هَاكَ لَغْزاً فِيمَا يَصِيرُ لِغَزْلٍ

هَاكَ لَغْزاً فِيمَا يَصِيرُ لِغَزْلٍ

ثُمَّ تَصْحِيفٌ ذَا يُوَرِّثُ خَبْلاَ

ثُمَّ تَصْحِيفٌ ذَا يُوَرِّثُ خَبْلاَ

Here is a riddle about something turned into yarn.

There is a riddle in what becomes of spinning

Take a riddle concerning what becomes spun yarn,

Then changing its letter dots brings on madness.

Then a misspelling that bequeaths confusion

Then the alteration of its letters bequeaths madness,

فَإِذَا أُسْقِطَ الْمُقَدَّمُ مِنْهُ

فَإِذَا أُسْقِطَ الْمُقَدَّمُ مِنْهُ

كَانَ قَوْماً يَرْمُونَ بِالشَّرْقِ نَبْلاَ

كَانَ قَوْماً يَرْمُونَ بِالشَّرْقِ نَبْلاَ

And if its initial is dropped,

So if the first part is omitted from it

And if its foremost part is cast away,

It becomes a people who shoot arrows in the East.

It becomes a people who shoot east with arrows

It becomes a people shooting arrows in the East,

فَإِذَا صُحِّفَ الْمُقَدَّمُ مِنْ ذَا

فَإِذَا صُحِّفَ الْمُقَدَّمُ مِنْ ذَا

فَهْوَ عِزٌّ يَا عِزَّ مَنْ حَازَ نُبْلاَ

فَهْوَ عِزٌّ يَا عِزَّ مَنْ حَازَ نُبْلاَ

And if the initial of this is re-dotted,

But if the first part of that is misspelled

And if the foremost part of that is altered,

Then it is glory—O glory of one who has attained nobility!

It is glory, oh glory to those who attain nobility

Then it is glory—O the glory of one who attains nobility.