1. With pens I trace a line of verse
That's counted as a string of pearls, precise, dispersed.
١. أُنَمْنِمُ بِالأَقْلاَمِ خَطَّاً مُحَبَّرَا
فَيُحْسَبُ فِي القِرْطَاسِ دُرّاً مُفَصَّلاَ
2. I'm not absolved, though powerless,
Not everyone who wields a sword can polish or impress.
٢. وَلَسْتُ بِبَرَّاءٍ لَهَا غَيْرَ عَاجِزٍ
وَمَا كُلُّ مِنْ بِالسَّيْفِ يَضْرِبُ صَيْقَلاَ