مزينٌa barber قدhas تَناهَىreached the utmost فيin صناعِتِهhis craft
مزينٌ قد تَناهَى في صناعِتِه
إلىto لطافةٍsubtlety معنىًin conception فاقتِsurpassed الحُكَماthe sages
إلى لطافةٍ معنىً فاقتِ الحُكَما
A barber has reached, in the practice of his art,
A barber has attained, in his craft,
such subtlety of conception as surpassed the sages.
a subtlety of conception surpassing the sages.
خَفَّتgrew light مواقعُthe strokes of مُوساهُhis razor فلوso if حَلَقتْit shaved
خَفَّت مواقعُ مُوساهُ فلو حَلَقتْ
فيin كفهhis palm شعرَthe hair of جسمِthe flesh of الخدِّthe cheek ماnot عَلِماhe noticed
في كفه شعرَ جسمِ الخدِّ ما عَلِما
So gentle are the touches of his razor that, were it to shave
So light are his razor’s strokes that, were it to shave
from the cheek a single hair in his hand, neither hair nor cheek would know.
the hair from a cheek’s skin while in his hand, he would not notice.
كأنماas though هيit نورٌlight فيin أناملهhis fingertips
كأنما هي نورٌ في أنامله
يُومِيhe gestures فيَجْلوand so he dispels بهاwith it عنfrom هامِناour heads الظُّلَماthe darkness
يُومِي فيَجْلو بها عن هامِنا الظُّلَما
It is as though a light were shining in his fingertips;
It is as though it were light at his fingertips;
he waves it, and with it sweeps the darkness from our heads.
he gestures, and with it dispels the darkness from our heads.
