كلevery صنعwork مصورgiven form فيin الوجودexistence
كل صنع مصور في الوجود
هوit is صنعthe work المصوِّرِof the Fashioner الموجودthe Existent
هو صنع المصوِّرِ الموجود
Every fashioned work in existence
Every creation depicted in existence
is the work of the Fashioner, the Existent.
Is the work of the Existent Depictor
غيرyet أنّthat الإفرنجthe Franks تعملُput to work فكراًthought
غير أنّ الإفرنج تعملُ فكراً
بمجاريalong the courses التصويبof descent والتصعيدِand ascent
بمجاري التصويب والتصعيدِ
Yet the Franks put thought to work
Yet the Franks construct a thought
along the courses of descent and ascent.
Through the conduits of aiming and ascent
فكأنّso it is as though الأشكالthe forms ألقتcast إليهاto them
فكأنّ الأشكال ألقت إليها
قبلbefore كونthe coming into being الأشياءof things بالإقليدwith the key
قبل كون الأشياء بالإقليد
So it is as though the forms had cast to them
So it's as if the forms cast themselves unto them
the key before things came into being.
Before the things were by molded clay
فتحواthey opened مقفلاتِهاtheir locked things بعقولٍwith minds
فتحوا مقفلاتِها بعقولٍ
قدalready ترقتhad risen لعالمto the realm التجريدof abstraction
قد ترقت لعالم التجريد
They opened what was locked in them with minds
They unlocked their complexities with minds
that had risen to the realm of abstraction.
That have risen to the world of abstraction
قلsay همُthey لاdo not تقسcompare بهمwith them منanyone who عداهمis other than them
قل همُ لا تقس بهم من عداهم
بفنونٍin the arts منfrom مبدءٍan originator وَمعيدِand a renewer
بفنونٍ من مبدءٍ وَمعيدِ
Say: they are the ones; compare no others with them
Say they cannot be compared with others
in the arts, whether originators or renewers.
In arts from a Beginner and Restorer
المحيطونthose fully versed بالكواكبin the stars بيضاًwhite
المحيطون بالكواكب بيضاً
وأولوand possessors الزيجof astronomical tables فيin اللياليthe nights السودِblack
وأولو الزيج في الليالي السودِ
Those fully versed in the stars, shining white,
Surrounding the planets white
and masters of astronomical tables in the black nights.
And the possessors of conjunctions in the black nights
كلevery آنٍinstant لهمfor them وكلand every زمانٍspan of time
كل آنٍ لهم وكل زمانٍ
فيin الجديدينthe ever-new pair: day and night خلقthe creation فكرof a thought جديدِnew
في الجديدين خلق فكر جديدِ
Every instant and every span of time brings them,
Every moment for them and every time
through the ever-new day and night, the creation of a fresh thought.
In the two news a new thought created
كيفhow تنقادsubmits to guidance قلعةa fortress منof حديدٍiron
كيف تنقاد قلعة من حديدٍ
أوor حديدٌiron ينسابglides فوقover حديدِiron
أو حديدٌ ينساب فوق حديدِ
How does a fortress of iron submit to guidance,
How can a fortress of iron be tamed
or iron glide over iron?
Or iron flowing above iron
أبدلوهاthey gave her in exchange منin place of الصعيدearth حديداًiron
أبدلوها من الصعيد حديداً
فاعتلتso she mounted صهوةthe back الحديدِof iron الحديدِsharp
فاعتلت صهوة الحديدِ الحديدِ
They gave her iron in place of earth,
They changed it from rubble into iron
so she mounted the back of the sharp iron.
So it stood atop the summit of iron
سبحتshe swam فيthrough النحاسsmoke سبحاًa swim طويلاlong
سبحت في النحاس سبحاً طويلا
كسفينlike ships جرتsailed بماءthrough water صديدِof pus
كسفين جرت بماء صديدِ
She swam a long course through smoke,
It swam in the copper a long swim
like ships that sailed through water of pus.
Like a ship that sailed in molten copper
لمdid not تُخدِّدfurrow وجهَthe face الثرىof the earth بخدودwith furrows
لم تُخدِّد وجهَ الثرى بخدود
وهيand she إذat ذاكthat time آيةthe marvel الأخدودof the trench
وهي إذ ذاك آية الأخدود
She did not furrow the earth's face with furrows,
It did not sharpen the face of the earth with cheeks
yet then she was the marvel of the trench.
While it was then a sign of the ravine
قيدواthey fettered موضعthe place الخلاخلof the anklets منهاon her
قيدوا موضع الخلاخل منها
بقيودٍwith fetters فاطلقتso she was freed بالقيودِby the fetters
بقيودٍ فاطلقت بالقيودِ
They fettered the place of her anklets
They confined the place of its crevices
with fetters, and by fetters she was freed.
With shackles so it broke free with shackles
وحصانand a chaste woman تفحَّلتgrew stallion-like كحصانlike a horse
وحصان تفحَّلت كحصان
أوor كفحلlike a sire عودٍaged منamong البدنِthe stout camels عيدʿĪd
أو كفحل عودٍ من البدنِ عيد
And a chaste woman grew stallion-like, like a horse,
And a steed adorned like a steed
or like an aged sire among the stout camels, ʿĪd.
Or a stallion, a distanced perfume
بيدyet هلquestion marker كيفhow حُصِّنتshe was kept chaste إذwhen تخلتshe secluded herself
بيد هل كيف حُصِّنت إذ تخلت
بحصانينwith two stallions فيin المواميthe wastelands البيدthe deserts
بحصانين في الموامي البيد
Yet how was she kept chaste when she secluded herself
But by what means was it fortified when it abandoned
with two stallions in the barren desert wastes?
With two steeds in the desolate places
عقدوهاthey wed her لمقربينto two close ones ولماand not yet
عقدوها لمقربين ولما
يقربهاapproach her لقربbecause of the nearness حلّof untying العقودthe bonds
يقربها لقرب حلّ العقود
They wed her to two close companions, yet neither had
They contracted it for intimates and what
come near her, for the untying of the bonds was close at hand.
Draws it near to the proximity of untying knots
أسرعتshe hastened تطلبseeking اختهاher sister بعنيقٍat a swift pace
أسرعت تطلب اختها بعنيقٍ
لِعناقfor an embrace وضمand pressing جيدa neck لجيدِto a neck
لِعناق وضم جيد لجيدِ
She hurried, seeking her sister at a swift pace,
It hastened seeking its sister with a neigh
for an embrace, and the pressing of neck to neck.
For an embrace and pressing of cheek to cheek
لمdid not تخنbetray عهدَthe pledge تربهاof her age-mate بوعودِwith promises
لم تخن عهدَ تربها بوعودِ
وهيand she إذat ذاكthat time لمdid not تفِbe true بالوعودto the promises
وهي إذ ذاك لم تفِ بالوعود
She did not betray her peer's pledge with promises,
It did not betray its upbringing with promises
though at that moment she was not true to the promises.
While it was then did not fulfill promises
جعلواthey made مجمعthe meeting place اللقاءof encounter افتراقاًa parting
جعلوا مجمع اللقاء افتراقاً
بحدودwith boundaries فلمand yet did not تقفhalt بحدودِat boundaries
بحدود فلم تقف بحدودِ
They made the place of meeting a place of parting,
They made the place of meeting separation
with boundaries, yet she did not halt at boundaries.
With boundaries yet it did not stand at boundaries
فالوراءso what lies behind القريبnearby غيرnot قريبnear
فالوراء القريب غير قريب
والأمامُand what lies ahead البعيدdistant غيرnot بعيدِdistant
والأمامُ البعيد غير بعيدِ
So what was near behind her is no longer near,
For the distant is not far beyond
and what is far ahead of her is no longer far.
And the front near is not near
أينwhere منهاbeside her البريدthe courier وهيwhile she علىon أرfirst part of 'four'
أين منها البريد وهي على أر
بعcompletion of 'four' تمشيshe walks وأينand where مشيُthe pace البريدِof the courier
بع تمشي وأين مشيُ البريدِ
How can the courier match her, when on all fours
Where is the mail from it while upon four
she walks? And how can the courier's pace compare?
It walks and where is the walking of mail
والمليكand the king الوقودthe blazing هلquestion marker كيفhow ينfirst part of 'is led'
والمليك الوقود هل كيف ين
قادcompletion of 'is led' انسحاباbeing drawn along كسوقةlike commoners بمقودِby a rein
قاد انسحابا كسوقة بمقودِ
And the blazing king—how, indeed, is he
And the machine fuel how can it possibly
led, drawn along like a commoner by a rein?
Be tamed retreating like one holding reins
بينwhile ماclause-linking particle عطلتshe stood idle بغيرwithout عديدٍa retinue
بين ما عطلت بغير عديدٍ
إذاsuddenly تعدتshe advanced بعدّةwith equipment وعديدِand a retinue
إذا تعدت بعدّة وعديدِ
While she stood idle, without a retinue,
Amongst what it disabled without troops
suddenly she advanced with equipment and a retinue.
When it transcended with numbers and troops
أقبلتshe came on ترعدtremble الفرائصthe flanks منهاat her
أقبلت ترعد الفرائص منها
فاصتطارتso they scattered in flight فرائسthe prey الرعديدِof the coward
فاصتطارت فرائس الرعديدِ
She came on, and flanks trembled at her,
It came thundering down the horsemen from it
so the coward's prey scattered in flight.
So the horsemen of thunder took flight
لاnot كمثلlike القطيعthe whip أوجعinflicted pain ضرباby beating
لا كمثل القطيع أوجع ضربا
فيupon جلودٍskins بقطعهwith its strips منof جلودِleather
في جلودٍ بقطعه من جلودِ
Not like the whip that inflicted painful blows
Not like a flock oh how painfully struck
upon skins with its strips of leather.
In hides by cutting it from hides