لناfor us منamong الأسطالthe buckets سطbucket (initial fragment)
لنا من الأسطال سط
لٌbucket (final fragment) شأنهits nature عجيبwondrous
لٌ شأنه عجيب
We have, among the buckets, a buck—
Among the buckets we have a buck-
—et whose fashion is wondrous:
et whose nature is wondrous.
كالشمسlike the sun إذاwhen عاجلهاswiftly overtakes it
كالشمس إذا عاجلها
فيat الطفلtwilight المغيبsunset
في الطفل المغيب
like the sun when she is suddenly overtaken
Like the sun when swiftly overtaken
by setting, in the late-afternoon hour.
At twilight by sunset.
كرنيبهits spout كمائحlike a water-drawer
كرنيبه كمائح
وهوand it لهfor it قليبa well
وهو له قليب
Its spout is like a water-drawer,
Its spout is like a water-drawer,
and the vessel itself is his well.
And the bucket is a well for it.
قبضتهits handle سبيكةa metal casting
قبضته سبيكة
فيwithin متنهاits body نحيبa wail
في متنها نحيب
Its handle is a cast metal bar;
Its handle is a metal casting,
within its length sounds a sob.
Within its body is a wail.
ضربworkmanship دمشقيDamascene فماso no
ضرب دمشقي فما
يرىis seen لهاfor it ضريبan equal
يرى لها ضريب
Of Damascene workmanship—no
Damascene workmanship—so no
equal to it can be found.
Equal to it is seen.
