أَيُّهاO الماهرthe skillful one اللَبيبthe discerning one أَفدْناenlighten us
أَيُّها الماهر اللَبيب أَفدْنا
عَنabout لفيظa little word مَقلوبهits reversed form مِنهُfrom it جئناwe came
عَن لفيظ مَقلوبه مِنهُ جئنا
O skillful, discerning one, enlighten us
O skillful and clever one, help us
About a little word from whose reverse we came.
With the meaning of a word spelled backwards from which we came
وَهُوَand it بِالمدّwith vowel lengthening فيin لِسانthe language of فرنجٍthe Franks
وَهُوَ بِالمدّ في لِسان فرنجٍ
اسمُthe name of شيءsomething إِنif فارقleaves الجسمthe body متناwe die
اسمُ شيء إِن فارق الجسم متنا
And with vowel lengthening, in the Franks' tongue, it is
And which in the Frankish tongue is pronounced long
The name of something: if it leaves the body, we die.
It's the name of something - if it leaves the body we die
وَلَديهمand among them إِنif حرّفوهthey alter it اسمُthe name of شيءٍsomething
وَلَديهم إِن حرّفوه اسمُ شيءٍ
جاءَoccurs فيin النحلal-Nahl ثالثاًthird وَفهمناand we understood
جاءَ في النحل ثالثاً وَفهمنا
And among them, if they alter it, it names something
And if they add a letter it becomes the name of something
That occurs third in al-Nahl—and we have understood.
That comes third in bees and we understood
وَإِذاand if ماan emphatic particle حذفتyou remove الأَخيرthe last letter فحرفthen a letter
وَإِذا ما حذفت الأَخير فحرف
ماnot أَتىhas appeared فيin كَلامthe speech of قَوميmy people لِمَعنىto convey meaning
ما أَتى في كَلام قَومي لِمَعنى
And if you remove the last letter, it becomes a letter
And if you remove the last letter, it remains a letter
That has not been used to convey meaning in my people's speech.
That came in my people's speech with a meaning
وَهوَand it أَصلan element لَدىin the view of أُناسٍsome people بَسيطٌsimple; uncompounded
وَهوَ أَصل لَدى أُناسٍ بَسيطٌ
وَلَدىand in the view of أَهلهits experts الثقاتthe trustworthy مُثنَّىtwofold
وَلَدى أَهله الثقات مُثنَّى
And to some people it is a simple element,
And it is for some people a simple origin
But to its trustworthy experts, it is twofold.
And for its people, the trusted ones, it is dual
وَهوَand it فيon الأَرضthe earth وَالسَماءand heaven مُقيمٌdwelling
وَهوَ في الأَرض وَالسَماء مُقيمٌ
باتفاقby the agreement of الوَرىhumankind كَماas قَدindeed علمناwe have learned
باتفاق الوَرى كَما قَد علمنا
And it dwells on earth and in heaven,
It dwells fixedly in the earth and sky
By everyone's agreement, as we have learned.
By consensus of mankind, as we have known
وَبِهِand with it أَهلكdestroyed الإِلهGod عِباداًservants
وَبِهِ أَهلك الإِله عِباداً
تَخذواthey took غَيرهother than Him ملاذاًa refuge وحصناand a fortress
تَخذوا غَيره ملاذاً وحصنا
And with it God destroyed servants
And by it God destroyed servants
Who took another than Him as a refuge and a fortress.
Who took other than Him as refuge and shelter
وَهوَand it لِلناسfor people نافعٌbeneficial وَمضرٌّand harmful
وَهوَ لِلناس نافعٌ وَمضرٌّ
بَيدyet أَنّاthat we نَموتwe die إِنif بانَdeparts عَناfrom us
بَيد أَنّا نَموت إِن بانَ عَنا
And it is beneficial and harmful to people,
And it is beneficial and harmful to mankind
Yet we die if it departs from us.
Except we die if it goes from us
وَهوَand it كَالريحlike the wind فيin أُمورٍsome respects وَإِنand if شئwish (verb stem)
وَهوَ كَالريح في أُمورٍ وَإِن شئ
تyou (verb suffix) فَذاكَthen that اللجينsilver إناindeed we كشفناwe have revealed
ت فَذاكَ اللجين إنا كشفنا
And it is like the wind in some respects; and if you wish—
And it is like the wind in some matters, and if you wish
—then that is silver: indeed, we have revealed it.
That muddy one - behold, we have uncovered it
فَتأمَّلso ponder فيover حلهits solution فهوَfor it is سهلٌeasy
فَتأمَّل في حله فهوَ سهلٌ
لَيسَis not يَخفىhidden مَعناهits meaning عَمَّنfrom anyone who تَأنَّىtakes his time
لَيسَ يَخفى مَعناه عَمَّن تَأنَّى
So ponder its solution, for it is easy;
So ponder its solution, for it is easy
Its meaning is not hidden from anyone who takes his time.
Its meaning cannot be obscure to one who is patient
Sol 6.1