كَمhow many يَنظِمُstrings together الدَهرُTime مِنof عِقدٍa necklace وَيَنثُرُهُand scatters it
كَم يَنظِمُ الدَهرُ مِن عِقدٍ وَيَنثُرُهُ
وَلَيسَand yet it is not عِقدُthe necklace ثُرَيّاهُof its Pleiades بِمُنتَثِرِscattered
وَلَيسَ عِقدُ ثُرَيّاهُ بِمُنتَثِرِ
How many necklaces Time strings, then scatters!
Yet the necklace of its Pleiades remains unscattered.
وَطالَand a long time passed وَقتٌa span of time عَلىover ماضٍone who has passed فَغادَرَهُthen left him
وَطالَ وَقتٌ عَلى ماضٍ فَغادَرَهُ
بِلاwithout جِهازٍprovisions وَلاand without أُثرٍa trace وَلاand without أُثُرُa report
بِلا جِهازٍ وَلا أُثرٍ وَلا أُثُرُ
A long time passed over one who had gone, then left him
without provisions, without a trace, without a report.
نَشكوwe complain of نُفوساًsouls إِلَيناtoward us غَيرَnot مُحسَنَةٍkind
نَشكو نُفوساً إِلَينا غَيرَ مُحسَنَةٍ
ماnot إِنat all تَحِنُّdo they feel pity عَلىfor أَقدامِناour feet العُثُرِthat stumble
ما إِن تَحِنُّ عَلى أَقدامِنا العُثُرِ
We complain of souls that show us no kindness;
they feel no pity for our stumbling feet.
Sol 6