وجدولٍand a stream جامدٍcongealed فيin الكفِّthe palm تحملُهُyou carry it
وجدولٍ جامدٍ في الكفِّ تحملُهُ
يغوصُdives فيهinto it علىfor درِّpearls النهىunderstanding النّظَرُsight
يغوصُ فيه على درِّ النهى النّظَرُ
And a frozen rivulet that you carry in your palm,
And a congealed stream you carry in your palm,
in which the gaze dives after the pearls of reason.
Into which sight dives for the pearls of understanding.
يكسوclothes السطورَthe lines ضياءًradiance عندduring ظلمتهاtheir darkness
يكسو السطورَ ضياءً عند ظلمتها
كأنّas though ينبوعَa spring نورٍlight منهُfrom it ينفجرُbursts forth
كأنّ ينبوعَ نورٍ منهُ ينفجرُ
It robes the written lines in light when darkness falls upon them,
It clothes the lines in radiance when they are dark,
as though a spring of light were bursting from it.
As though a spring of light were bursting from it.
يَشِفُّis transparent للعينِto the eye عنrevealing خطِّscript الكتابthe book كماjust as
يَشِفُّ للعينِ عن خطِّ الكتاب كما
شفّwas transparent الهواءُthe air ولكنbut جِسمُهُits body حَجَرُstone
شفّ الهواءُ ولكن جِسمُهُ حَجَرُ
It reveals the book’s script to the eye, just as
It is transparent to the eye, revealing the book’s script, just as
air lets things show through—though its body is stone.
Air is transparent—yet its body is stone.
يُبديreveals الحُروفَthe letters بجُرحٍwith a wound نَالَهاafflicted them عَرقٌa vein
يُبدي الحُروفَ بجُرحٍ نَالَها عَرقٌ
فيهِwithin it وقَرَّand settled عَلَيهاupon them جامداًcongealed نَهرُa river
فيهِ وقَرَّ عَلَيها جامداً نَهرُ
It makes the letters visible through a wound dealt them by a vein
It reveals the letters bearing a wound inflicted on them by a vein
within it; over them a river has settled, frozen solid.
Within it; upon them a river rests, congealed.
كَحَلتI applied kohl عينِيَmy eye إذwhen كَلَّتْgrew weary بِجَوهَرهwith its gem
كَحَلت عينِيَ إذ كَلَّتْ بِجَوهَره
أَماis it not يُحَدّsharpened بِكُحْلِby the kohl of الجَوهَرِthe gem البَصرُsight
أَما يُحَدّ بِكُحْلِ الجَوهَرِ البَصرُ
My eye, when it grew weary, was kohled with its jewel;
I lined my eye with its gem when it grew weary;
is sight not sharpened by the jewel’s kohl?
Is sight not sharpened by a gem’s kohl?
كَأنَّهas though it were ذِهنُthe mind ذيof one possessing حذقskill يَفُكُّhe unravels بهwith it
كَأنَّه ذِهنُ ذي حذق يَفُكُّ به
منfrom المُعَمّىthe enigmatic عويصاًa difficult matter فكّهُits unraveling عَسِرُdifficult
من المُعَمّى عويصاً فكّهُ عَسِرُ
It is as though it were the mind of one skilled, with which he unravels
As though it were the mind of someone skilled, with which he unravels
from among riddles a knotty problem whose solution is hard.
A difficult part of a riddle, hard to unravel.
نِعمَhow excellent المُعينُthe helper لِشَيخٍfor an old man كَلَّgrew weary ناظرُهُhis sight
نِعمَ المُعينُ لِشَيخٍ كَلَّ ناظرُهُ
وَصَغَّرَand made small الخطَّthe script فيin ألحاظهhis eyes الكِبَرُold age
وَصَغَّرَ الخطَّ في ألحاظه الكِبَرُ
How excellent an aid for an old man whose sight has grown weary,
What a fine helper for an old man whose sight has grown weary,
and in whose eyes old age has made the writing small.
And in whose eyes old age has made the script small.
يرىhe sees بهthrough it صُوَرَthe forms الأسْطارof the lines قدalready عَظُمَتْhave grown large
يرى به صُوَرَ الأسْطار قد عَظُمَتْ
كعُنْصُلِlike a squill bulb الماءِof water فيهin it يَعظُمُgrows large الوبَرُfine hair
كعُنْصُلِ الماءِ فيه يَعظُمُ الوبَرُ
Through it he sees the forms of the written lines enlarged,
Through it he sees the forms of the lines enlarged,
as in a water-filled bulb the finest down looms large.
Like a bulb of water, in which fine hair grows large.
Sol 6.1