وسكرand a sugar ليسnot منfrom
وسكر ليس من
السكرsugar بالمستخرجextracted
السكر بالمستخرج
And a sugar that is not
Sugar that is not extracted from sugar cane,
extracted from sugar,
Nor derived from molten candy over fire.
ولاnor منfrom القندlump sugar علىover
ولا من القند على
النيرانfires بالمستنتجproduced
النيران بالمستنتج
nor from lump sugar over
White like camphor or a polished pearl,
fires produced;
If we liken it to honey, it would be an insult.
أبيضwhite كالكافورlike camphor أوor
أبيض كالكافور أو
كاللؤلؤlike pearls المدحرجrounded
كاللؤلؤ المدحرج
white as camphor, or
Even if I swear it is embroidery, I wouldn't hesitate,
like rounded pearls.
And if I swear it is brocade, it wouldn't be wrong.
انif نحنwe شبهناهwe likened it بالto the
ان نحن شبهناه بال
فانيدsugar candy قدindeed كانwould have been هجيdisparaged
فانيد قد كان هجي
If we likened it to
It is considered a remedy with elecampane,
sugar candy, it would have been slighted.
It is nourishment that nourishes, and a cure for the wounded.
فلوso if حلفتI swore أنهthat it is
فلو حلفت أنه
طرزهits kind لمnot أحرجI incur sin
طرزه لم أحرج
So, were I to swear that it is
It remained falling from the sky,
of its kind, I would incur no sin;
Over the shoots of sweet basil,
وانand if حلفتI swore أنهthat it is
وان حلفت أنه
طبرزدrock sugar لمnot يخرجstray from the truth
طبرزد لم يخرج
and were I to swear that it is
Falling like moist pearls,
rock sugar, that would not stray from truth.
On turquoise.
يعدis counted فيamong الدواءmedicines أحsome-
يعد في الدواء أح
ياناً-times معwith الاهليلجmyrobalan
ياناً مع الاهليلج
It is counted among medicines some-
times, alongside myrobalan.
فهوso it is غذاءfood يغتذىis fed upon
فهو غذاء يغتذى
وهوand it is شفاءa cure للشجيfor the afflicted
وهو شفاء للشجي
Thus it is food to feed upon,
and it is a cure for the afflicted.
ظلkept منfrom السماءthe sky يهويfalling
ظل من السماء يهوي
فوقupon نبتplants of العوسجboxthorn
فوق نبت العوسج
It kept falling from the sky
upon the boxthorn plants,
يسقطfalling مثلlike اللؤلؤpearls
يسقط مثل اللؤلؤ
الرطبmoist علىupon الفيروزجturquoise
الرطب على الفيروزج
falling like pearls,
moist, upon turquoise.
Partial English translation: 12 of 20 Arabic lines translated.