بَارِكْbless عَلَيْهَاupon it بِذِكْرِby invoking اللهِGod مِنْfrom قِصَصِtales
بَارِكْ عَلَيْهَا بِذِكْرِ اللهِ مِنْ قِصَصِ
وَاذْكُرand recall بِهَاthrough it مَاwhat أَتَىwas related فِيin سُورَةِthe surah of الْقَصَصِthe Stories (al-Qasas)
وَاذْكُر بِهَا مَا أَتَى فِي سُورَةِ الْقَصَصِ
Bless it by invoking God, drawing on tales,
And recall through it what is told in Surah al-Qasas:
حَيْثُwhere اغْتَدىَwent forth in the morning السِّحْرُmagic يَلْهُوtoys بِالْعُقُولِwith minds وَقَدْand had already
حَيْثُ اغْتَدىَ السِّحْرُ يَلْهُو بِالْعُقُولِ وَقَدْ
أَجَالَset whirling بَيْنَamong حِبَالِropes of كَيْدِهِits guile وَعِصِيand rods
أَجَالَ بَيْنَ حِبَالِ كَيْدِهِ وَعِصِي
Where magic went forth in the morning, toying with minds, and had
Sent them whirling among the ropes and rods of its guile.
عَقَائِلُnoble ladies of الْعَقْلِthe intellect وَالسِّحْرِand magic الْحِلاَلِlawful ثَوَتْthey dwelt
عَقَائِلُ الْعَقْلِ وَالسِّحْرِ الْحِلاَلِ ثَوَتْ
مِنfrom كَافِلِthe guardian of الصَّوْنِsafekeeping بَعْدَafter الْكَوْنِcoming into being حِجْرَthe lap of وَصِيa trustee
مِن كَافِلِ الصَّوْنِ بَعْدَ الْكَوْنِ حِجْرَ وَصِي
Noble ladies of intellect and lawful magic have come to rest,
From the guardian of safekeeping, after coming into being, in a trustee’s lap.
وَأَقْبَلَتْand they came forward تَتَهَادَىthey glide gracefully كَالْبُدُورِlike full moons إِذَاwhen
وَأَقْبَلَتْ تَتَهَادَى كَالْبُدُورِ إِذَا
سَبحْنَthey floated مِنْfrom فَلَكِthe sphere of التَّدْبِيرِdesign فِيin حِصَصِallotted shares
سَبحْنَ مِنْ فَلَكِ التَّدْبِيرِ فِي حِصَصِ
And they came gliding gracefully, like full moons when
They floated from the sphere of design in allotted shares.
مَنْwho لِلْبُدُورِfor the full moons وَرَبَّاتِand the ladies of الْخُدُورِthe curtained chambers بِهَاwithin it
مَنْ لِلْبُدُورِ وَرَبَّاتِ الْخُدُورِ بِهَا
الْمِثْلُthe counterpart غَيْرُnot مُطِيعcompliant وَالْمِثَالُand the likeness عَصِيunyielding
الْمِثْلُ غَيْرُ مُطِيع وَالْمِثَالُ عَصِي
Who can match the full moons and the ladies of curtained chambers within it?
No counterpart comes readily, and a likeness proves elusive.
مَاnot قُرصةُthe disc of الشَّمْسِthe sun وَالشَّمْسِby the sun المُنِيَرةِradiant إِنْif
مَا قُرصةُ الشَّمْسِ وَالشَّمْسِ المُنِيَرةِ إِنْ
قِيسَتْwas compared بِهِنَّwith them سِوَىother than مِنْamong جُمْلَةِthe collection of الْقُرصِthe discs
قِيسَتْ بِهِنَّ سِوَى مِنْ جُمْلَةِ الْقُرصِ
The sun’s disc—by the radiant sun!—if
Compared with them, is no more than one among the discs.
تَاby اللهِGod مَاnot حُكْمُهَاits ruling يَوْماًever بِمُنْتَقَضٍoverturned
تَا اللهِ مَا حُكْمُهَا يَوْماً بِمُنْتَقَضٍ
كَلاَّno indeed وَلاَnor بَدْرُهَاits full moon يَوْماًever بِمُنْتَقَصِdiminished
كَلاَّ وَلاَ بَدْرُهَا يَوْماً بِمُنْتَقَصِ
By God, its ruling is never overturned,
No indeed, nor is its full moon ever diminished.
إِنْif قَالَdeclares حُكْمِيَmy ruling فِيهَاconcerning it بِالسَّوَاءِfor equality فَقَدْthen indeed
إِنْ قَالَ حُكْمِيَ فِيهَا بِالسَّوَاءِ فَقَدْ
أَمِنْتُI became safe مَاwhat يَحْذَرُdreads الْقَاضِيthe judge مِنَof الْغُصَصِchoking anguish
أَمِنْتُ مَا يَحْذَرُ الْقَاضِي مِنَ الْغُصَصِ
If my ruling concerning it declares equality, then indeed
I am safe from the choking anguish a judge dreads.
أَوor كُنْتُI was أَرْخَصْتُI granted leniency فِيin التَّرْجِيحِpreference مُجْتَهداًexercising independent judgment
أَو كُنْتُ أَرْخَصْتُ فِي التَّرْجِيحِ مُجْتَهداً
لَمْdid not يَقْبَلِaccept الْوَرَعُscrupulous piety الْفُتيَىthe legal ruling مَعَwith الرُّخَصِdispensations
لَمْ يَقْبَلِ الْوَرَعُ الْفُتيَى مَعَ الرُّخَصِ
Or had I granted leniency in preferring one, exercising independent judgment,
Scrupulous piety would not accept a ruling with dispensations.