النونُthe letter nūn حاجبهhis eyebrow والعينُand the letter ʿayn مقلتُهhis eyeball
النونُ حاجبه والعينُ مقلتُه
والميمُand the letter mīm لاno شكَّdoubt إنif فكرتَyou ponder فيهabout it فَمُa mouth
والميمُ لا شكَّ إن فكرتَ فيه فَمُ
Nūn is his eyebrow, and ʿayn his eye.
His eyebrow is a nun, his eyelashes a meem
And mīm, without doubt, if you ponder it, is a mouth.
No doubt, if you think about it, it’s a mouth
فالنونُso the letter nūn صورتُهits shape قوسٌa bow بِلاَwithout وترٍa bowstring
فالنونُ صورتُه قوسٌ بِلاَ وترٍ
والطرفُand the gaze نُشَّابهits arrows أوor صارمٌa sharp sword خَذِمُkeen-edged
والطرفُ نُشَّابه أو صارمٌ خَذِمُ
So nūn's shape is a bow without a string.
The nun is shaped like a bow without a string
And his gaze is its arrows, or a keen-edged sword.
And its tip is youthful, or a piercing sword
سلاحُهhis weapon طرفُهhis gaze ماhowever شاءَhe wishes صرَّفَهhe directs it
سلاحُه طرفُه ما شاءَ صرَّفَه
يرمىhe shoots فيُصْمِىand so kills outright ولكنand yet لاnot يسيلflows دَمُblood
يرمى فيُصْمِى ولكن لا يسيل دَمُ
His weapon is his gaze; he directs it however he wishes.
Its tip is his weapon, he wields it as he pleases
He shoots and kills outright, yet no blood flows.
He shoots and hits his mark, but no blood flows
وفوقَand above مبسمهhis smiling mouth سيناتُهhis letters sīn رسمتْwere drawn
وفوقَ مبسمه سيناتُه رسمتْ
ناهيكenough to impress you منof أحرفٍletters ماnot خطهاtraced them قَلَمُa pen
ناهيك من أحرفٍ ما خطها قَلَمُ
And above his smiling mouth his sīns are drawn.
Above his smile, his teeth are lined up
What letters these are—no pen has traced them!
Not to mention the letters his pen has traced
وتحتهاand beneath them دررٌpearls قدindeed زانَهاadorned them شَنَبٌcool freshness of teeth
وتحتها دررٌ قد زانَها شَنَبٌ
كأنَّهاas though they were لؤلؤٌpearls فيon السلكthe thread منتظمُstrung in order
كأنَّها لؤلؤٌ في السلك منتظمُ
And beneath them lie pearls, graced with cool freshness.
Under them are pearls adorned with a mustache
As though they were pearls strung upon a thread.
As if arranged pearls on a necklace
وفوقَand above صُدْغيهhis two temples لامٌthe letter lām أصلهاits root أَلِفٌthe letter alif
وفوقَ صُدْغيه لامٌ أصلها أَلِفٌ
بقدرةِby the power of اللهGod عنهاto it الحاسِدُونthe envious عَمُواhave gone blind
بقدرةِ الله عنها الحاسِدُون عَمُوا
And above his temples is a lām whose root is an alif.
Above his cheeks, a lam whose origin is an alif
By God's power, the envious have grown blind to it.
By God's power, the envious are blind to it
Sol 6.1