ما اسمان ما اختلفت يوماً حروفهما

ما اسمان ما اختلفت يوماً حروفهما

والخلف بينهما جمٌّ تناوبه

والخلف بينهما جمٌّ تناوبه

What are two names whose letters have never differed?

Two names never differed in their letters

Yet the contrast between them is great in its alternation.

Yet between them lies a crowd that alternates

هذا عليك يد التذكير تبرزه

هذا عليك يد التذكير تبرزه

وذاك سابغة التأنيث تحجبه

وذاك سابغة التأنيث تحجبه

The hand of masculine gender reveals this one to you,

While the other's femininity conceals it

And feminine gender's full coat of mail conceals that one.

One comes from pure essence, the other mere accident

وذاك من جوهر صافٍ وذا عرضٌ

وذاك من جوهر صافٍ وذا عرضٌ

إن عاش عاش بلا روحٍ تصاحبه

إن عاش عاش بلا روحٍ تصاحبه

And that one is of pure substance, while this one is an accident;

If he lives he lives without a soul accompanying him

If it lives, it lives without a soul accompanying it.

Neither is free if you make them

ما منهما غير حرٍّ إن جعلت له

ما منهما غير حرٍّ إن جعلت له

من شوق قلبي وسيطاً لان جانبه

من شوق قلبي وسيطاً لان جانبه

Neither of them is other than noble; if you appoint for it

Intermediaries for my heart's passion, leaning towards them

A mediator from my heart's longing, its side softens.

He became more famous than a fire on a mountaintop

قد صار أشهر من نارٍ على علمٍ

قد صار أشهر من نارٍ على علمٍ

فاحرص عليه فإن الحرص غالبه

فاحرص عليه فإن الحرص غالبه

It has become more famous than a fire upon a mountain;

So be eager for him, for eagerness overtakes it

So be eager for it, for eagerness overcomes it.