وما اسمٌ سما في دَورِهِ حينما أَتَى

وما اسمٌ سما في دَورِهِ حينما أَتَى

بفعلٍ هُوَ اسمٌ أَوَّل الخلقِ كُلِّه

بفعلٍ هُوَ اسمٌ أَوَّل الخلقِ كُلِّه

And what name rose high in its turn, when it came

No name ever rose to fame in its time

with a verb—a name for the first of all creation?

When it performed an act that is a name, the first of all creation,

فتعريفُهُ تنكيرُهُ ثُمَّ جمعُهُ

فتعريفُهُ تنكيرُهُ ثُمَّ جمعُهُ

كمفردهِ ما صَحَّ جمعٌ لشَملِ

كمفردهِ ما صَحَّ جمعٌ لشَملِ

Its definite form is its indefinite form; then its plural

Its definition, its indefiniteness, then its plural form,

is like its singular—no gathering together is possible.

Like its singular, no plural fits for inclusiveness,

اذا ما جعلتَ الصَدرَ عَجزاً رأَيتَهُ

اذا ما جعلتَ الصَدرَ عَجزاً رأَيتَهُ

ليومك حَرفاً طِبقَ حرفٍ كمثلِهِ

ليومك حَرفاً طِبقَ حرفٍ كمثلِهِ

If you make its beginning its end, you will see it

If you make the introduction the conclusion, you find it

for your day, letter matching letter, just like its counterpart.

For your day a letter that matches a letter like it.