لَوif أَنَّthat بَكراًBakr بَراهُfashioned him اللَّهُGod راحِلَةًa riding camel
لَو أَنَّ بَكراً بَراهُ اللَّهُ راحِلَةً
لَكانَthen would have been يَشكُرُYashkur مِنهاof it مَوضِعَthe place of الذَّنبِthe tail
لَكانَ يَشكُرُ مِنها مَوضِعَ الذَّنبِ
If God had fashioned Bakr as a riding camel,
If Bakr's she-camel was blessed by Allah,
Yashkur would have occupied the place of its tail.
He would thank the place of its tail for that.
لَيسواthey are not إِلَيهِof him وَلَكِنand yet يَعلقونَthey cling بِهِto him
لَيسوا إِلَيهِ وَلَكِن يَعلقونَ بِهِ
كَماjust as تَعَلَّقclung راقيthe climber of النَّخلthe date palms بِالكَرَبِto the frond bases
كَما تَعَلَّق راقي النَّخل بِالكَرَبِ
They are not of him, yet they cling to him,
They do not belong to him, but they hang on him,
As a date-palm climber clings to the frond bases.
As the palm climber hangs on to the dried frond.