1. إذا كانَ فِعلُ المرءِ في الناس سالماً

    أَتى سالماً في كل ما يتصرَّفُ

    If a person’s deed among people is sound,

    It comes forth sound in every turn it takes.

  2. وإن كان معتلاً يجيءُ نظيرَهُ

    تصاريفُ فِعلٍ ما لهُ عنهُ مَصرِفُ

    But if it is defective, there comes its counterpart:

    The turnings of a deed from which there is no escape.

  3. وتُحذَفُ واوٌ في المِثالِ مُضارِعاً

    ولكن بماضي فعلهِ ليسَ تُحذَفُ

    A wāw is dropped from an assimilated verb in the imperfect tense,

    But in the past tense of one’s deed, it is never dropped.