وَهَذي ثَماني جارِحاتٍ عَدَدتُها

وَهَذي ثَماني جارِحاتٍ عَدَدتُها

تُؤَنَّثُ أَحياناً وَحيناً تُذَكَّرُ

تُؤَنَّثُ أَحياناً وَحيناً تُذَكَّرُ

And these are eight body parts I have counted,

These are eight body parts I have counted

Sometimes treated as feminine, and sometimes as masculine:

Made feminine at times and masculine at others

لِسانُ الفَتى وَالعُنقُ وَالإِبطُ وَالقَفا

لِسانُ الفَتى وَالعُنقُ وَالإِبطُ وَالقَفا

وَعاتِقُهُ وَالمَتنُ وَالضِرسُ يُذكَرُ

وَعاتِقُهُ وَالمَتنُ وَالضِرسُ يُذكَرُ

A young man's tongue, the neck, the armpit, and the nape,

A young man's tongue, neck, armpit and skull

And his shoulder, the back, and the molar are mentioned.

His nape, spine, and molars are masculine

وَعِندَ ذِراعِ المَرءِ تَمَّ حِسابُها

وَعِندَ ذِراعِ المَرءِ تَمَّ حِسابُها

فَأَنِّث وَذَكِّر أَنتَ في ذا مُخَيَّرُ

فَأَنِّث وَذَكِّر أَنتَ في ذا مُخَيَّرُ

And with a person's arm, their tally is complete.

When you reach the arm, the count is complete

So use feminine or masculine; in this you have a choice.

So feminize or masculinize as you wish

كَذا كُلُّ نَحوِيٍّ حَكى في كِتابِهِ

كَذا كُلُّ نَحوِيٍّ حَكى في كِتابِهِ

سِوى سيبَوَيهِ فَهوَ عَنهُم مُؤَخَّرُ

سِوى سيبَوَيهِ فَهوَ عَنهُم مُؤَخَّرُ

Thus every grammarian has reported in his book,

Thus every grammarian has written in his book

Except Sibawayh, who is placed behind the others:

Except Sibawayh, who lags behind them

يَرى أَنَّ تَأنيثَ الذِراعِ هُوَ الَّذي

يَرى أَنَّ تَأنيثَ الذِراعِ هُوَ الَّذي

أَتى وَيَرى التَذكيرَ في ذاكَ مُنكَرُ

أَتى وَيَرى التَذكيرَ في ذاكَ مُنكَرُ

He holds that treating the arm as feminine is what

He sees feminizing the arm as correct

Has been attested, and regards masculine usage there as unacceptable.

And finds masculinizing it unacceptable