أَيُّها الماهر اللَبيب أَفدْنا

أَيُّها الماهر اللَبيب أَفدْنا

عَن لفيظ مَقلوبه مِنهُ جئنا

عَن لفيظ مَقلوبه مِنهُ جئنا

O skillful, discerning one, enlighten us

O skillful and clever one, help us

About a little word from whose reverse we came.

With the meaning of a word spelled backwards from which we came

وَهُوَ بِالمدّ في لِسان فرنجٍ

وَهُوَ بِالمدّ في لِسان فرنجٍ

اسمُ شيء إِن فارق الجسم متنا

اسمُ شيء إِن فارق الجسم متنا

And with vowel lengthening, in the Franks' tongue, it is

And which in the Frankish tongue is pronounced long

The name of something: if it leaves the body, we die.

It's the name of something - if it leaves the body we die

وَلَديهم إِن حرّفوه اسمُ شيءٍ

وَلَديهم إِن حرّفوه اسمُ شيءٍ

جاءَ في النحل ثالثاً وَفهمنا

جاءَ في النحل ثالثاً وَفهمنا

And among them, if they alter it, it names something

And if they add a letter it becomes the name of something

That occurs third in al-Nahl—and we have understood.

That comes third in bees and we understood

وَإِذا ما حذفت الأَخير فحرف

وَإِذا ما حذفت الأَخير فحرف

ما أَتى في كَلام قَومي لِمَعنى

ما أَتى في كَلام قَومي لِمَعنى

And if you remove the last letter, it becomes a letter

And if you remove the last letter, it remains a letter

That has not been used to convey meaning in my people's speech.

That came in my people's speech with a meaning

وَهوَ أَصل لَدى أُناسٍ بَسيطٌ

وَهوَ أَصل لَدى أُناسٍ بَسيطٌ

وَلَدى أَهله الثقات مُثنَّى

وَلَدى أَهله الثقات مُثنَّى

And to some people it is a simple element,

And it is for some people a simple origin

But to its trustworthy experts, it is twofold.

And for its people, the trusted ones, it is dual

وَهوَ في الأَرض وَالسَماء مُقيمٌ

وَهوَ في الأَرض وَالسَماء مُقيمٌ

باتفاق الوَرى كَما قَد علمنا

باتفاق الوَرى كَما قَد علمنا

And it dwells on earth and in heaven,

It dwells fixedly in the earth and sky

By everyone's agreement, as we have learned.

By consensus of mankind, as we have known

وَبِهِ أَهلك الإِله عِباداً

وَبِهِ أَهلك الإِله عِباداً

تَخذوا غَيره ملاذاً وحصنا

تَخذوا غَيره ملاذاً وحصنا

And with it God destroyed servants

And by it God destroyed servants

Who took another than Him as a refuge and a fortress.

Who took other than Him as refuge and shelter

وَهوَ لِلناس نافعٌ وَمضرٌّ

وَهوَ لِلناس نافعٌ وَمضرٌّ

بَيد أَنّا نَموت إِن بانَ عَنا

بَيد أَنّا نَموت إِن بانَ عَنا

And it is beneficial and harmful to people,

And it is beneficial and harmful to mankind

Yet we die if it departs from us.

Except we die if it goes from us

وَهوَ كَالريح في أُمورٍ وَإِن شئ

وَهوَ كَالريح في أُمورٍ وَإِن شئ

ت فَذاكَ اللجين إنا كشفنا

ت فَذاكَ اللجين إنا كشفنا

And it is like the wind in some respects; and if you wish—

And it is like the wind in some matters, and if you wish

—then that is silver: indeed, we have revealed it.

That muddy one - behold, we have uncovered it

فَتأمَّل في حله فهوَ سهلٌ

فَتأمَّل في حله فهوَ سهلٌ

لَيسَ يَخفى مَعناه عَمَّن تَأنَّى

لَيسَ يَخفى مَعناه عَمَّن تَأنَّى

So ponder its solution, for it is easy;

So ponder its solution, for it is easy

Its meaning is not hidden from anyone who takes his time.

Its meaning cannot be obscure to one who is patient