بكفَّهِin his palm ساحرُa sorcerer of البيانِeloquence إذاwhen
بكفَّهِ ساحرُ البيانِ إذا
أدارَهُhe moves it فيacross صحيفةٍa page سَحَراit casts a spell
أدارَهُ في صحيفةٍ سَحَرا
In his palm is eloquence’s sorcerer; when
he moves it across a page, it casts a spell.
يَنطِقُit speaks فيin عُجمةٍspeechlessness بلفظتهِwith its utterance
يَنطِقُ في عُجمةٍ بلفظتهِ
نُصَمُّwe are deaf عنهاto it وتُسْمِعand it makes hear البَصَراsight
نُصَمُّ عنها وتُسْمِع البَصَرا
Though mute, it speaks with an utterance
to which we are deaf, yet which makes sight hear.
نوادرٌrare sayings يقرعُit strikes القلوبَthe hearts بهاwith them
نوادرٌ يقرعُ القلوبَ بها
إنْif تَسْتبِنْهاyou discern them وجدْتَهاyou find them صُورَاimages
إنْ تَسْتبِنْها وجدْتَها صُورَا
Rare sayings with which it strikes the hearts—
if you discern them, you find them images.
نظامُa string for دُرِّthe pearls of الكلامِspeech ضَمَّنهُit incorporates it
نظامُ دُرِّ الكلامِ ضَمَّنهُ
سِلكاًa thread لخطِّfor the script of الكتابthe book مُسْتطراinscribed in lines
سِلكاً لخطِّ الكتاب مُسْتطرا
It strings the pearls of speech, setting them
in a thread of script, inscribed in the book.
إذاwhen امتطَىit rides astride الخِنصرَينthe two little fingers أذكرَmore eloquent مِنthan
إذا امتطَى الخِنصرَين أذكرَ مِن
سَحبانَSahban فيماin what أطالَit speaks at length واخْتَصراand speaks briefly
سَحبانَ فيما أطالَ واخْتَصرا
When it mounts the two little fingers, it is more eloquent than
Sahban, whether speaking at length or briefly.
يخاطبُit addresses الغائبَthe absent one البعيدَthe distant one بماwith what
يخاطبُ الغائبَ البعيدَ بما
يخاطبُit addresses الشاهدَthe one present الذيwho حَضَراis present
يخاطبُ الشاهدَ الذي حَضَرا
It addresses the distant absent one with the same words
it uses to address the one who is present.
تَرىyou see المقاديرَthe fates تستدِفُّyield لهُto it
تَرى المقاديرَ تستدِفُّ لهُ
وتُنفِذُand carry out الحادثاتُevents ماwhat أمَراit commanded
وتُنفِذُ الحادثاتُ ما أمَرا
You see the fates yield to it,
and events carry out what it commands.
شَختٌslender ضئيلٌslight لفعلهِfor its action خَطَرٌimportance
شَختٌ ضئيلٌ لفعلهِ خَطَرٌ
أعظِمْhow great بهit is فيin مُلمَّةٍa calamity خَطراin importance
أعظِمْ به في مُلمَّةٍ خَطرا
Slender and slight, its work has weight—
how great its importance in a calamity!
تَمُجُّspit out فكّاهُits two jaws ريقةًa drop of saliva صَغُرتْis tiny
تَمُجُّ فكّاهُ ريقةً صَغُرتْ
وخَطْبُهاand its import فيin القلوبِthe hearts قدindeed كبُراhas grown great
وخَطْبُها في القلوبِ قد كبُرا
Its two jaws spit a tiny drop of saliva,
yet its impact upon hearts has grown immense.
تُواقعُencounters النفسُthe soul منهfrom it ماwhat حَذِرتْit feared
تُواقعُ النفسُ منه ما حَذِرتْ
وربَّماand sometimes جُنِّبتْit is spared بهthrough it الحَذراfear
وربَّما جُنِّبتْ به الحَذرا
Through it the soul meets what it feared,
and sometimes through it is spared fear.
مهفهفٌgracefully slender تزْدَهيtake pride بهin it صُحفٌpages
مهفهفٌ تزْدَهي به صُحفٌ
كأنَّماas though حُلِّيتْthey were adorned بهthrough it دُرَراwith pearls
كأنَّما حُلِّيتْ به دُرَرا
Gracefully slender, it is the pride of pages,
as though through it they were adorned with pearls.
كأنّماas though تَرتعُgraze freely العيونُthe eyes بهاover them
كأنّما تَرتعُ العيونُ بها
خلالَamid رَوضٍa garden مُكلَّلٍcrowned زَهَراwith flowers
خلالَ رَوضٍ مُكلَّلٍ زَهَرا
As though the eyes grazed over them
amid a garden crowned with flowers.
إنْif قرِّبتْthey are brought near مُرِّطتْare stripped off طوابعُهاtheir seals
إنْ قرِّبتْ مُرِّطتْ طوابعُها
ماnot فُضَّwas opened طينٌsealing clay لهاbelonging to them ولاnor كُسِراwas broken
ما فُضَّ طينٌ لها ولا كُسِرا
If brought near, their seals are stripped off,
though none of their sealing clay is opened or broken.
يكادُalmost عنوانُهاtheir heading لرَوْعتهِfor its splendor
يكادُ عنوانُها لرَوْعتهِ
يُنْبيكَit tells you عنof سرِّهاtheir secret الَّذيwhich اسْتَتراwas hidden
يُنْبيكَ عن سرِّها الَّذي اسْتَترا
Their heading, so wondrous, almost
tells you of their secret, hidden away.
Sol 6.1