لماwhen تعذرproved impossible أنto أكوI be (continued in the next line)
لما تعذر أن أكو
نcompletes ‘I be’ from the preceding line معwith الجميعeveryone مدىthroughout الزمانtime
ن مع الجميع مدى الزمان
When it proved impossible for me to be
When I could not be
with everyone for all time,
With everyone for all time
أبقيتI left behind منof ذاتيmyself مشاunclear fragment; probably مثا, beginning ‘a likeness’
أبقيت من ذاتي مشا
لاcompletes the preceding word, probably ‘a likeness’ قائلاsaying هذاthis فلانso-and-so
لا قائلا هذا فلان
I left behind a [likeness?] of myself,
I made myself an example
saying, “This is so-and-so:
Saying this is so-and-so
خدمserved الصحافةthe press مرشداas a guide
خدم الصحافة مرشدا
وكفىand suffices العيانseeing firsthand عنin place of البيانexplanation
وكفى العيان عن البيان
he served the press as a guide.”
Who served journalism as a guide
And seeing suffices in place of explanation.
And reality sufficed over rhetoric
Sol 6.1