذاthis
أَينَ وَفَاءُ النِيلِ أَمْ لَيْسَ ذا
زَمانَهُits season شَاءwills الفَتَىthe young man أَوor أَبىrefuses
زَمانَهُ شَاء الفَتَى أَو أَبى
Where is the Nile's faithfulness? Or is this not
Where is the Nile’s loyalty? Or was its time
its season, whether the young man wills it or refuses?
Not for the youth to desire or refuse?
وَقَدْand indeed أراهُI see it لاطِماًslapping وَجْهَهُits face
وَقَدْ أراهُ لاطِماً وَجْهَهُ
لِلغَدْرِfor treachery ماhow أَقْبَحهُugly it is مَرْكَبَاas a mount
لِلغَدْرِ ما أَقْبَحهُ مَرْكَبَا
And indeed I see it slapping its face
I saw it striking its face
for its treachery—how hideous a mount it is!
At betrayal - how ugly its vessel!
هَلْdid نَافَسَvie with الرَّجَّافَthe surging sea فيfor دُرَّةٍa pearl
هَلْ نَافَسَ الرَّجَّافَ في دُرَّةٍ
فَكانَso was ماwhat أَخْرَجَهُit brought it forth أَغْرَبَاmore wondrous
فَكانَ ما أَخْرَجَهُ أَغْرَبَا
Did it vie with the surging sea for a pearl,
Did it vie with unrest for a pearl?
so that what it brought forth was more wondrous?
What it brought out was so strange.
بَداhe appeared علَىupon صَفحتهِits surface أَوَّلاًat first
بَدا علَى صَفحتهِ أَوَّلاً
كالسَّيْفِlike a sword أَبْدَىdisplayed رَوْنَقاًa sheen مُذْهَبَاgilded
كالسَّيْفِ أَبْدَى رَوْنَقاً مُذْهَبَا
He first appeared upon its surface,
At first it showed on its surface
like a sword, displaying a gilded sheen,
Like a gilded sword, gleaming.
حَتَّىuntil إذاwhen ماfor emphasis غَاصَhe sank قالَsaid الَورَىthe people
حَتَّى إذا ما غَاصَ قالَ الَورَى
مَجَرَّةٌa Milky Way قَدْhas غيَّبَتْhidden كَوْكَبَاa star
مَجَرَّةٌ قَدْ غيَّبَتْ كَوْكَبَا
until, when he sank, the people said:
Until when it sank, people said:
A Milky Way has hidden a star.
A planet hid a star.
Sol 6.1