أَخذَhe took الدواةَthe inkwell وَقالَand said باِسمin the name of اللّهGod
أَخذَ الدواةَ وَقالَ باِسم اللّه
وَبكفّهِand in his palm قلمٌa pen حجاهُhis intellect يُضاهيmatches
وَبكفّهِ قلمٌ حجاهُ يُضاهي
He took up the inkwell and said, “In the name of God,”
He took the inkwell and said, “In the name of God.”
while in his hand was a pen that rivaled his wit.
And in his palm is a pen that matches his intellect.
فَتراهُthen you see him نحوَtoward دواتهِhis inkwell مُتطلّعاًpeering
فَتراهُ نحوَ دواتهِ مُتطلّعاً
كَالقطِّlike a cat يسرقُsteals مِنfrom قُديرةa little pot طاهِa cook
كَالقطِّ يسرقُ مِن قُديرة طاهِ
You could see him gazing eagerly toward his inkwell,
Then you see him peering toward his inkwell,
like a cat stealing from a cook’s little pot.
Like a cat stealing from a cook’s little pot.
Sol 6.1