هذانthese two لغزانtwo riddles قدalready حلاhave arrived ببابكat your door ياO
هذان لغزان قد حلا ببابك يا
قاضيjudge of البريةhumankind ماnot هذانthese two خصمانtwo litigants
قاضي البرية ما هذان خصمان
These are two riddles that have arrived at your door, O
These two riddles have come to your door, O judge of the wilderness! What are these two disputants?
judge of humankind; these two are not litigants.
Two five-letter names; when their letters are written down, they are undoubtedly from (the tribe of) Khuza'a.
اسمانtwo names كلeach خماسيfive-lettered إذاif كتبتyou write
اسمان كل خماسي إذا كتبت
حروفهits letters وهماand the two of them لاno شكdoubt خدنانtwo close companions
حروفه وهما لا شك خدنان
Two names, each five letters long if you write
They differ outwardly in appearance, in form, yet essentially they are the same.
its letters; the two are surely close companions.
You see through your reforms that, as is their origin, wellbeing comes through forgetting them.
تبايناthey differ فيamong الورىhumankind شكلاin shape إذاwhen نظراthey are viewed
تباينا في الورى شكلا إذا نظرا
وصورةand in appearance وهماand the two of them فيin الأصلorigin مثلانalike
وصورة وهما في الأصل مثلان
Among people they differ in shape when seen,
In Egypt and Syria they are ascribed to their origin; the expert is ascribed to garden after garden.
and in appearance, though in origin they are alike.
Yet in China, the home they are ascribed to - if they are present among brothers - is between them.
يرىis seen بكانونat a brazier إصلاحاكyour two preparations أنهماthat the two of them
يرى بكانون إصلاحاك أنهما
كماjust as لأصلهماfor their source نفعbenefit بنسيانthrough forgetting
كما لأصلهما نفع بنسيان
At a brazier your two preparations are seen—that they both... [wording unclear]
Thus we and he are among people without a nickname; those two did not choose that path.
as their source benefits through forgetting [wording unclear].
In the land he is found; and if you search for him you find the second five of him in the heart of the sea.
فيin مصرEgypt والشامand al-Shām منسوبattributed لأصلهماto their source
في مصر والشام منسوب لأصلهما
يضافis added ياO خبرexpert بستانa garden لبستانto a garden
يضاف يا خبر بستان لبستان
In Egypt and al-Shām, a name linked to their source
I saw the fire brought out leaves for him, and was amazed that leaves grow from the flames.
is added, O expert: one garden to another.
He is revived when the drops rain upon him, and the clouds generously pour down on him from above.
لكنbut إلىto الصينChina منسوبattributed مقرهماtheir resting place
لكن إلى الصين منسوب مقرهما
إنif أحضراthe two are brought فيin مكانa place بينbetween أخوانtwo brothers
إن أحضرا في مكان بين أخوان
But their resting place is named after China,
He is a cube, but has no smell, and is never added to the flowers of a garden.
if the two are brought somewhere between two brothers.
Delicate, yet when its pages are turned, a crust appears; so hide it with concealment.
لذاfor this one كناwe were (possibly 'nicknames') وهوand the other one بينamong الناسpeople ليسthere is not لهfor him
لذا كنا وهو بين الناس ليس له
منany كنيةnickname ماnot انتحىheaded toward فيin ذاكthat اثنانtwo
من كنية ما انتحى في ذاك اثنان
This one has nicknames [reading uncertain]; among people the other has no
How many full moons has it completed, emerging throughout the month, not marred by loss?
nickname; no two have taken that course.
The dawn took away the white thread, hastening to overpower it like a wrongdoer.
فيon البرdry land يلقىis found وانand if فتشتyou searched عنهfor it تجدyou will find
في البر يلقى وان فتشت عنه تجد
فيin لجةthe depths of البحرthe sea يلقىis found خمسهits fifth part الثانيthe second
في لجة البحر يلقى خمسه الثاني
It is found on land; if you search for it, you will find
Oh its beauty! Has not its sweetness become sweet to speak of, from every tongue?
its second fifth in the depths of the sea.
It is wrapped around the contents, yet has no intestines; none who aspire to deny it among the Ash'aris.
نبتa plant أرىI see النارfire قدindeed أبدتhas brought forth لهfor it ورقاleaves
نبت أرى النار قد أبدت له ورقا
فأعجبso marvel لهat it ورقاleaves ينموgrowing بنيرانthrough fires
فأعجب له ورقا ينمو بنيران
A plant: I see that fire has brought forth leaves for it.
It is clad in embroidery and printed; embroidery and printing are opposites, it is said.
Marvel, then, at its leaves growing through fires!
How often it intoxicates! So we open its doors to enter, and it welcomes us graciously.
يحيىcomes alive إذاwhen ماindeed سقاهwatered it القطرrain وابلهits downpour
يحيى إذا ما سقاه القطر وابله
وجادهand generously watered it بسحابwith a cloud منهfrom it هتانpouring rain
وجاده بسحاب منه هتان
It comes alive when rain waters it with its downpour,
A beautiful one whom the people of dissolution - all of them - and we after knowing, have agreed to tie the knot with.
and generously waters it with a cloud from which rain pours.
Being united with it was unanimously permitted in a time when, after entities, union was prohibited.
كبيقةlike vetch هوit لكنbut لاnot يشمis smelled ولاnor
كبيقة هو لكن لا يشم ولا
يضافis added يوماًever إلىto أزهارflowers of بستانa garden
يضاف يوماً إلى أزهار بستان
It is like vetch, yet is not smelled, nor
Thirty three fifths of it were found to bring clarification and explanation.
ever added to a garden's flowers.
And however many fifths I mentioned, they spoke truly, mentioning its name without falsehood.
ذوpossessing رقةdelicacy فإذاthen if صحفتهyou alter its letter-dots ظهرتappears
ذو رقة فإذا صحفته ظهرت
كنافةkunāfah منهfrom it فاسترهso conceal it بكتمانwith secrecy
كنافة منه فاستره بكتمان
Delicate it is; if you alter its letter-dots, there appears
And its fifth is a mountain, but the rest of it is in Mecca, hoping for salvation through forgiveness.
kunāfah from it—so hide it in secrecy.
It is fried, but two eyes approach the heart of the one who fried it, from all people.
وكمand how many لهit has منof بدورfull moons كملperfect طلعتhave risen
وكم له من بدور كمل طلعت
فيthroughout سائرthe whole الشهرmonth لمnot تمحقbe diminished بنقصانby waning
في سائر الشهر لم تمحق بنقصان
And how many perfect full moons it has, rising
This weary one - what are its tired collections about it? The weary one has no glory for it.
throughout the month, never diminished by waning.
Within it are many hearts collected, and a person cannot have two hearts.
فقدهاthen cut them خيطa thread فجرdawn ابيضwhite عجلhasty
فقدها خيط فجر ابيض عجل
بالرقthrough bondage يسطوassails عليهاthem سطوةthe force of الجانيthe culprit
بالرق يسطو عليها سطوة الجاني
Then a white thread of dawn cuts them, hastening
How long has one wearing an honorable garb been openly discarding it, yet is still described as being excellent?
to enslave them, attacking with a culprit's force.
Beautiful in description, refined in essence, and purified in origin; and not safe from the vitriol of vitriolic ones.
ياO حسنهاher beauty ألسناas tongues أضحتhas become حلاوتهاher sweetness
يا حسنها ألسنا أضحت حلاوتها
يحلوis sweet المديحpraise لهاfor her منfrom كلevery ملسانeloquent speaker
يحلو المديح لها من كل ملسان
O, how lovely she is as tongues! Her sweetness makes
Be comforted - the rain has watered the ground from the steps of your striving, to quench the thirsty.
praise of her sweet from every eloquent speaker.
تطوىare folded علىaround الحشوstuffing أحشاءinsides وليسand there is not لهfor it
تطوى على الحشو أحشاء وليس له
فيamong الأشعريةthe Ashʿarīs منanyone who رامsought بنكرانwith denial
في الأشعرية من رام بنكران
Her insides fold around stuffing, which no one
among the Ashʿarīs has sought to deny.
بالطيwith folding والنشرand unfolding فيin حالone state قدindeed اتصفتhas been characterized
بالطي والنشر في حال قد اتصفت
والطيand folding والنشرand unfolding فيماaccording to what قيلwas said ضدانtwo opposites
والطي والنشر فيما قيل ضدان
She has folding and unfolding in one state,
though folding and unfolding, they say, are opposites.
كمhow often سكرتwas sealed shut ففتحناso we opened للدخولin order to enter بهاher
كم سكرت ففتحنا للدخول بها
أبوابهاher doors فتلقتناthen she received us بإحسانwith kindness
أبوابها فتلقتنا بإحسان
How often she was sealed! To enter her we opened
her doors, and she received us graciously.
حسناءa beautiful woman أجمعunanimously agreed أهلthe people of الحلloosing اجمعهمevery one of them
حسناء أجمع أهل الحل اجمعهم
والعقدand binding مناamong us عليهاupon her بعدafter عرفانknowing
والعقد منا عليها بعد عرفان
A beauty: all our arbiters agreed, every one,
those who loose and bind, after coming to know her.
وصالهاunion with her حلlawful بالإجماعby consensus فيat زمنa time
وصالها حل بالإجماع في زمن
فيهduring it الوصالunion حرامforbidden بعدafter أعيانnotables
فيه الوصال حرام بعد أعيان
Union with her is lawful by consensus at a time
when union is forbidden—'after notables' [wording unclear].
ثلثاtwo-thirds ثلاثةthree أخماسfifths لهاof her وجداthe two were found
ثلثا ثلاثة أخماس لها وجدا
شيئاًsomething يجئcomes بإيضاحwith clarification وتبيانand explanation
شيئاً يجئ بإيضاح وتبيان
Two-thirds of three-fifths of her are found to be
something bringing clarification and explanation.
وماand what ذكرتI mentioned منof الخماسthe fifths كمhow often نطقتI spoke
وما ذكرت من الخماس كم نطقت
صدقاtruth بذكرby mentioning اسمهاher name منfrom غيرother than بهتانfalsehood
صدقا بذكر اسمها من غير بهتان
And in what I have mentioned of the fifths, how often I spoke
truth by naming her, without any falsehood.
وخمسهاand her fifth جبلa mountain لكنbut بقيتهاthe rest of her
وخمسها جبل لكن بقيتها
فيin مكةMecca ترتجىhopes for فوزاsuccess بغفرانthrough forgiveness
في مكة ترتجى فوزا بغفران
And one-fifth of her is a mountain, but the rest of her
in Mecca hopes for salvation through forgiveness.
تقلىis fried ولكنand yet قلبturning over تقربهdelight in it (word division uncertain)
تقلى ولكن قلب تقربه
ممنof those who قلاهاfried her منamong الأقوامthe people عينانtwo eyes
ممن قلاها من الأقوام عينان
She is fried, yet turning her over delights
the two eyes of those among the people who fry her.
ماnot ملgrew weary ذاthis one منfrom القاليal-Qālī (also 'the fryer') أماليهhis dictations
ما مل ذا من القالي أماليه
عنهاabout her وماand not خطرcame to mind القاليthe fryer لهاtoward her شأنيmy concern (possibly 'a hater')
عنها وما خطر القالي لها شأني
This one never tired of al-Qālī's dictations
about her; nor did the fryer come to mind as her hater [final word uncertain].
فيin الجوفthe hollow منهاof her قلوبhearts جمةmany جمعتwere gathered
في الجوف منها قلوب جمة جمعت
ولاand not يكونthere are لجوفin the hollow of الشخصthe person قلبانtwo hearts
ولا يكون لجوف الشخص قلبان
Within her hollow many hearts have been gathered,
though no person's hollow holds two hearts.
كمhow often ظلkept يطرحهاtossing her منone who لبسwore ذاpossessing شرفhonor
كم ظل يطرحها من لبس ذا شرف
جهراopenly ويوصفand is described معdespite هذاthis بإتقانas skillful
جهرا ويوصف مع هذا بإتقان
How often one clad in honor kept tossing her
openly, yet was described as skillful!
جميلةlovely الوصفin description طابتwas wholesome عنصراin substance وزكتand became pure
جميلة الوصف طابت عنصرا وزكت
أصلاin origin وماand not سلمتescaped منfrom ظعنdeparture ظعانa frequent traveler
أصلا وما سلمت من ظعن ظعان
Lovely to describe, wholesome in substance, and pure
in origin—yet not spared a wanderer's departure.
بالحلwith the solution انعمbestow سقىmay water القطرthe rain المواطئthe places trodden منby
بالحل انعم سقى القطر المواطئ من
أقدامfeet سعيكyour striving فيin أرواءquenching thirst ظمآنa thirsty one
أقدام سعيك في أرواء ظمآن
Grant the solution! May rain water the places trodden by
the feet of your striving to quench a thirsty one.
Partial English translation: 29 of 58 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1