سَيّديmy lord ماwhat قَبِيلةٌa tribe فيin زَمانٍan age
سَيّدي ما قَبِيلةٌ في زَمانٍ
مَرّpassed فيهاin it فيamong العُرْبِthe Arabs كمmany a حيّliving شاعِرpoet
مَرّ فيها في العُرْبِ كم حيّ شاعِر
My lord, what tribe, in an age
My master, what tribe in an age
gone by, had among the Arabs many a living poet?
Passed in which many a poet lived among the Arabs
ألْقِremove مِنهاfrom it حَرْفاًa letter ودَعْand leave مُبْتَدَاهاits first letter
ألْقِ مِنها حَرْفاً ودَعْ مُبْتَدَاها
ثانياًsecond تَلْقَyou will find مِثْلَهاits like فيamong العشائرthe clans
ثانياً تَلْقَ مِثْلَها في العشائر
Remove a letter from it, and place its first letter
Cast off from it a letter and leave its beginnings
second: you will find its like among the clans.
Next you will find its like among the clans
وإذاand if ماemphatic particle صَحّفْتَyou alter the dots of حَرفَينِtwo letters منهاof it
وإذا ما صَحّفْتَ حَرفَينِ منها
كلُّeach شطْرٍhalf مُضَعَّفاًdoubled اسمُname of طائرa bird
كلُّ شطْرٍ مُضَعَّفاً اسمُ طائر
And if you change the dots of two of its letters,
And if you displace two of its letters
each half, doubled, is the name of a bird.
Every doubled line is a bird's name
Sol 6.1