رُوحٌa soul منof الماءِwater فيin جِسْمٍa body منof الصُّفْرِbrass
رُوحٌ من الماءِ في جِسْمٍ من الصُّفْرِ
مُؤَلّفٌassembled بِلطِيْفِwith delicate الحُسْنِbeauty والنَّظَرِand thought
مُؤَلّفٌ بِلطِيْفِ الحُسْنِ والنَّظَرِ
A soul of water in a body of brass,
fashioned with delicate beauty and thoughtful design.
مستعبِرٌweeping لمdid not يَغِبْvanish عنfrom طَرْفِهِits sight سَكَنٌa beloved
مستعبِرٌ لم يَغِبْ عن طَرْفِهِ سَكَنٌ
وَلَمْand did not يَبِتْspend the night منof ذويthose harboring ضِغْنٍmalice علىin حّذّرِwariness
وَلَمْ يَبِتْ من ذوي ضِغْنٍ على حّذّرِ
It weeps, though no beloved has vanished from its sight,
nor has it spent the night wary of those who harbor malice.
لهit has علىon الظَّهْرِthe back أَجْفَانٌeyelids مُحَجَّرَةٌrigid
له على الظَّهْرِ أَجْفَانٌ مُحَجَّرَةٌ
ومُقْلَةٌand an eye دمعُهَاits tears جارٍflowing علىby قَدَرِmeasure
ومُقْلَةٌ دمعُهَا جارٍ على قَدَرِ
It has rigid eyelids upon its back,
and an eye whose tears flow at a measured rate.
تَنْشَاarise لَهُfor it حَرَكَاتٌmovements فيin أَسَافِلِهِits lower parts
تَنْشَا لَهُ حَرَكَاتٌ في أَسَافِلِهِ
كأنهاas though they were حركاتmovements الماءِof water فيin الشَّجَرِtrees
كأنها حركات الماءِ في الشَّجَرِ
Movements arise within its lower parts,
like the movements of water within trees.
وفيand in أعالِيْهِits upper parts حُسْبَانٌreckonings مُفَصّلَةٌset out in detail
وفي أعالِيْهِ حُسْبَانٌ مُفَصّلَةٌ
للنّاظِرِيْنَfor onlookers بِلاَwithout ذِهْنٍmental effort ولاnor فِكْرِthought
للنّاظِرِيْنَ بِلاَ ذِهْنٍ ولا فِكْرِ
And in its upper parts are reckonings clearly set out,
for those who look, without mental effort or thought.
إذاwhen بَكَىit weeps دارَturns فيin أحْشَائِهِits innards فَلَكٌa wheel
إذا بَكَى دارَ في أحْشَائِهِ فَلَكٌ
خافِيhidden المَسِيْرِmotion وإنand if لمnot يَبْكِit weeps لَمْnot يَدُرْit turns
خافِي المَسِيْرِ وإن لم يَبْكِ لَمْ يَدُرْ
When it weeps, a wheel turns within its innards,
its motion hidden; if it does not weep, it does not turn.
مترجِمٌan interpreter عنof مواقيتٍappointed times يُخْبِرُناit tells us
مترجِمٌ عن مواقيتٍ يُخْبِرُنا
عنهاabout them فيوجَدُand is found فيهاconcerning them صادِقُtruthful الخَبَرِin its report
عنها فيوجَدُ فيها صادِقُ الخَبَرِ
An interpreter of appointed times, it tells us
about them, and proves truthful in its report.
تُقْضَىare performed بهby means of it الخَمْسُthe five prayers فيat وقتِthe time الوُجُوبِof obligation وإنeven if
تُقْضَى به الخَمْسُ في وقتِ الوُجُوبِ وإن
غَطّىhas covered علىover الشّمْسِthe sun سِتْرُthe veil الغَيْمِof cloud والمَطَرِand rain
غَطّى على الشّمْسِ سِتْرُ الغَيْمِ والمَطَرِ
By it the five prayers are performed when due, even if
the veil of cloud and rain has shrouded the sun.
وإنand if سَهِرَتْstayed awake لأسبابٍfor reasons تُؤَرِّقُنيkeep me sleepless
وإن سَهِرَتْ لأسبابٍ تُؤَرِّقُني
عَرَفْتُI know مِقْدَارَthe extent ماwhat أَلْقَىI endure منof السَّهَرِsleeplessness
عَرَفْتُ مِقْدَارَ ما أَلْقَى من السَّهَرِ
And if I lie awake for reasons that keep me sleepless,
I know how much sleeplessness I endure.
مُحَدِّدٌprecisely marking كلَّevery مِيْقَاتٍappointed time تَخَيّرَهُthey selected it
مُحَدِّدٌ كلَّ مِيْقَاتٍ تَخَيّرَهُ
ذَوُوthose possessing التَّخَيُّرِdiscernment للأسْفَارِfor journeys والحَضَرِand staying home
ذَوُو التَّخَيُّرِ للأسْفَارِ والحَضَرِ
It precisely marks every appointed time selected
by the discerning for journeys and stays at home.
ومُخْرِجٌand working out لكfor you بالأَجْزَاءِin subdivisions ألْطَفَهَاthe finest of them
ومُخْرِجٌ لك بالأَجْزَاءِ ألْطَفَهَا
منof النهارِthe day وقَوْسِand the arc الليلof night فيin السَّحَرِthe predawn hours
من النهارِ وقَوْسِ الليل في السَّحَرِ
And it gives you the finest subdivisions
of the day and the arc of night before dawn.
نتيجةُthe fruit العِلْمِof knowledge والتّفْكِيْرِand thought صوَّرَهُgave it form
نتيجةُ العِلْمِ والتّفْكِيْرِ صوَّرَهُ
ياah حبّذاhow lovely بِدَعُinventions الأَفْكارِof thought فيin الصُّوَرِforms
يا حبّذا بِدَعُ الأَفْكارِ في الصُّوَرِ
The fruit of knowledge and thought, which gave it form—
Ah, how lovely are thought's inventions embodied in forms!
Sol 6.1