سَألْنَاwe asked رَبيعَthe spring ألْعامِof the year للِعاَمِfor the year رَحْمَةًmercy
سَألْنَا رَبيعَ ألْعامِ للِعاَمِ رَحْمَةً
فَضَنّso it was miserly وَلَمْand did not يَسْمَحْgrant بِذَرّةِwith a speck of إنْعَامِbounty
فَضَنّ وَلَمْ يَسْمَحْ بِذَرّةِ إنْعَامِ
We asked the year's spring to show the year mercy;
We asked the spring rain for mercy upon the year,
but it was miserly and would not grant a speck of bounty.
But it was miserly and did not bestow a drop of rain.
وَقْلناand we said وَقَدْand indeed رَدّit turned away اَلْوُجُوهَthe faces وَلَمْand did not يُبَلْcare
وَقْلنا وَقَدْ رَدّ اَلْوُجُوهَ وَلَمْ يُبَلْ
قَليلُscant in الْحَياَrain (a pun on shame) وَاَللّهِby God أصْبَحْتَyou have become مِنsince عَامِa year
قَليلُ الْحَياَ وَاَللّهِ أصْبَحْتَ مِن عَامِ
And we said, when it turned faces away without a care:
And we said, now that it has turned away the faces and did not moisten,
“By God, since last year you have grown short of rain—and shame!”
Little life remains, by Allah you have become less than a year.
Sol 6.1