أقلامُكَyour pens الصّفْرُthe yellow ones ياO بُنَيّmy little son إنْif كَتَبَتْthey wrote
أقلامُكَ الصّفْرُ يا بُنَيّ إنْ كَتَبَتْ
رسْمَthe form الحُروفِof the letters علىon صَفْحاتِthe pages مسْطورِof a written text
رسْمَ الحُروفِ على صَفْحاتِ مسْطورِ
Your yellow pens, my little son, if they trace
the forms of letters on the pages of a written text,
شبّهْتُهاI likened them وسَوادُand the blackness الحِبْرِof the ink يخْضُبُهاstains them
شبّهْتُها وسَوادُ الحِبْرِ يخْضُبُها
صَفّارَةًa whistle غُمِسَتْwas dipped فيinto جوْفِthe hollow قَمْرورِof a qamrūr (meaning uncertain)
صَفّارَةً غُمِسَتْ في جوْفِ قَمْرورِ
I have likened them, as the blackness of ink stains them,
to a whistle dipped into the hollow of a qamrūr.
الخطُّthe script واللّفْظُand the wording والمعْنىand the meaning وماand what انتخَبَتْit selected
الخطُّ واللّفْظُ والمعْنى وما انتخَبَتْ
للكتْبِfor writing منْof آلةٍan implement نورٌlight علىupon نورِlight
للكتْبِ منْ آلةٍ نورٌ على نورِ
The script, the wording, the meaning, and what was chosen
of implements for writing—light upon light.
Translation model: Sol 6.1