إذاif أنتَyou أبصرتَyou beheld الوجودَexistence مثالاًas an image
إذا أنتَ أبصرتَ الوجودَ مثالاً
تصرَّفتَyou acted freely فيهwithin it يمنةًto the right وشمالاand to the left
تصرَّفتَ فيه يمنةً وشمالا
If you behold existence as an image,
If you saw existence as an example,
you act freely within it, to right and left.
You dealt with it to the right and left.
فأنزلتهso you brought it down بالعلمthrough knowledge أرضاًas a land أريضةbroad and fertile
فأنزلته بالعلم أرضاً أريضة
وأطلعتهand you made it rise بدراًas a full moon وكانand it had been هلالاa crescent moon
وأطلعته بدراً وكان هلالا
So through knowledge you bring it down as a broad, fertile land,
So you brought it down to earth with knowledge,
and make it rise as a full moon, though it had been a crescent.
And made it rise like a crescent moon.
وأعليتهand you raised it فيupon الرأسthe head تاجاa crown مكلالاadorned
وأعليته في الرأس تاجا مكلالا
وقدand indeed كانit had been فيat رِجلthe foot الزمانof Time ونعالاand sandals
وقد كان في رِجل الزمان ونعالا
And you raise it upon the head as an adorned crown,
You crowned its head with a bejeweled crown,
though it had been sandals at Time's foot.
Though once it was but a shoe on time's foot.
وحزتand you possessed بهthrough it الأكوانthe worlds شرقاًeastward ومغرباand westward
وحزت به الأكوان شرقاً ومغربا
وماand what بينهنbetween them قبلةًsouthward, toward the qibla وشمالاand northward
وما بينهن قبلةً وشمالا
And through it you possess the worlds, east and west,
With it you traced the cosmos east and west,
and what lies between them, south and north.
Making of it a qibla, north and south.
وكمand how often قدindeed رأيناwe have seen فيهin it نقصاًan imperfection محققاًreal
وكم قد رأينا فيه نقصاً محققاً
فلماyet when أتيناهwe came to it رأيتyou saw كمالاperfection
فلما أتيناه رأيت كمالا
And how often we have seen in it a real imperfection,
How much defect we saw made manifest;
yet when we came to it, you saw perfection.
When we came to it, perfection was its clothing.
وكمand how often قدindeed سألتُI asked اللهGod فيهconcerning it إجابةan answer
وكم قد سألتُ الله فيه إجابة
وكمand how often قدindeed أجبتُI answered اللهGod فيهconcerning it سؤالاa question
وكم قد أجبتُ الله فيه سؤالا
And how often I have asked God for an answer concerning it,
How much I asked of God, and He from it
and how often I have answered God concerning it with a question.
Gave answer; how much I questioned, and it solved.
لقدindeed طلعتْhas risen شمسيmy sun عليهupon it وعندهاand at that moment
لقد طلعتْ شمسي عليه وعندها
مددتI stretched out لهfor it فيin العالمينthe worlds ظلالاshadows
مددت له في العالمين ظلالا
My sun has indeed risen upon it, and at that moment
For truly my sun rose up over it,
I stretched out shadows for it throughout the worlds.
And for it cast on the two worlds a shade.
Sol 6.1