فَدَيتكُmay I be your ransom بيّنexplain ليto me عَنِabout اِسمِa name مثلّثٍthree-lettered
فَدَيتكُ بيّن لي عَنِ اِسمِ مثلّثٍ
وَليسَand not تَراهُsees it العينُthe eye إلّاexcept مُربّعاsquare
وَليسَ تَراهُ العينُ إلّا مُربّعا
May I be your ransom—tell me of a three-letter name,
Tell me about the name of a triangle
Which the eye sees only as a square.
Though the eye sees it only as a square
وَأوّلand the first شيءٍof 'thing' (shayʾ) فيهِin it آخرُهits last يرىis seen
وَأوّل شيءٍ فيهِ آخرُه يرى
إِذاwhen لاحَit appears للإِنسانِto a person كبّرhe says 'God is greatest' أَربعاfour times
إِذا لاحَ للإِنسانِ كبّر أَربعا
In it, the first letter of shayʾ ('thing') is seen as its last.
The first thing in it, its last is seen
When it appears to someone, he says 'God is greatest' four times.
When it appears, man says four times great
يُرىis seen بِالنهارِby day وهوَand it is بالأرضِon the earth قائمٌstanding
يُرى بِالنهارِ وهوَ بالأرضِ قائمٌ
وَفيand in الليلِthe night يَبدوit appears فيin السّماthe sky مُتربّعاsitting cross-legged
وَفي الليلِ يَبدو في السّما مُتربّعا
By day it is seen standing on the earth,
Seen in day, standing on the ground
And at night it appears in the sky, sitting cross-legged.
At night in the sky, a square does it make
Sol 6.1