عَليَّincumbent upon me نَحتُchiseling القَوافيthe rhymes حينَwhen أَنظِمُهاI compose them
عَليَّ نَحتُ القَوافي حينَ أَنظِمُها
مِنin حيثُa way that يَفهَمُهاunderstands them الإِنسانُthe human being والبشرُand humankind
مِن حيثُ يَفهَمُها الإِنسانُ والبشرُ
I must chisel the rhymes when I compose them,
When I compose rhymes, it's up to me
in a way that man and humankind understand them.
To make them comprehensible to humanity,
وَلَيسَand it is not يَلزَمُنيobligatory for me تَفهيمهاmaking them understood بَقراًcattle
وَلَيسَ يَلزَمُني تَفهيمها بَقراً
وَماand what عَليَّupon me إِذاif لَمnot تَفهَمِunderstand البَقَرُthe cattle
وَما عَليَّ إِذا لَم تَفهَمِ البَقَرُ
Nor am I obliged to make cattle understand them;
I needn't explain them to cattle unnecessarily -
and what is it to me if the cattle do not understand?
No blame falls on me if cows don't understand poetry.
Sol 6.1