أَخبرونيTell me عَنْabout مُرْهَفِslender الْقَدِّthe figure مَطْبُوnaturally pleasing (first part)
أَخبروني عَنْ مُرْهَفِ الْقَدِّ مَطْبُو
عٍnaturally pleasing (final part) حَبِيبٍbeloved إِلىto القُلُوبِthe hearts مكرَّمْhonored
عٍ حَبِيبٍ إِلى القُلُوبِ مكرَّمْ
Tell me of one slender of figure, naturally
Tell me about the elegant-legged, beloved one
pleasing, beloved of hearts and honored:
Whose heart is cherished and honored
أَسْودٍblack أَبْيضٍwhite بَليدٍdull ذَكِيٍّclever
أَسْودٍ أَبْيضٍ بَليدٍ ذَكِيٍّ
طَائِرٍflying وَاقعٍalighted شَقيٍّwretched مُنَعَّمpampered
طَائِرٍ وَاقعٍ شَقيٍّ مُنَعَّم
Black and white, dull and clever,
Black, white, slow, intelligent
Flying and alighted, wretched and pampered.
Flying, falling, wretched, blessed
وهوand it is طوراًat times مركَّبcomposite وَبَسيطٌand simple
وهو طوراً مركَّب وَبَسيطٌ
وهُوَand it is طوراًat times مفارقٌimmaterial ومُجَسَّمand embodied
وهُوَ طوراً مفارقٌ ومُجَسَّم
It is at times composite and simple,
He is sometimes composite, sometimes simple
And at times immaterial and embodied.
Sometimes separate, sometimes compound
وهوand it is ممَّاamong what فيin البَحْرِthe sea يُلْقَىis found وَفيand on البَرِّthe land
وهو ممَّا في البَحْرِ يُلْقَى وَفي البَرِّ
وممَّاand among what فيin جِسْمِهits body اللَّحْمflesh والدَّمand blood
وممَّا في جِسْمِه اللَّحْم والدَّم
It is among what is found in the sea and on land,
He is of the sea's flotsam, of the land's fauna
And among what has flesh and blood in its body.
With flesh and blood his body's made
وهوand it is عندَamong الملوكِthe kings يُبْتَاعis bought بالآfor thousands (first part)
وهو عندَ الملوكِ يُبْتَاع بالآ
لافthousands (final part) تبراًraw gold وقدand may يُبَاعbe sold بِدِرهَمfor a dirham
لاف تبراً وقد يُبَاع بِدِرهَم
Among kings, it is bought for thou-
Kings buy him for thousands of coins
sands in raw gold, yet it may be sold for a dirham.
Yet he could be sold for a single dirham
وهوand it لاdoes not يَلْبَسُwear الحُليَّjewelry ولكِنand yet
وهو لا يَلْبَسُ الحُليَّ ولكِن
ربَّماsometimes كانwas فيon اليَمينِthe right hand مختَّمset in a ring
ربَّما كان في اليَمينِ مختَّم
It wears no jewelry, and yet
No jewelry he wears, but sometimes
It is sometimes set in a ring on the right hand.
A seal on his hand bears his name
وهوand it is طفلa child شَيْخُan old man وهذاand this عجيبٌstrange
وهو طفل شَيْخُ وهذا عجيبٌ
وهوand it is فردٌsingle زوجٌpaired وهذاand this مسلَّمaccepted as true
وهو فردٌ زوجٌ وهذا مسلَّم
It is a child and an old man, and this is strange.
A child, an elder- strange!
It is single and paired, and this is accepted.
Individual, pair - agreed!
وهوand it بالنَّفسin itself طابis pleasing أَصلاًin root وفرْعاًand in branch
وهو بالنَّفس طاب أَصلاً وفرْعاً
وهوand it بالقلبby reversal حلَّhas settled فيهwithin it المحرّمthe forbidden
وهو بالقلب حلَّ فيه المحرّم
In itself it is pleasing, in root and branch,
Noble by nature, branch and root
And by reversal, the forbidden dwells within it.
Forbidden in heart, though it took roost
وهوand it is فِعْلa verb إِنif غيرواthey change منهof it حرفاًa letter
وهو فِعْل إِن غيروا منه حرفاً
وهوand it is اسمa noun مَعْنَاهits meaning فيin الحالthe present moment يُعْلَمis known
وهو اسم مَعْنَاه في الحال يُعْلَم
It is a verb if they change a letter in it,
Change but a letter, the verb's new meaning is clear
And a noun whose meaning is known at once.
Its name, its meaning- instantly known!
وعلىand about نفسهitself يُنادِيcalls out جهاراًaloud
وعلى نفسه يُنادِي جهاراً
وإِذاand when كلَّموهthey speak to it مَاnot يَتَكلَّمspeaks
وإِذا كلَّموه مَا يَتَكلَّم
It proclaims itself aloud,
He calls out loudly to himself
Yet when they speak to it, it does not speak.
Though addressed, mute he stays
وإِذاand if عاقَبوهthey punish it فيin الدَّارِthe house قدalready فرّhas fled
وإِذا عاقَبوه في الدَّارِ قد فرّ
إِلىto سَطْحِهاits roof علىon غيرwithout سُلَّمa ladder
إِلى سَطْحِها على غير سُلَّم
And if they punish it in the house, it flees
Disciplined at home, he readily flees
To its roof without a ladder.
Up the wall, no ladder or stairs does he need!
بعضُهpart of it مُعْجَمٌdotted فإِنso if عَكَسُوهthey reverse it
بعضُه مُعْجَمٌ فإِن عَكَسُوه
عَلِمُواthey learned أَنَّthat بعضهpart of it غيرُnot مُعْجَمَdotted
عَلِمُوا أَنَّ بعضه غيرُ مُعْجَمَ
Part of it is dotted; if they reverse it,
Some is lexicon- inverse it, you'll see
They learn that part of it is undotted.
That some of it lexicon isn't, easily.
أَناI أَوضحتهhave clarified it وبينتهand explained it جدّاًthoroughly
أَنا أَوضحته وبينته جدّاً
وأَفهمتهand made it understood لِمَنto whoever كانwas يَفْهمَunderstanding
وأَفهمته لِمَن كان يَفْهمَ
I have made it thoroughly clear and explained it,
I have elucidated and explicated it plainly
And made it understandable to whoever understands.
For those with the intellect to glean
وكأَنيand it is as though I بهمwith them وقدand already عَلِمُوهthey have understood it
وكأَني بهم وقد عَلِمُوه
وقتat the time أَنthat يَقْرَءُوهthey read it واللهand God أَعْلمknows best
وقت أَن يَقْرَءُوه والله أَعْلم
It is as though I see them already understanding it
As though I see them- now they know it well
When they read it—and God knows best.
When recited- God knows best!
Sol 6.1