كأَنّas though نجومthe stars of الليلthe night لماwhen تَبلَّجتْthey shone forth
كأَنّ نجوم الليل لما تَبلَّجتْ
تَوَقُّدُthe glowing of جَمْرٍembers فيin سَوادthe blackness of رمادِash
تَوَقُّدُ جَمْرٍ في سَواد رمادِ
It was as though the stars of night, when they shone forth,
were the glow of embers in the blackness of ash.
حكىresembled فوقabove مُمتدِّthe long expanse of المَجَرّةِthe Milky Way شكلُهاtheir form
حكى فوق مُمتدِّ المَجَرّةِ شكلُها
قَواقعَshells تطفوfloat فوقَupon لُجَّةِthe deep waters of وادِa valley stream
قَواقعَ تطفو فوقَ لُجَّةِ وادِ
Their form above the Milky Way’s long expanse resembled
shells floating on a valley stream’s deep waters.
وقدand indeed سَبَحتْswam فيهin it الثُّرَياthe Pleiades كَأنهاas though they were
وقد سَبَحتْ فيه الثُّرَيا كَأنها
بَنيقةُan inset panel وَشْىٍbrocade فيin قميصِa shirt of حِدادmourning
بَنيقةُ وَشْىٍ في قميصِ حِداد
And the Pleiades swam within it, as though they were
a panel of brocade in a mourning shirt.
ولاحتْand appeared بنوthe sons of نَعْشٍNaʿsh (the Bier) كتنقيطِlike the dotted tracing of كاتبٍa scribe
ولاحتْ بنو نَعْشٍ كتنقيطِ كاتبٍ
بيُسْراهwith his left hand للتعليمfor instruction هيئةَthe shape of صادṣād (the letter ص)
بيُسْراه للتعليم هيئةَ صاد
And Banu Naʿsh appeared like a scribe’s dotted outline,
made with his left hand to teach the shape of ṣād.
إلىuntil أنْthat بداappeared وجهُthe face of الصباحthe morning كأنهas though it were
إلى أنْ بدا وجهُ الصباح كأنه
رداءٌa robe عروسٍof a bride فيهin it صِبْغُthe dye of جِسادsaffron
رداءٌ عروسٍ فيه صِبْغُ جِساد
Until the face of morning appeared, as though it were
a bride’s robe tinged with saffron dye.
Sol 6.1