جَلَّis exalted فِيin خَلْقِهِHis creation البَدِيعُthe Originator القَدِيرُthe Almighty
جَلَّ فِي خَلْقِهِ البَدِيعُ القَدِيرُ
مَاwhat الهَيُولىprimordial matter مَاwhat بَدْؤُهَاits beginning مَاwhat المَصِيرُthe fate
مَا الهَيُولى مَا بَدْؤُهَا مَا المَصِيرُ
Exalted in His creation is the Originator, the Almighty.
The Originator, the All Powerful, is sublime in His creation
What is primordial matter, what its beginning, what its fate?
What is primordial matter? How did it start? What is its end?
إِنَّindeed رُوحِيmy spirit مِنْfrom أَمْرِcommand رَبِّيmy Lord
إِنَّ رُوحِي مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي
وَمَاand not يَكْشِفُlifts عَنْهَاfrom it الحِجَابَthe veil إِلاَّexcept الضَّمِيرُconscience
وَمَا يَكْشِفُ عَنْهَا الحِجَابَ إِلاَّ الضَّمِيرُ
Indeed, my spirit is of my Lord's command,
My soul is by my Lord's command
And none but conscience lifts the veil from it.
Nothing but the conscience can unveil its mystery
غَيْرَexcept أَنَّيthat I أَرَىsee الهَيُولىprimordial matter قَدِيماًancient
غَيْرَ أَنَّي أَرَى الهَيُولى قَدِيماً
يَعْتَرِيهَاaffects it التَّبدِيلُalteration وَالتَّغيِيرُand change
يَعْتَرِيهَا التَّبدِيلُ وَالتَّغيِيرُ
Yet I see primordial matter as ancient,
Yet I see that primordial matter is ancient
Undergoing alteration and change.
Subject to change and alteration
وَهْيَand it لَيْسَتْis not عَلىin the course of التحَوُّلِtransformation إِلاَّbut
وَهْيَ لَيْسَتْ عَلى التحَوُّلِ إِلاَّ
لَمَعَاتflashes مَآبُهَاtheir place of return الدَّيْجُورُutter darkness
لَمَعَات مَآبُهَا الدَّيْجُورُ
And in its transformations it is nothing but
It only changes
Flashes whose return is to utter darkness.
Like flashes of lightning in thick clouds
تتجَلَّىshine forth الشَّموسُthe suns مِنْهَاfrom it لآِنٍfor a moment
تتجَلَّى الشَّموسُ مِنْهَا لآِنٍ
ثُمَّthen تأْتِيcome آجَالُهَاtheir appointed ends فَتَغورُso they sink away
ثُمَّ تأْتِي آجَالُهَا فَتَغورُ
Suns shine forth from it for a moment,
Suns manifest from it for a while
Then their appointed ends come, and they sink away.
Then their time comes and they set
صُوَرٌforms تَنقَضِيpass away وَتحْدُثُand arise أَخْرَىothers
صُوَرٌ تَنقَضِي وَتحْدُثُ أَخْرَى
وَالذُّرَيْرَاتُand the tiny particles فِيin الفَضَاءِspace تَمُورُswirl
وَالذُّرَيْرَاتُ فِي الفَضَاءِ تَمُورُ
Forms pass away, and others arise,
Images dissolve and others emerge
And tiny particles swirl in space.
And atoms swirl in space
وَكَهَذِيand like this الأَرْضِthe earth الصَّغيرَةِsmall كَمْhow many أَرْearth (first fragment)
وَكَهَذِي الأَرْضِ الصَّغيرَةِ كَمْ أَرْ
ضٍearth (second fragment) عَلىupon نَفْسِهَاitself لِحِينٍfor a time تَدُورُrevolves
ضٍ عَلى نَفْسِهَا لِحِينٍ تَدُورُ
And like this little earth, how many earths
And like this little Earth
Spin upon themselves for a time!
That turns on itself for a while
مَاnot لَهَاfor it لاno وَلاnor لِحِيٍّfor a living being عَليْهَاupon it
مَا لَهَا لا وَلا لِحِيٍّ عَليْهَا
مِنْof خُلُودٍimmortality إِنَّindeed الحَيَاةَlife عُبُورُa passage
مِنْ خُلُودٍ إِنَّ الحَيَاةَ عُبُورُ
Neither it—no—nor any living being upon it
It and those upon it have no permanence
Has immortality; indeed, life is a passage.
For life is but a crossing
مَاwhat الَّذِِيthat which تَبْتَغِيseek الْخِشَاشُthe tiny creeping creatures وَمَاذَاand what
مَا الَّذِِي تَبْتَغِي الْخِشَاشُ وَمَاذَا
تَتَوَخَّاهُaim for it فِيin العَنَانِthe sky النُّسورُthe eagles
تَتَوَخَّاهُ فِي العَنَانِ النُّسورُ
What do tiny creeping creatures seek, and what
What does the hummingbird seek and
Do eagles aim for in the sky?
What does the eagle envision in its flight?
خُلِّlet هَذِيthese الأَفْلاكَthe celestial spheres تجْرِيrun إِلىtoward مَاwhat
خُلِّ هَذِي الأَفْلاكَ تجْرِي إِلى مَا
لَسْتَyou do not تدَرِيknow وَغَنand sing يَاO عُصْفُورُsparrow
لَسْتَ تدَرِي وَغَن يَا عُصْفُورُ
Let these celestial spheres run toward what
Leave these orbiting spheres be
You do not know, and sing, O sparrow.
You know not where they go, oh little bird
Sol 6.1