وَما اسمٌ خُماسيٌّ إِذا ما فَكَكتَه

وَما اسمٌ خُماسيٌّ إِذا ما فَكَكتَه

يَصيرُ لَنا فِعلينِ أَمراً وَماضيا

يَصيرُ لَنا فِعلينِ أَمراً وَماضيا

What five-letter word is it that, when you split it,

What is a five-letter name which if unscrambled

becomes for us two verbs—an imperative and a past tense—

Becomes two verbs, one imperative and one past

بِعَكس وَهوَ كُلّ وَجزء جَمعه

بِعَكس وَهوَ كُلّ وَجزء جَمعه

بإبدالِ عَين حازَ فيهِ التَناهيا

بإبدالِ عَين حازَ فيهِ التَناهيا

in reverse? It is a whole and a part; its plural,

Conversely, it is both whole and parts brought together

by replacing an ʿayn, has attained the utmost therein.

By swapping the letter that reached its end

وَمَع كَونِهِ فَرداً وَجَمعاً فَأولٌ

وَمَع كَونِهِ فَرداً وَجَمعاً فَأولٌ

وَآخرهُ أَضحى لشخص مُعادِيا

وَآخرهُ أَضحى لشخص مُعادِيا

And though it is both singular and plural, its beginning

And with it being singular and plural, its first

and its end have become hostile to someone.

And its last has become hostile to a person

وَفي عَكسِهِ صَوتٌ فَتبنيه صيغةً

وَفي عَكسِهِ صَوتٌ فَتبنيه صيغةً

وَتَبني بِمَعناه وَما أَنتَ بانيا

وَتَبني بِمَعناه وَما أَنتَ بانيا

In its reverse is a sound, whose form you make indeclinable,

And in its reverse is a sound, so build it into a form

and you build through its meaning, though you are no builder.

And build with its meaning, though you are no builder

فَكَم فيهِ مِن مَعنى خفي وَإِنَّما

فَكَم فيهِ مِن مَعنى خفي وَإِنَّما

عنيت بذكري لِلّذي لَيسَ خافيا

عنيت بذكري لِلّذي لَيسَ خافيا

How many hidden meanings it holds! Yet I have only

So much hidden meaning is in it, but rather

taken care to mention what is not hidden.

I meant by my mention the one not hidden