هَذا جَوابٌ غامِضٌ في كِلمَتَي

هَذا جَوابٌ غامِضٌ في كِلمَتَي

شَرطٍ كَإِن وَإِذا مُرادُ تَكَلُّمي

شَرطٍ كَإِن وَإِذا مُرادُ تَكَلُّمي

This is an obscure answer concerning two words

This is an ambiguous answer in my two words

of condition, such as 'in' ('if') and 'idhā' ('when')—the subject of my discourse.

Of condition like “if” and “when” I speak

إِن أَن نَطَقتُ بِها فَإِنّي جازِمٌ

إِن أَن نَطَقتُ بِها فَإِنّي جازِمٌ

وَإِذا إِذا تاتي بِها لَم تَجزِمِ

وَإِذا إِذا تاتي بِها لَم تَجزِمِ

'In'—if I utter it, I make the verb jussive;

If I utter “if” then I assert

and 'idhā'—when you use it, you do not make the verb jussive.

And “when” if it comes I do not assert

فَإِذا لِما جَزَمَ الفَتى بِوُقوعِهِ

فَإِذا لِما جَزَمَ الفَتى بِوُقوعِهِ

بِخِلافِ إِن فَاِفهَم أَخي وَتَفَهَّمِ

بِخِلافِ إِن فَاِفهَم أَخي وَتَفَهَّمِ

So 'idhā' is for what the young man is certain will occur,

So “when” is for what the youth asserts will happen

unlike 'in'; so understand, my brother, and grasp this fully.

Unlike “if” so understand, my brother, and comprehend