أخُطَافةٌis it a swallow? فيin يديmy hand أمor جَلَمshears
أخُطَافةٌ في يدي أم جَلَم
أمِor الرّقِّthe turtle يُحنىis bent لشقِّto split القَلِمthe pen
أمِ الرّقِّ يُحنى لشقِّ القَلِم
Is it a swallow in my hand, or shears,
A pen in my hand or an inkwell,
Or a turtle, bent to split the pen?
Or a quiver that bends to split the nib.
هُماthe two of them أخوانِtwo brothers هُماthe two of them توأمانِtwins
هُما أخوانِ هُما توأمانِ
علىof قَدَرِa measure واحدٍone فيin الشَّيَمcharacter traits
على قَدَرِ واحدٍ في الشَّيَم
They are two brothers; they are twins,
They are two brothers, they are twins,
Of equal measure in character.
Equal in one measure of reputation.
وقدand indeed جَعلَhas set القَينُthe smith بينهُماbetween the two of them
وقد جَعلَ القَينُ بينهُما
صُدوداًestrangement ووصلاًand union لمنfor whoever قدindeed فَهِمunderstood
صُدوداً ووصلاً لمن قد فَهِم
And the smith has set between them
Fate has set between them
Estrangement and union, for whoever understands.
Barriers and connections for whom understands.
إذاwhen فَغَراthey both gape حكَياthey both resemble أيَّماa serpent
إذا فَغَرا حكَيا أيَّما
منَamong الرُّقشِthe speckled serpents فاغرةٌgaping تلتقِمswallowing
منَ الرُّقشِ فاغرةٌ تلتقِم
When they gape, they resemble a serpent,
When they gape, whichever it may be
One of the speckled kind, gaping and swallowing.
Of the quills gapes, grasping.
مقصٌscissors كانّas though سهامَarrows العُيوthe eyes (first fragment)
مقصٌ كانّ سهامَ العُيو
نِfinal fragment of “eyes” أطرافهاtheir points فيin يَدَيthe two hands of مُخترِمa slayer
نِ أطرافها في يَدَي مُخترِم
Scissors—as though the arrows of the ey-
Scissors were arrows of the writers
es had their points in a slayer’s hands—
Their edges in hands of one experienced.
تُصوِّرdepicts ليfor me فيin يَدَيthe two hands of منthe one whom أُحبُّI love
تُصوِّر لي في يَدَي من أُحبُّ
لاno لاno إذاwhen ماemphatic particle سألتُI asked for نَعمyes
لا لا إذا ما سألتُ نَعم
Depict for me, in the hands of the one I love,
They depict for me in hands of whom I love
“No, no,” whenever I ask for “Yes.”
No, no, if I were to ask. Yes.
Sol 6.1