ماwhat اِسمٌname إِذاwhen قَطَّعوهُthey cut it up كانَbecomes أَربَعَةًfour
ما اِسمٌ إِذا قَطَّعوهُ كانَ أَربَعَةً
وَعَدُّهُand its count سِتَّةٌsix مَعروفَةُknown السَبَبِthe reason
وَعَدُّهُ سِتَّةٌ مَعروفَةُ السَبَبِ
What name, when they cut it up, becomes four,
And its count is six, for a well-known reason?
نِصفٌa half ثَلاثَةُthree أَرباعٍquarters يَكونُis لَهُfor it
نِصفٌ ثَلاثَةُ أَرباعٍ يَكونُ لَهُ
وَنِصفُهُand its half ربعهُits quarter هذاthis مِنَamong العَجَبِwonders
وَنِصفُهُ ربعهُ هذا مِنَ العَجَبِ
It has a half that amounts to three quarters,
And its half is its quarter—this is a wonder.
وَحَرفُand the letter ثانيهِits second مَعجومٌdotted بِواحِدَةٍwith one dot
وَحَرفُ ثانيهِ مَعجومٌ بِواحِدَةٍ
وَعجمand the dotting آخِرِهِof its last letter ثنتانِtwo dots فيin الكُتُبِbooks
وَعجم آخِرِهِ ثنتانِ في الكُتُبِ
Its second letter is marked with a single dot,
And its last bears two dots in books.
وَلِاِسمِهِand for its name نَسَبٌlineage لَوif كَنتَyou were تَعرِفُهُyou know it
وَلِاِسمِهِ نَسَبٌ لَو كَنتَ تَعرِفُهُ
ماnot إِنemphatic particle يَؤولُtraces back إِلىto عُجمٍnon-Arabs وَلاnor عرَبِArabs
ما إِن يَؤولُ إِلى عُجمٍ وَلا عرَبِ
And its name has a lineage, if you but knew it,
Which traces back neither to non-Arabs nor to Arabs.
هذاthis اِسمُthe name ذيof one with غُنُجٍcoquetry ماnot إِنemphatic particle يُفَسِّرُهُexplains it
هذا اِسمُ ذي غُنُجٍ ما إِن يُفَسِّرُهُ
إِلّاexcept اِمرُؤٌa man بارِعٌaccomplished فيin العِلمِlearning وَالأَدَبِand letters
إِلّا اِمرُؤٌ بارِعٌ في العِلمِ وَالأَدَبِ
This is the name of a coquettish one; none can explain it
Except a man accomplished in learning and letters.
Sol 6.1