تَرَكتَyou left إِجابَةَanswering كُتبيmy letters إِلَيكَto you
تَرَكتَ إِجابَةَ كُتبي إِلَيكَ
لَحَقٌindeed a truth تَشَبَّهَbecame similar بِالباطِلِto falsehood
لَحَقٌ تَشَبَّهَ بِالباطِلِ
You have left my letters to you unanswered—
You left unanswered my letters to you
A truth, indeed, that took on the likeness of falsehood.
A right that resembled falsehood
لِأَنّيbecause I سَأَلتُكَI asked you رَدَّreturning الجَوابِthe answer
لِأَنّي سَأَلتُكَ رَدَّ الجَوابِ
وَلاand not تَعرِفُyou know الرَدَّrefusal لِلسائِلِfor the supplicant
وَلا تَعرِفُ الرَدَّ لِلسائِلِ
For I asked you to return an answer,
Because I asked you for a reply
And you do not know how to turn a supplicant away.
Yet you know not how to respond to one who asks