ليراعكمto your reed pen أهديتI gave as a gift إنسانpupil النظرsight
ليراعكم أهديت إنسان النظر
وشبابand the youth طرسof a page شابgrown gray منfrom فرطexcess الكبرold age
وشباب طرس شاب من فرط الكبر
To your reed pen I gave the eye’s pupil as a gift,
To your care I dedicate this gift of man’s vision
And the youth of a page grown gray from extreme old age.
And Tarsus’ youth, aged beyond his years
أرسلتهI sent it عبداًas a slave دعوهthey called him عنبراًʿAnbar (ambergris)
أرسلته عبداً دعوه عنبراً
إذاwhen فاحwafted طيبthe sweetness نشرهof its fragrance بينamong البشرpeople
إذا فاح طيب نشره بين البشر
I sent it as a slave they called ʿAnbar,
I sent him as a slave, call him Ambergris
When its sweet fragrance wafted among people.
When its perfume spreads among people
أقلامهhis pens أخذتهtook it حالduring كتابةwriting
أقلامه أخذته حال كتابة
سبحاas strings of beads وألقتهand cast it علىonto طرسa page دررas pearls
سبحا وألقته على طرس درر
His pens took it, while writing,
His pens have seized him while writing
As strings of beads, and cast it onto a page as pearls.
Glorifying, and cast upon Tarsus pearls
ويودّand wishes مرسلهits sender إلىto أبوابكمyour doors
ويودّ مرسله إلى أبوابكم
لوif only زادhe could add فيهto it سوادthe blackness قلبof a heart أوor بصرan eye
لو زاد فيه سواد قلب أو بصر
And he who sent it to your doors wishes
And his sender wishes him to your doors
That he could add to it the blackness of a heart or an eye.
If only his heart or sight were blackened more
ليلnight وإنyet if أبدىit reveals لناto us ألفاظكمyour words
ليل وإن أبدى لنا ألفاظكم
فيin صبحthe dawn طرسof a page أبيضwhite قالواthey say سحرmagic; pre-dawn (wordplay)
في صبح طرس أبيض قالوا سحر
It is night; yet if it reveals your words to us
Even if your words seemed to us by night
In the dawn of a white page, they say, “Magic.”
In Tarsus’ bright morning they called it sorcery
Sol 6.1