سيقواthey were driven إليكto you فلوso if سُقتyou drove قلوبُهُمُtheir hearts
سيقوا إليك فلو سُقت قلوبُهُمُ
لاwould سودblacken ظنُّكyour opinion منfrom إفراطthe excess ماwhat سترواthey concealed
لا سود ظنُّك من إفراط ما ستروا
They were driven to you; had you driven their hearts,
Even if their hearts are brought to you, do not think ill of them for hiding too much,
Your opinion would have blackened at the excess of what they concealed.
For they intend to please you with a single utterance,
يرومُstrives اخطبهُمtheir most eloquent speaker تأليفَto compose واحدةa single one
يرومُ اخطبهُم تأليفَ واحدة
كأنّماas though بينbetween فكّيthe two jaws of نُطقِهِhis speech حجرُa stone
كأنّما بين فكّي نُطقِهِ حجرُ
Their most eloquent speaker strives to compose a single utterance,
As if between my jaws were a stone when I speak.
As though a stone lay between the jaws of his speech.
Partial English translation: 3 of 4 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1