لاdo not تعجبنَّever marvel اذاif رأَيتَyou see العودthe oud قَدalready
لا تعجبنَّ اذا رأَيتَ العود قَد
اضحىhas become كحيٍّlike a living being وهوwhile it is فيamong المَوتانِthe lifeless
اضحى كحيٍّ وهو في المَوتانِ
Do not marvel if you see the oud has
Do not be surprised when you see the lute has become like one alive while it is among the dead.
Become like a living being, though it belongs among the lifeless.
For all of it was once living, so it is of two types - and they alone are the living.
فجميعُهُfor all of it قدalready كانwas حَيّاalive فهوَso it is منfrom
فجميعُهُ قد كان حَيّا فهوَ من
صنفَينِtwo kinds وحدَهماthey alone هماthe two of them الحَيّانِthe two living kinds
صنفَينِ وحدَهما هما الحَيّانِ
For every part of it was once alive; it comes from
The wood is from some vegetation, as you see, and the feathers and strings are from an animal.
Two kinds, which alone possess life.
And it has been handled by musicians, so it has become enjoying through them a second life.
العودthe oud’s wood منfrom بعضsome of النباتthe plants كَماas ترىyou see
العود من بعض النبات كَما ترى
وَالريشُand the feathers والاوتارand the strings منfrom حَيَوانِanimals
وَالريشُ والاوتار من حَيَوانِ
The oud’s wood comes from certain plants, as you see,
And the feathers and strings come from animals.
وَلَقَدand indeed تداولهُhandled it in turn البَنانُthe fingers فقدso indeed غداhas become
وَلَقَد تداولهُ البَنانُ فقد غدا
متمتّعاًenjoying منهاthrough them بعيشٍwith a life ثانِsecond
متمتّعاً منها بعيشٍ ثانِ
And indeed, the fingers have handled it in turn, so it has come
To enjoy, through them, a second life.
Partial English translation: 4 of 8 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1