لَهُto him قَلَمٌa pen تَنقادُsubmit بيضُwhite الظُباsword-blades لَهُto it
لَهُ قَلَمٌ تَنقادُ بيضُ الظُبا لَهُ
وَإِنand even if لَقَحَتgrew pregnant حَربٌwar وَزُرقُand blue اللَهازِمِspearheads
وَإِن لَقَحَت حَربٌ وَزُرقُ اللَهازِمِ
He has a pen to which white sword-blades submit,
He has a pen that white sheep follow
Even if war grows pregnant; blue spearheads submit too.
And if war erupts and defeat scatters
بِهِthrough it عَرَفَlearned الأَقوامُthe peoples ماwhat هُوَit كائِنٌis to be
بِهِ عَرَفَ الأَقوامُ ما هُوَ كائِنٌ
وَماand what هُوَit جارٍis passing فيwithin نُفوسِthe souls العَوالِمِall beings
وَما هُوَ جارٍ في نُفوسِ العَوالِمِ
Through it, peoples have learned what is to be,
Through it, people knew what will happen
And what stirs within the souls of all beings.
And what is going on in people's minds
عَلاrose high فَهوَso it is لِلآجالِfor lifespans ألأَصدَقُthe most reliable ناسِخٍannuller
عَلا فَهوَ لِلآجالِ ألأَصدَقُ ناسِخٍ
وَناسٍand a deferrer وَلِلأَرزاقِand for livelihoods أَعدَلُthe fairest قاسِمِapportioner
وَناسٍ وَلِلأَرزاقِ أَعدَلُ قاسِمِ
It has risen high: the surest annuller of lifespans,
It rose, so for eras, it's the truest editor
And their deferrer, and the fairest apportioner of livelihoods.
And for people and livelihoods, the fairest distributor
إِذاwhen جالَroamed فيacross القِرطاسِthe paper ساقَطَshowered لُؤلُؤاًpearls
إِذا جالَ في القِرطاسِ ساقَطَ لُؤلُؤاً
يَزينُadorns بِهِwith it أَسلاكُهُhis strands كُلُّevery ناظِمِstringer
يَزينُ بِهِ أَسلاكُهُ كُلُّ ناظِمِ
When it roams across the page, it showers pearls,
When it flows on paper, it drops pearls
With which every stringer adorns his strands.
With which it decorates its lines, every arranger
وَإِنand if ظَلَّit continued ساريjourneying by night الفِكرِthought أَطلَعَbrought forth أَحرُفاletters
وَإِن ظَلَّ ساري الفِكرِ أَطلَعَ أَحرُفا
تُنيرُare illumined النُهىthe minds مِنهاfrom them بِسودٍthrough black ones فَاحِمِcoal-black
تُنيرُ النُهى مِنها بِسودٍ فَاحِمِ
And if it keeps journeying by night through thought, it brings forth letters,
And if his roaming mind stayed, it produced letters
From whose coal-black forms minds gain light.
That give light to morals with intense dark
دَعاهُcalled it أُناسٌsome people تُرجُمانَthe interpreter ضَميرُهُhis inner thoughts
دَعاهُ أُناسٌ تُرجُمانَ ضَميرُهُ
وَهَلand is there لِبَليغٍfor an eloquent man حاجَةٌa need فيfor النَواجِمِthe rising stars
وَهَل لِبَليغٍ حاجَةٌ في النَواجِمِ
Some have called it the interpreter of his inner thoughts,
Some people called it the translator of his conscience
And does an eloquent man have any need of rising stars?
Does an eloquent person need the stars?
Sol 6.1