هلdid ...? كنتَyou were تعلَمُknow قبلbefore اليومِtoday زُرزوراa starling
هل كنتَ تعلَمُ قبل اليومِ زُرزورا
يُهديoffers لكَto you السِّحرَmagic منظوماًin verse ومَنثُوراand in prose
يُهدي لكَ السِّحرَ منظوماً ومَنثُورا
Before today, had you known a starling
Did you know before today a chirping bird
That offers you magic in verse and prose?
Who gifts you magic in verse and prose
مُنَغّمَmelodious الصَّوتِthe voice مَنwhoever يأذَنlistens لِنَغمَتهِto its melody
مُنَغّمَ الصَّوتِ مَن يأذَن لِنَغمَتهِ
لمdid not يقترحrequest بعدَهاafter it بَمّاًa bass string ولاnor زِيراa treble string
لم يقترح بعدَها بَمّاً ولا زِيرا
Sweet-voiced—whoever listens to its melody
The one whose voice is melodious to the listener's ear
Would afterward ask for neither bass nor treble strings.
Did not afterwards suggest vain babble or nonsense
منfrom أَينَwhere أُقصىam banished وليwhile I have منfrom كُلّevery قاصيةٍdistant place
من أَينَ أُقصى ولي من كُلّ قاصيةٍ
شدوٌa song تركتُI left بهِthrough it المحزونَthe sorrowful مسروراglad
شدوٌ تركتُ بهِ المحزونَ مسرورا
How could I be banished, when I have, from every far-off place,
From where do I get, although I have every far reach
A song with which I have made the sorrowful glad?
A song with which I left the grieved happy
ورُبّand many a مُولِيbestower جَميلٍkindness قدindeed سَجعتُI sang بهِof him
ورُبّ مُولِي جَميلٍ قد سَجعتُ بهِ
وكانand he would have been لولاbut for افتضاحُdisclosure الشّكرِgratitude مَستُوراhidden
وكان لولا افتضاحُ الشّكرِ مَستُورا
And many a giver of kindness have I praised in song,
And I have rhymed praise to many a beautiful friend
Who, but for gratitude's disclosure, would have remained hidden.
And if not for exposing gratitude, it would be hidden
وليلةٍand many a night كحَلتlined with kohl مِنّيfrom me نواظِرَهاits eyes
وليلةٍ كحَلت مِنّي نواظِرَها
بحكمةٍwith wisdom مَلأتfilled أَجفانَهاits eyelids نُوراlight
بحكمةٍ مَلأت أَجفانَها نُورا
And many a night lined its eyes with kohl drawn from me,
And a night whose eyes were lined by me
With wisdom that filled its eyelids with light.
With wisdom filling their lids with light
كَفأتI drove away ظَلماءَهاits darkness منهاfrom it بسَاطِعَةٍwith a radiant gleam
كَفأت ظَلماءَها منها بسَاطِعَةٍ
شَقَّتtore open عنto reveal الصُّبحthe dawn جَيباًa bosom كانwas مَزرُوراbuttoned shut
شَقَّت عن الصُّبح جَيباً كان مَزرُورا
I drove its darkness away with a radiant gleam,
I reciprocated its darkness with brilliants
That tore open a once-buttoned bosom to reveal the dawn.
That split open a fold that was twisted
لِلّهِto God, in praise تلكَthat فَكمfor how many منof أنفُسٍsouls ربقَتit ensnared
لِلّهِ تلكَ فَكم من أنفُسٍ ربقَت
وأَعيُنٍand eyes غادَرتهاit left them نَحوهاtoward it صُوراinclined
وأَعيُنٍ غادَرتها نَحوها صُورا
God be praised for that! How many souls it has ensnared,
To God - how many selves were tied to Him
And eyes it has left turned toward it!
And how many eyes turned their images to Him
ذَخيرةa treasure خَبَأتهاhave hidden it الصالحاتrighteous deeds لكمfor you
ذَخيرة خَبَأتها الصالحات لكم
والعِلقُand the prized possession مازالُis still مَخبوءاًhidden ومذخُوراand stored away
والعِلقُ مازالُ مَخبوءاً ومذخُورا
A treasure righteous deeds have hidden away for you,
A treasure the righteous hid for you
And the prized possession remains hidden and stored away.
While the calf remains hidden and buried
مَهلاًgently فماfor ... not نَحنwe إلاexcept مِثلُكمlike you أُمَمٌcommunities
مَهلاً فما نَحن إلا مِثلُكم أُمَمٌ
تُسَبِّحُglorify اللَهَGod تَغريداًby warbling وتَصفِيراand by whistling
تُسَبِّحُ اللَهَ تَغريداً وتَصفِيرا
Gently! For we are only communities like you,
Wait - we are but a people like you
Glorifying God through warbling and whistling.
That glorify God with tweets and chirps
نَغدُوwe go out in the morning خِماصاًempty-bellied لأرزاقٍfor provisions مُقَدَّرةٍallotted
نَغدُو خِماصاً لأرزاقٍ مُقَدَّرةٍ
فَنقتَضيso we receive فضلَbounty رزقِsustenance اللَهِGod مَوفُوراin full
فَنقتَضي فضلَ رزقِ اللَهِ مَوفُورا
We go out in the morning, empty-bellied, for allotted provisions,
We go in the morning searching for predetermined sustenance
So we receive the bounty of God's sustenance in full.
Thus we get the grace of God's abundant provision
مِنamong كُلِّevery أرقطspeckled bird عنوانُthe sign السُّهادِsleeplessness بهِon it
مِن كُلِّ أرقط عنوانُ السُّهادِ بهِ
يُقَطِّعُpasses اللّيلthe night تَوشِيحاًdraping itself وتكفِيراand bowing in reverence
يُقَطِّعُ اللّيل تَوشِيحاً وتكفِيرا
Every speckled bird among us, marked by sleeplessness,
The title of Suhad is engraved on each well-bred
Passes the night draping itself and bowing in reverence.
Cutting the night with cooing and chirping
مازالis still مُغرىًenamored بِبُرِّof wheat البّرِّkindness يُكرمُهit honors it
مازال مُغرىً بِبُرِّ البّرِّ يُكرمُه
إذاwhen غَداbecomes البُرُّthe wheat مَجفُوّاًspurned ومَهجُوراand abandoned
إذا غَدا البُرُّ مَجفُوّاً ومَهجُورا
Still enamored of wheat given in kindness, it honors it,
Still luring with righteous deeds it honors
When wheat lies spurned and abandoned.
When righteousness becomes scarce and abandoned
إذاif نَثرتَyou scatter لهfor it حَبّاًgrain تتبّعَهُit follows it
إذا نَثرتَ له حَبّاً تتبّعَهُ
لَقطاًpicking it up وأَودَعَهُand stores it صَدراًa breast وتامُوراand a heart
لَقطاً وأَودَعَهُ صَدراً وتامُورا
If you scatter grain for it, it follows it,
If you sprinkle it seeds it follows you
Picking it up and storing it in breast and heart.
Picking them up and storing in a pouch
Sol 6.1