أنَاI مَطْلَعٌa rising-place لِلشَّمْسِfor the sun لِلأقْمَارِfor the moons
أنَا مَطْلَعٌ لِلشَّمْسِ لِلأقْمَارِ
بَلْrather قُبَّةٌa dome للمُلكfor sovereignty ذاتُpossessing قَرارِstability
بَلْ قُبَّةٌ للمُلك ذاتُ قَرارِ
I am a rising-place for the sun and the moons.
I am the horizon for the sun, for the moons,
Rather, a dome of sovereignty, firmly established.
Rather, a dome for the King, a place of rest,
لَوْif لَمْnot أكُنْI were فَلَكthe celestial sphere المحاسنbeauties والبهَاand splendor
لَوْ لَمْ أكُنْ فَلَك المحاسن والبهَا
لَمْwould not تَبْدُappear شَمْسٌa sun فيin سَمَاءsky جدارa wall
لَمْ تَبْدُ شَمْسٌ في سَمَاء جدار
Were I not the celestial sphere of beauty and splendor,
If I were not the orbit of beauty and splendor,
No sun would appear in a wall’s sky.
No sun would have risen in the sky of existence,
قَسَماًI swear ولَوْلاand were it not for أنَّنِيthat I مِنْof جَوْهَرٍprecious stone
قَسَماً ولَوْلا أنَّنِي مِنْ جَوْهَرٍ
مَاnot كُنْتُI was مُخْتَطِفاًsnatching away ضِيَاlight الأبصارthe eyes
مَا كُنْتُ مُخْتَطِفاً ضِيَا الأبصار
I swear—were I not made of precious stone,
I swear, and if it were not for my essence,
I would not snatch away the light of eyes.
I would not have been the captivator of sights,
قَدْindeed رصَّعَتْhave studded أيديthe hands of الكواكبthe stars حُلَّتِيmy robe
قَدْ رصَّعَتْ أيدي الكواكب حُلَّتِي
بِلآلىءٍwith pearls صِيغَتْwere fashioned مِنfrom الأنْوَارlights
بِلآلىءٍ صِيغَتْ مِن الأنْوَار
The stars’ hands have studded my robe
The hands of the planets embellished my garment,
With pearls fashioned from light.
With pearls that were molded from light,
وَكَسَاand clothed الجَمَالُbeauty مَعَاطِفِيmy sides حُلَلَrobes السَّنَاradiance
وَكَسَا الجَمَالُ مَعَاطِفِي حُلَلَ السَّنَا
فَغَدَوْتُso I became أرفلُI stride proudly فِيin ردَاءa robe نهَارdaylight
فَغَدَوْتُ أرفلُ فِي ردَاء نهَار
And beauty clothed my sides in robes of radiance;
And beauty clothed my robes in the garments of brilliance,
So I came to stride proudly in a robe of daylight.
So I went out adorned in the mantle of daybreak,
فَالنُّورُthus light ذَاتِيmy essence وَالكمَالand perfection غَلاَئِلِيmy inner robes
فَالنُّورُ ذَاتِي وَالكمَال غَلاَئِلِي
وَالحسْنand beauty تَاجِيmy crown وَالجلاَلand majesty إزَارِيmy waistcloth
وَالحسْن تَاجِي وَالجلاَل إزَارِي
Thus light is my essence, and perfection my inner robes;
For light is my being, and perfection my braids,
And beauty is my crown, and majesty my waistcloth.
And beauty my crown, and majesty my gown,
كَمُلَتْreached perfection صفَاتِيmy qualities وَابْتَهَجْتُand I rejoiced بِمَالكin a master
كَمُلَتْ صفَاتِي وَابْتَهَجْتُ بِمَالك
أغْنَتْsufficed شَمَائِلهhis virtues عَنِin place of الأزْهَارthe flowers
أغْنَتْ شَمَائِله عَنِ الأزْهَار
My qualities reached perfection, and I rejoiced in a master
My attributes were perfected and I rejoiced in their possessor,
Whose virtues sufficed in place of flowers.
His traits made flowers unnecessary,
وَانْبَثَّand spread فِيin أفقِيmy horizon مُحَيَّاهُhis countenance فَهَلْthen, have...?
وَانْبَثَّ فِي أفقِي مُحَيَّاهُ فَهَلْ
عَايَنْتَyou beheld قَطُّever الشمسَthe sun فِيin الأسحَارthe pre-dawn hours
عَايَنْتَ قَطُّ الشمسَ فِي الأسحَار
And his countenance spread across my horizon—have you, then,
And his smile shone on my horizon, so tell me,
Ever beheld the sun in the hours before dawn?
Have you ever seen the dawn at daybreak?
دَلَّتْpointed عَلَىto الفعلaction الجَميلbeautiful صِفَاتُهُhis qualities
دَلَّتْ عَلَى الفعل الجَميل صِفَاتُهُ
كَهِلاَلlike the crescent of شَوَّالٍShawwal عَلَىto الإفطَارbreaking the fast
كَهِلاَل شَوَّالٍ عَلَى الإفطَار
His qualities pointed to noble action,
His qualities point to beautiful deeds,
As Shawwal’s crescent points to the breaking of the fast.
Like the crescent of Shawwal at the breakfast.
Sol 6.1