إنindeed اسمthe name of منthe one whom سمّتهnamed him أجفانُهhis eyelids
إن اسم من سمّته أجفانُه
ببعضby some of ماwhat فيهاin them منof الوصفthe qualities
ببعض ما فيها من الوصف
Indeed, the name of the one his eyelids named
The name of the one whose eyelids
By one of the qualities they possess
Described him with some attributes
ليسis not بخافٍhidden عنfrom أخيone endowed with فطنةdiscernment
ليس بخافٍ عن أخي فطنة
وهلand is there لبدرِfor the full moon التمّfullness مِنany مُخْفِone who conceals
وهل لبدرِ التمّ مِن مُخْفِ
Is not hidden from one with discernment;
Is not hidden from my astute brother
And can anyone conceal the full moon?
Does the full moon need to be obscured?
يضافis applied للشيطانto the devil دأباhabitually وإنand if
يضاف للشيطان دأبا وإن
أضِيفis applied للحظto the glance وللطّرفand to the eye
أضِيف للحظ وللطّرف
It is habitually applied to the devil; and if
The devil's persistence may be attributed
Applied to the glance and the eye,
To fortune and charm
يظهرappears فيin تصحيفهits dot-altered spelling نعتهhis epithet
يظهر في تصحيفه نعته
بلاwithout مماراةdispute ولاnor خلفdisagreement
بلا مماراة ولا خلف
His epithet appears in its dot-altered form,
His misspelling reveals his description
Without dispute or disagreement.
Without rivalry or alternative
حتىuntil إذاwhen نكَّستهyou reverse it نَكْسَthe reversal of منone who
حتى إذا نكَّسته نَكْسَ من
يُبْدِلexchanges مِنهof it الحرفone letter بالحرفِfor another letter
يُبْدِل مِنه الحرف بالحرفِ
Then, when you reverse it as does one
Until his name is reversed like one
Who exchanges its letters, one for another,
Who changes letter for letter
كانit becomes كترخيمlike shortening اسمthe name of منone whom سيّرتْwere circulated
كان كترخيم اسم من سيّرتْ
بِهِabout him لناfor us الأمثالthe proverbs فيin السُّخفfoolishness
بِهِ لنا الأمثال في السُّخف
It becomes like the shortened name of one about whom
It becomes like the tent of one whose
Proverbs of foolishness have circulated among us.
Folly has provided us with proverbs
حاجيتكمI pose you a riddle ماwhat هُوَit إنif كنتُمُyou are
حاجيتكم ما هُوَ إن كنتُمُ
عِصابةَa company of الآدابِliterary learning والظَرفِand wit
عِصابةَ الآدابِ والظَرفِ
I pose you a riddle: what is it, if you are
Your riddle, if you are the fellowship
A company of letters and wit?
Of refinement and wit
Sol 6.1