وما اسمٌ يعمُّ الحَزنَ والسَهلَ طَردُهُ

وما اسمٌ يعمُّ الحَزنَ والسَهلَ طَردُهُ

وفي قلبهِ قد ساغَ اكلُ البهائِمِ

وفي قلبهِ قد ساغَ اكلُ البهائِمِ

And what name, read forward, encompasses rugged and level ground?

And no name can dispel grief and banish it from the plains,

And in reverse, it is fit for beasts to eat.

Though in his heart he finds the eating of beasts palatable,

وتصحيفُهُ مَثوىً وبِكرٌ مصونةٌ

وتصحيفُهُ مَثوىً وبِكرٌ مصونةٌ

وأَوراقُهُ تستيرُ عورة آدمِ

وأَوراقُهُ تستيرُ عورة آدمِ

And with its dots changed, it is a dwelling and a guarded maiden.

And his misspelling is a protected refuge and an untouched maiden,

And its leaves cover Adam’s nakedness.

And his pages conceal the nakedness of man,

وظرفُ مكانٍ والبغيض لأَنَّهُ

وظرفُ مكانٍ والبغيض لأَنَّهُ

سجيَّتُهُ التفريقُ ضربةُ لازمِ

سجيَّتُهُ التفريقُ ضربةُ لازمِ

And an adverb of place, and something hateful, because

And circumstance of place, though odious because

Its nature is separation—an unavoidable blow.

His nature is separation, a binding blow.