وما أنثى بها رَعيُ الرعايا

وما أنثى بها رَعيُ الرعايا

وإمضاءُ المنايا والقضايا

وإمضاءُ المنايا والقضايا

And what female is it through whom subjects are tended,

She, whose pasturing nourishes all folk,

and death's decrees and judgments are carried out?

And decrees man's final days, his providence and fate,

وتقصدها بنوها من رضاع

وتقصدها بنوها من رضاع

إذا انبعثوا لإبرامِ القضايَا

إذا انبعثوا لإبرامِ القضايَا

And her sons by suckling seek her out

Her sons seek her for suckling when they come

when they set out to settle cases.

To resolve affairs and determine each man's state,

لها اسمٌ إن أزلت النُّقطَ منه

لها اسمٌ إن أزلت النُّقطَ منه

فعذ بالله من شرِّ البلايا

فعذ بالله من شرِّ البلايا

She has a name: if you remove the dots from it,

Her name - omit the dots and, God forbid,

then seek refuge in God from the evil of calamities.

You invoke the banes of ill destiny!

وإن أبدلتَ آخره بهمزٍ

وإن أبدلتَ آخره بهمزٍ

فقد أبرأتَ نازلَةَ الشكايا

فقد أبرأتَ نازلَةَ الشكايا

And if you replace its last letter with a hamza,

Change the last letter into a hamza,

then you have cured the affliction of ailments.

And you have cured the cause of all adversity.

وإن بَدّلتَ أوّله بنونٍ

وإن بَدّلتَ أوّله بنونٍ

أتيت ببعض أرزاقِ المطايا

أتيت ببعض أرزاقِ المطايا

And if you replace its first letter with a nūn,

But change the first letter into a noon,

you have brought some fodder for riding beasts.

And you have found a source of steeds and cavalry.

فأوضح ما رمزناه بفكرٍ

فأوضح ما رمزناه بفكرٍ

سديد القصدِ مُبدٍ للخفايا

سديد القصدِ مُبدٍ للخفايا

So explain what we have encoded, with thought

So unveil the meaning hidden in our verse

sound in its aim, revealing hidden things.

With insight focused on its core, displaying the obscure!