تعلم فإن الله ليس كصنعه — Umaiya Ibn Abi Salt

تَعَلَّم فَإِنَّ اللَهَ لَيسَ كَصُنعِهِ

صَنيعٌ وَلا يَخفى عَلى اللَهِ مُلحَدُ

Know that God has no equal to His handiwork

among things made; no hiding place is hidden from God.

في كُلِ مُنكَرَةٍ لَهُ مَعروفَةٌ

أُخرى عَلى عَينٍ بِما يَتَعَمَّدُ

In every unfamiliar thing He has a familiar sign,

another, plain to the eye, in what He deliberately does.

جُدَدٌ وَتَوشيمٌ وَرَسمُ عَلامَةٍ

وَخَزائِنٌ مَفتوحَةٌ لا تَنفَدُ

Stripes, tattoo-like markings, and the tracing of a sign,

and open treasuries that never run dry,

عَمَّن أَرادَ بِها وَجابَ عَنانَها

لا يَستَقيمُ لِخالِقٍ يَتَزَيَّدُ

from whoever seeks them and traverses their heights.

It cannot hold true for a fabricator who embellishes.

غَيمٌ وَظَلماءٌ وَغَيثُ سَحابَةٍ

أَيّامَ كَفَّنَ وَاِستَرادَ الهُدهُدُ

Clouds and darkness and rain from a cloud,

when the hoopoe shrouded her and searched,

يَبغي القَرارَ لِأُمِّهِ لِيُجِنَّها

فَبَنى عَلَيها في قَفاها يَمهَدُ

seeking a resting place for his mother, to bury her.

He built above her, at the back of her neck, preparing

مَهداً وَطِيّاً فَاِستَقَلَّ بِحَملِهِ

في الطَيرِ يَحمِلُها وَلا يَتَأَوَّدُ

a soft bed, then rose bearing his load,

among the birds, carrying her without bending

مِن أُمِّهِ فَجَرى لِصالِحٍ حَملِها

وَلَداً وَكَلَّف ظَهرَهُ ما تَفقِدُ

beneath his mother; he acted for her good in carrying her,

as her son, burdening his back with what she lacked.

فَيَزالُ يَدلَحُ ما مَضى بِجَنازَةٍ

مِنها وَما اِختَلَفَ الجَديدُ المُسنَدُ

He keeps trudging as he goes, bearing a bier

of her, as the 'new, upheld' alternates [wording obscure].

وَالأَرضُ نَوَّخَها الإِلَهُ طَروقَةً

لِلماءِ حَتّى كُلُّ زَندٍ مُسفَدُ

And God made the earth kneel as a mate

for water, until every fire-stick had been mated.

وَالأَرضُ مَعقِلُنا وَكانَت أُمَّنا

فيها مَقابِرُنا وَفيها نوأَدُ

The earth is our refuge, and she was our mother;

in her are our graves, and in her we are buried alive.

فيها تَلامِذَةٌ عَلى قُذُفاتِها

حُسُراً قياماً فَالفَرائِصُ تُرعَدُ

Upon her heights are attendants,

bareheaded, standing, their flank-muscles trembling.

فَبَنى الآلَهُ عَليهُمُ مَخصوفَةً

خلقاءَ لا تَبلى وَلا تَتأَوَّدُ

So God built above them a stitched canopy,

smooth, never wearing out or bending.

فَلَو أَنَّهُ يَحدو البُرامَ بِمَتنِها

لَنَبا وَأَلفاها الَتي لا تُقرَدُ

Were he to drive ticks along her back,

they would recoil, and he would find her impervious to ticks.

فَأَتَمَّ سِتاً فاِستَوتَ أَطباقُها

وَأَتى بِسابِعَةٍ فأَنَّى تورَدُ

He completed six, and their layers stood level,

and brought a seventh—how could it be reached?

فَكَأَنَّ بِرقِعَ واّلمَلائِكُ حَولَها

سَدِرٌ تَواكَلُهُ القَوائِمُ أَجرَدُ

As though Birqiʿ, with the angels around her,

were a bare, staggering creature whose legs fail it.

خَضراءُ ثانيَةٌ تُظِلُّ رُؤُوسَهُم

فَوقَ الذَوائِبِ فاِستَوتَ لا تُحصَدُ

A green second heaven shades their heads,

above their forelocks, standing level, never cut down.

كَزُجاجَةِ الغَسّولِ أَحسَنَ صَنعُها

لَما بَناها رَبُنا يَتَجَرَّدُ

Like glass of cleansing-lye—He perfected its making

when our Lord built it, devoting Himself wholly.

لِمُصَفَّدين عَليهِمُ صاقورَةٌ

صَمّاءُ ثالِثَةٌ تُماعُ وَتُجمَدُ

For fettered beings, with a rocky vault above them,

a solid third heaven, melted and solidified.

وَكَأَنَّ رابِعَةً لَها حاقورَةٌ

في جَنبِ خامِسَةٍ عَناصٍ تَمَرَدُ

And a fourth seems to have an enclosure,

beside a fifth, whose lofty projections tower.

فيها النُجومُ تُطيعُ غَيرَ مُراحَةٍ

ما قالَ صَدَّقَها الأَمينُ الأَرشَدُ

There the stars obey, never granted rest;

whatever He said, the trustworthy, most rightly guided one confirmed to them.

رَسَخَ المَها فيها فأَصبَحَ لَونُها

في الوارِساتِ كأَنَهُنَّ الإِثمَدُ

White gems became fixed within it; its hue appeared

among saffron-tinted ones, as though they were antimony.

شَدَّ القُطوعَ عَلى المَطايا رَبُّنا

كُلٌّ بِنَعماءِ الآلِهَ مُقَيَّدُ

Our Lord fastened the saddle-cloths upon the mounts;

each is bound by God's blessings.

فَأَصَحنَ وَاِفتَرَشَ الرَحائِلَ شَرجَعٌ

نُفُجٌ عَلى أَثباجِهِنَّ مُؤَكَّدُ

They cried out, and a long frame spread across the saddles,

bulging high upon their backs, firmly secured

بِفُصوصِ ياقوتٍ وَكَظَّ بِعَرشِهِ

هَولٌ وَنارٌ دونَهُ تَتَوَقَدُ

with ruby gems; round His throne pressed

terror, and a fire blazing below it.

فَعَلا طِوالاتِ القَوائِمِ فاِستَوى

فَوقَ الخُلودِ وَمَن أَرادَ مُخَلَّدُ

Then He mounted the tall supports and took His seat

above eternity; whoever He wills is made immortal.

وَتَرى شَياطيناً تَروغُ مُضاعَةً

وَرواغُها شَتّى إِذا ما تُطرَدُ

You see demons darting evasively, left unguarded,

their evasions scattered when they are driven away.

تُلقى عَلَيها في السَماءِ مَذَلَّةٌ

وَكَواكِبٌ تُرمى بِها فَتَعرَّدُ

Humiliation is cast upon them in heaven,

and stars are hurled at them, so they flee.

مَلِكٌ عَلى عَرشِ السَماءِ مُهَيمِنٌ

تَعنو لِعِزَّتِهِ الوجوهُ وَتَسجُدُ

A king, watchful upon the throne of heaven;

faces bow to His might and prostrate themselves.

لَولا وِثاقُ اللَهِ ضَلَّ ضَلالُنا

وَلسَرَّنا أَنّا نُتَلُّ فَنوأَدُ

Without God's restraint, our straying would run wild,

and we would rejoice to be thrown down and buried alive.

بِأُولي قِوى فَمُبتَّلٌ وَمُتَلمَدُ

يَنتاَبُهُ المُتَنَصِّفونَ بِسُحرَةٍ

With mighty beings—one set apart, another serving—

the girded attendants visit Him before dawn,

في أَلفِ أَلفٍ مِن مَلائِكَ تُحشَدُ

رُسُلٌ يَجوبونَ السَماءَ بِأَمرِهِ

among a million angels mustered,

messengers who traverse heaven by His command,

لا يَنظُرونَ ثَواءَ مَن يَتَقَصَّدُ

فَهُمُ كَأَوبِ الريحِ بيَنا أَدبَرَت

not waiting for the lingering of one who proceeds deliberately.

They are like the returning wind: just as it turns away,

رَجَعَت بَوادِرُ وَجهِها لا تُكرَدُ

خَذٌّ مَناكِبُهُم عَلى أَكتافِهِم

its foremost gusts return, not to be driven off.

Short are their wing-joints upon their shoulders;

زَفُّ يَزِفُّ بِهِم إِذا ما اِستُنجِدوا

وَإِذا تَلامِذَةُ الآلِهِ تَعاوَنوا

a swift flutter bears them when their help is sought.

When God's attendants help one another,

غَلَبوا وَنَشَّطَهُم جَناحٌ مُعتَدُ

نَهَضوا بِأَجنِحَةٍ فَلَم يَتَواكَلوا

they prevail, enlivened by a ready wing.

They rise on wings, never leaving the task to one another;

لا مُبطِئٌ مِنهُم وَلا مُستَوغِدُ

حَيّاً وَمَيتاً لا أَبا لَكَ إِنَّما

none is slow among them, and none deemed feeble.

Alive or dead—no father have you!—indeed,

طولُ الحَياةِ كَزادِ غادٍ يَنفَدُ

وَالشَهرُ بَينَ هِلالِهِ وَمُحاقِهِ

long life is like a departing traveler's provisions: it runs out.

The month, between its crescent and its moonless end,

أَجلٌ لِعِلمِ الناسِ كَيفَ يُعَدَّدُ

لا نَقسَ فيهِ غَيرَ أَنَّ خَبيئَهُ

is a fixed term, so people may know how to count it.

No defect is in it, except that its hidden thing

قَمَرٌ وَساهورٌ يُسَلُّ وَيُغمَدُ

خَرِقٌ يَهيمُ كَهاجِعٍ في نَومِهِ

is a moon and a sheath, drawn out and sheathed.

Bewildered, it wanders like a sleeper in his sleep,

لَم يَقضِ رَيبَ نُعاسِهِ فَيُهَجَّدُ

فَإِذا مَرَتهُ لَيلَتانِ وَراءَهُ

his troubled drowsiness not yet over, he is awakened.

When two nights behind it have urged it onward,

فَقَضى سُراهُ أَو كَراهُ يَسأَدُ

لِمَواعِدٍ تَجري النُجومُ أَمامَهُ

then, done with its night-journey or its sleep, it travels by night.

The stars run before it toward appointed times,

وَمُعَمَّمٌ بِحِذائِهِنَّ مُسَوَّدُ

مُستَخفياً وَبَناتُ نَعشٍ حَولَهُ

and opposite them a turbaned, dark figure,

hidden, with Banāt Naʿsh around him,

وَعَنِ اليَمينِ إِذا يَغيبُ الفَرقَدُ

حالَ الدَراري دونَهُ فَتَجِنُّهُ

and on the right, when al-Farqad disappears.

Brilliant stars stand before him, concealing him,

لا أَن يَراهُ كُلُّ مَن يَتَلَدَّدُ

حُبِسَ السَرافيلُ الصَوافي تَحتَهُ

so that not everyone who looks about may see him.

The pure seraphim are held beneath him,

لا واهِنٌ مِنهُم وَلا مُستَوعِدُ

زُحلٌ وَثَورٌ تَحتَ يُمنى رِجلِهِ

none among them weak, nor any threatening.

Saturn and a bull are beneath his right foot;

وَالنَسرُ لِليُسرى وَلَيثٌ مُرصِدُ

وَالشَمسُ تَطلُعُ كُلَّ آخِرِ لَيلَةٍ

and the eagle at the left, and a lion keeping watch.

The sun rises at the end of every night,

حَمراءَ يُصبِحُ لَونُها يَتَوَرَّدُ

تأَبى فَلا تَبدو لَنا في رِسلِها

red, her color turning rosy at dawn.

She refuses, and will not appear to us at her ease,

إِلّا مُعَذَّبَةً وَإِلّا تُجلَدُ

لا تَستَطيعُ أَن تُقَصِّرَ ساعَةً

except in torment—or else she is flogged.

She cannot fall short by an hour,

وَبِذاكَ تَدأَبُ يَومَها وَتَشَرَّدُ

وَلَسوفَ يَنسى ما أَقولُ مَعاشِرٌ

and so she toils through her day and roams far.

Groups of people will surely forget what I say;

وَلَسوفَ يُذَكُرُهُ الَذي لا يَزهَدُ

فَاِغفِر لِعَبدٍ إِنَّ أَوَّلَ ذَنبِهِ

whoever does not disdain it will surely remember it.

So forgive a servant: the first of his sins

شُربٌ وَإِيسارٌ يُشارِكُها دَدُ

دارٌ دَحاها ثُمَّ أَعمَرَنا بِها

is drinking and gambling, joined by frivolity.

A dwelling He spread out, then settled us in;

وَأَقامَ بِالأُخرى الَّتي هِيَ أَمجَدُ

وَيُنَفِّدُ الطوفانَ نَحنُ فِداؤُهُ

and He dwelt in the other, which is more glorious.

And He brings the Flood to its end—we are His ransom—

وَاِقتادَ شَرجَعَهُ بَداحٌ بَديَدُ

وَالطوطَ نَزرَعُهُ أَغَنَّ جِراؤُهُ

and a broad, far-spreading [current] drew his long vessel along.

And cotton we sow, its young growth thick and lush;

فيهِ اللِباسُ لِكُلِّ حَولٍ يُعَضَدُ

فَاِسمَع لِسانَ اللَهِ كَيفَ شُكولُهُ

in it is clothing; every year it is cut down.

So listen to God's tongue—how its forms

عَجَبٌ وَيُنبِئكَ الَذي تَستَشهِدُ

وَالوَحشَ وَالأَنعامَ كَيفَ لُغاتُها

are wondrous! What you call to witness will inform you.

And to wild beasts and livestock—how their languages sound—

وَالعِلمَ يُقسَمُ بينَهُم وَيُبَدَّدُ

لِلَّهِ نِعمَتُنا تَباركَ رَبُّنا

and knowledge is apportioned among them and spread abroad.

Our blessing comes from God; blessed is our Lord,

رَبُّ الأَنامِ وَرَبُّ مَن يتَأَبَّدُ

Lord of humankind and of those who dwell in the wild.