فقلso say لوزيرto a minister نَقدُهُhis appraisal لكتابهِof his book
فقل لوزير نَقدُهُ لكتابهِ
بأوراقِهِby its pages وَزناًin weight وعَدِّand counting سطُورِهِits lines
بأوراقِهِ وَزناً وعَدِّ سطُورِهِ
So tell a minister whose appraisal of his book
So tell the minister who criticizes his book
rests on the weight of its pages and the count of its lines:
By its pages, lines, and count of prose
لعلَّperhaps زماناًan age قدalready شكوناwe complained of وزيرَهits minister
لعلَّ زماناً قد شكونا وزيرَه
يُعِيدُbrings back عليناto us اليومَtoday مثلَthe like of وزيرِهِits minister
يُعِيدُ علينا اليومَ مثلَ وزيرِهِ
Perhaps an age whose minister we complained of
Perhaps we once complained of the minister
will restore to us today the like of its minister.
But today he returns the same as his minister
Sol 6.1