جُدْ لي بِبَرْكارِك الذي صَنَعَتْ

جُدْ لي بِبَرْكارِك الذي صَنَعَتْ

فيه يَدَاً قينِهِ الأَعاجيبا

فيه يَدَاً قينِهِ الأَعاجيبا

Grant me your compass, in which were fashioned

Create for me with your skill the compass,

marvels by its smith’s two hands.

In which your wondrous hands have made

ملْتئُم الشفرتيْن معتدلٌ

ملْتئُم الشفرتيْن معتدلٌ

ما شينَ من جانبٍ ولا عيبا

ما شينَ من جانبٍ ولا عيبا

Its two blades fit together; it is well balanced,

Two blades aligned and balanced,

neither marred on any side nor flawed.

Free from defect on any side.

شخصان في شكلٍ واحدٍ قُدرا

شخصان في شكلٍ واحدٍ قُدرا

ورُكّبا بالعقولِ تركيبا

ورُكّبا بالعقولِ تركيبا

Two bodies fashioned into a single form,

Two figures in one form ordained,

and fitted together through intelligence.

And joined with intellect composed.

أشبه شيئين في اشتباكِهما

أشبه شيئين في اشتباكِهما

بصاحبٍ ما يُمل مصحوبا

بصاحبٍ ما يُمل مصحوبا

These two things, in their interlocking, most resemble

Most alike are two things in their intertwining,

a companion whose company never grows tiresome.

Like a companion who never wearies his friend.

أوثق مِسمارُهُ وغيِّب عن

أوثق مِسمارُهُ وغيِّب عن

نواظر النّاقدينَ تغييبا

نواظر النّاقدينَ تغييبا

Its pin was secured and hidden from

Its rivet is most secure and concealed from

the eyes of examiners—completely hidden.

The eyes of critical beholders.

فغين من تجتليه تحسبُه

فغين من تجتليه تحسبُه

في قالبِ الإعتيلِ مصبوبا

في قالبِ الإعتيلِ مصبوبا

So the beholder’s eye imagines it

So one who examines it thinks it

cast in the metalworker’s mould.

Cast in a single mold poured out.

وضمُّ شطريه محكِمٌ لهما

وضمُّ شطريه محكِمٌ لهما

ضمٌّ محبٍّ إليه محبوبا

ضمٌّ محبٍّ إليه محبوبا

The joining of its two halves secures them,

And the bringing together of its two halves, firmly,

as a lover clasps his beloved to himself.

Is the bringing together of a lover to his beloved.

يزدادُ حرصاً عليه مُبصرُهُ

يزدادُ حرصاً عليه مُبصرُهُ

ما زاده بالبنانِ تقليبا

ما زاده بالبنانِ تقليبا

Its beholder grows ever more eager for it,

Keener is its observer to guard over it,

the more he turns it about with his fingertips.

The more he gives it careful turns.

فقوله كلما تأمَّلَهُ

فقوله كلما تأمَّلَهُ

طُوبى لمن كان ذالهُ طوبى

طُوبى لمن كان ذالهُ طوبى

So whenever he contemplates it, his words are:

So his saying, whenever one contemplates it:

“Blessed is whoever owns this—blessed!”

"Blessed is he whose companion is blessed."

ذو مُقْلَةٍ بصَّرتَهُ مُذهبَةٍ

ذو مُقْلَةٍ بصَّرتَهُ مُذهبَةٍ

لم تألُهُ زينةَ وتَذْهيبا

لم تألُهُ زينةَ وتَذْهيبا

It has a gilded eye through which you gave it sight;

One with a finely wrought sight, gilded,

you spared no effort in adorning and gilding it.

Which endless adornment does not distract.

يُنْظَر منها إلى الصّوابِ فما

يُنْظَر منها إلى الصّوابِ فما

يزال منها الصوابُ مطلوبا

يزال منها الصوابُ مطلوبا

Through it one looks toward accuracy, and never

From it truth is viewed, and truth is ever,

does accuracy cease to be sought through it.

From it, sought as desirable.

لولاه ما صحّ شكل دائرةٍ

لولاه ما صحّ شكل دائرةٍ

ولا وجدنا الحسابَ محسوبا

ولا وجدنا الحسابَ محسوبا

Without it, no circle’s shape would be true,

Without it no form of a circle is sound,

nor would we find calculation properly reckoned.

Nor calculation found computed.

الحقُّ فيه فإن عدلتْ إلى

الحقُّ فيه فإن عدلتْ إلى

سواه كان الحسابُ تقريبا

سواه كان الحسابُ تقريبا

Exactness is in it; if you turn to

Truth is in it. If you incline

anything else, calculation is mere approximation.

To other than it, calculation is approximate.

لو عين إِقْليدسِ به بَصُرت

لو عين إِقْليدسِ به بَصُرت

خرَّ له بالسُّجود مكبوبا

خرَّ له بالسُّجود مكبوبا

Had Euclid’s eye beheld it,

If Euclid's eye looked upon it, he would

he would have fallen face down before it in prostration.

Bow down before it poured out.

فابْعثه واجنُبْهُ لي بِمِسْطَرة

فابْعثه واجنُبْهُ لي بِمِسْطَرة

تُلْفِ الهوى بالثّناء مجنوبا

تُلْفِ الهوى بالثّناء مجنوبا

So send it, and pair it for me with a ruler;

So send it to me, and spare it for me, with a ruler

you will find affection paired with praise.

To bring desire and praise into accord.

لا زلت تُجدي وتَجْتَدي حِكَماً

لا زلت تُجدي وتَجْتَدي حِكَماً

مستوهباً للصَّديق موهوبا

مستوهباً للصَّديق موهوبا

May you ever bestow and seek wisdom,

You continue to find and grant sagely gifts,

asking gifts for a friend, and yourself receiving them.

Bestowed generously upon a gifted friend.