وَلَمَّاand when قَدمْنَاwe arrived at الثَّغْرَthe port خِلْنَاwe thought بروجَهُits towers
وَلَمَّا قَدمْنَا الثَّغْرَ خِلْنَا بروجَهُ
كَأكْمَامِlike the calyces of أزْهارٍflowers وآفَاقِand the horizons of شُهْبَانِshooting stars
كَأكْمَامِ أزْهارٍ وآفَاقِ شُهْبَانِ
And when we reached the port, we thought its towers
When we reached the frontier, we entered among its towers,
were like the calyces of flowers and horizons of shooting stars.
Like clusters of flowers and horizons of comets.
وَلاَحَتْand appeared ثِمَارٌfruits فيamong نَخِيلٍpalm trees كأنهَاas though they were
وَلاَحَتْ ثِمَارٌ في نَخِيلٍ كأنهَا
يواقيتُrubies أقَرَاطٍearrings بِآذَانِin the ears of حُبْشَانِAbyssinians
يواقيتُ أقَرَاطٍ بِآذَانِ حُبْشَانِ
And fruits appeared among the palms, as though they were
Fruits appeared on the palms as if they were
rubies in earrings in Abyssinians’ ears.
Rubies in earrings on Abyssinian ears.
وَصَارَand became خَليجthe channel of المَاءthe water أرواحspirits of فضةsilver
وَصَارَ خَليج المَاء أرواح فضة
كماjust as صينwas protected نُعمانNu‘man بهنديِّby the Indian blade of نعمانNu‘man
كما صين نُعمان بهنديِّ نعمان
And the water channel became spirits of silver,
The bay became spirits of silver
as Nu‘man was protected by Nu‘man’s Indian blade.
Like Chinese porcelain made by a Chinese craftsman.
Sol 6.1