الشُهبُthe shining stars تحتbeneath القُبَّةthe dome الزَرقآءِblue
الشُهبُ تحت القُبَّة الزَرقآءِ
مثلُlike الحَبابthe bubbles يَعومfloats فوقupon الماءِthe water
مثلُ الحَباب يَعوم فوق الماءِ
The shining stars beneath the blue dome
The meteors beneath the azure dome
Are like bubbles floating on the water,
Like bubbles floating upon the foam
مَربوطَةًbound بالجاذبيَّةby gravity مثلهُlike it
مَربوطَةً بالجاذبيَّة مثلهُ
كَتَرابُطlike the linking of الأَجزآءِthe parts بالأَجزآءِwith the parts
كَتَرابُط الأَجزآءِ بالأَجزآءِ
Bound by gravity, like the bubbles,
Bound by gravity just as it is bound
As parts are linked with parts.
As parts to parts the cosmic whole around
وَالكَونُand the universe اجمعُentire مثلlike جسمٍa body واحدٍsingle
وَالكَونُ اجمعُ مثل جسمٍ واحدٍ
مَفصولةًseparated أَجزاؤُهُits parts بَخلآءِby a void
مَفصولةً أَجزاؤُهُ بَخلآءِ
And the whole universe is like a single body,
And the universe one body appears
Its parts separated by a void.
With spaces dividing its spheres
وَالجاذبيَّةand gravity انَّماonly هيit أُلفةٌan affinity
وَالجاذبيَّة انَّما هي أُلفةٌ
بينbetween الجواهرthe substances عندupon الاِستقصآءِthorough examination
بين الجواهر عند الاِستقصآءِ
And gravity is nothing but an affinity
Gravity but an affinity seems
Between substances, on close examination.
'Twixt essences when one keenly gleams
واذاand if اِفتَرَضناwe suppose ليسthere is not منany جَذبٍattraction فَلاthen no
واذا اِفتَرَضنا ليس من جَذبٍ فَلا
دَفعٌrepulsion وذلكand that مؤذِنٌindicative بِبَقاءِof persistence
دَفعٌ وذلك مؤذِنٌ بِبَقاءِ
And if we suppose no attraction exists, then there is no
And if we posit there is no pull then
Repulsion; that implies persistence.
No push which means no end or aught again
وَنَقولand we say انَّthat اللَهَGod حرَّكهُset it in motion وَماand there is no
وَنَقول انَّ اللَهَ حرَّكهُ وَما
منany موجبٍcause لِسكونهِfor its rest بِفَضآءِin space
من موجبٍ لِسكونهِ بِفَضآءِ
And we say that God set it moving, and there is no
And we say God moved it though nothing bid
Cause for it to come to rest in space,
Its stillness in the void forbid
اذfor لَيسَthere is not منany فركٍfriction يُمانعهُopposes it ولاnor
اذ لَيسَ من فركٍ يُمانعهُ ولا
شيءٍanything يُعاقis impeded بِهِby it كَصَدِّlike the resistance of هَوآءair
شيءٍ يُعاق بِهِ كَصَدِّ هَوآء
For there is no friction to oppose it, nor
Since no friction it withstands
Anything to impede it, like the resistance of air.
Nor aught to counter it expands
لكنbut لانَّbecause اللَهGod يُسنِدascribes فعلَهُHis action
لكن لانَّ اللَه يُسنِد فعلَهُ
ابداًalways الىto الأَسبابthe causes والأَنحاءِand the modes
ابداً الى الأَسباب والأَنحاءِ
But because God ascribes His action
But as God acts always in our view
Always to causes and modes,
Through causes as means, as if true
جعلmade الَّذيthat which بينbetween الكواكبthe celestial bodies قوَّةًa force
جعل الَّذي بين الكواكب قوَّةً
هيَit جاذبيَّتهُits gravitational attraction بالاستقرآءِby induction
هيَ جاذبيَّتهُ بالاستقرآءِ
He made what lies between the celestial bodies a force,
‘Tween planets He placed a pow'r
Which is its gravitational attraction, as induction shows.
By induction called gravity's tow'r
فَتَبارَكso blessed is الخلّاقُthe Creator بانيهاtheir builder علىupon
فَتَبارَك الخلّاقُ بانيها على
وَهميِّimaginary آساسٍa foundation وايَّand what a بنآءِstructure
وَهميِّ آساسٍ وايَّ بنآءِ
So blessed is the Creator, who built them upon
So blessed the Maker in its erection
An imaginary foundation—and what a structure!
On fancied base a strange perception
وَمنظمُand the arranger of الأَكوانthe worlds فيin اسلاكهاtheir strings
وَمنظمُ الأَكوان في اسلاكها
مثلَlike العُقودthe necklaces تُرىare seen لعينto the eye of الرآئيthe beholder
مثلَ العُقود تُرى لعين الرآئي
And who arranges the worlds along their strings,
And ordainer of spheres in their courses
Like necklaces, visible to the beholder's eye,
Like beads appear to sight's forces
وَالجاعلُand the maker of الطَرَفَينِthe two ends ليسthere is no بدآءَةٌbeginning
وَالجاعلُ الطَرَفَينِ ليس بدآءَةٌ
لهماfor them ولاnor حَدٌّa limit كذاكlikewise نهائيfinal
لهما ولا حَدٌّ كذاك نهائي
And who made the two ends: there is no beginning
With no end or beginning's deduction
For them, nor likewise any final limit.
Can be made by our minds' production
أَنّىhow نسميّwe name الكائناتexisting things وَمالهاand they have no
أَنّى نسميّ الكائنات وَمالها
حَدٌّa limit كَماas هوit مُقتَضىwhat is required by الأَسماءِnames
حَدٌّ كَما هو مُقتَضى الأَسماءِ
How can we name existing things, when they have no
Whence name we things and limits propose
Limit of the kind that names require?
As names' content reality shows
لَمdid not يستقلَّbecome distinct لناto us المُسَمّىthe named thing كاملاًcomplete
لَم يستقلَّ لنا المُسَمّى كاملاً
كَيماso that يُرىmay be seen مُستَغرَقاًfully encompassed بدُعاءِby a designation
كَيما يُرى مُستَغرَقاً بدُعاءِ
The named thing has not become distinct to us in full,
Never completely has naming availed
So that it might be seen wholly encompassed by a name.
To comprehend all details unveiled
ومنand among العجائبthe wonders انناthat we نَبغيseek لهاfor them
ومن العجائب اننا نَبغي لها
حدّاa limit بحسبaccording to العقلreason فيin اِستيفآءِcompleteness
حدّا بحسب العقل في اِستيفآءِ
And one of the wonders is that we seek for them
Yet wondrously we still thereby gain
A limit, according to reason, fully encompassing them.
With minds that search, though much remain
مَعَdespite ذاكthat يَجريruns العقلreason فيin آثارهاtheir tracks
مَعَ ذاك يَجري العقل في آثارها
وَيَعودُand returns لمdid not يَرَsee غيرَother than قطعcutting off رجاءِhope
وَيَعودُ لم يَرَ غيرَ قطع رجاءِ
Yet reason runs along their tracks
Our minds course o'er effects, and retreat
And returns, having seen nothing but hope cut off.
Finding only despair at defeat
Sol 6.1