أَرِقتُI lay sleepless عَلىover الصِباyouth لِطُلوعِbecause of the rising of نَجمٍa star
أَرِقتُ عَلى الصِبا لِطُلوعِ نَجمٍ
أُسَمّيهِI call it مُسامَحَةًindulgently مَشيباgraying
أُسَمّيهِ مُسامَحَةً مَشيبا
I lay sleepless over youth at the rising of a star
I lost sleep over youth for a star's rising
which, indulgently, I call gray hair.
I call it growing old though still a lad
كَفانيwas enough for me رُزءَloss نَفسٍa soul أَنthat تَبَدّىit appeared
كَفاني رُزءَ نَفسٍ أَن تَبَدّى
وَأَعظَمُand greater مِنهُthan it رُزءاًin loss أَنthat يَغيباit should vanish
وَأَعظَمُ مِنهُ رُزءاً أَن يَغيبا
Its appearing was loss enough for my soul;
It was enough vexation for my soul when it appeared
yet its vanishing would be a greater loss still.
And greater vexation when it goes away
وَلَولاand were it not أَنthat يَشُقُّit is distressing عَلىto الغَوانيbeautiful women
وَلَولا أَن يَشُقُّ عَلى الغَواني
لَلاقَيتُI would have met الفَتاةَthe maiden بِهِwith it خَضيباdyed
لَلاقَيتُ الفَتاةَ بِهِ خَضيبا
And were it not distressing to beautiful women,
And were it not that parting was hard on the lovesick
I would have met the maiden, my hair dyed with it.
I would have met the damsel with it turning grey
فَلَمthen not أَعدَمI lacked هُناكَthere بِهِthrough it شَفيعاًan intercessor
فَلَم أَعدَم هُناكَ بِهِ شَفيعاً
إِلىtoward أَمَلٍa hope وَلَمand not أَبرَحI ceased to be حَبيباbeloved
إِلى أَمَلٍ وَلَم أَبرَح حَبيبا
Then, through it, I would have lacked no intercessor there
So I did not lack a mediator there with it
to attain my hope, and would have remained beloved.
To a hope though I did not stop loving
غَريبَةُa lone stranger شَيبِgray hair فَودٍtemple hair إِنif تَراخَتis prolonged
غَريبَةُ شَيبِ فَودٍ إِن تَراخَت
حَياتيmy life آلَwill become أَسوَدُهُits black hair غَريباa stranger
حَياتي آلَ أَسوَدُهُ غَريبا
A lone gray stranger at my temple—if prolonged
Strange is the greying of a beloved's hair if it spares you
is my life, its black will become a stranger.
My life went and its blackness turned all grey
شَنِئتُI loathed بِمُجتَلاهاat the sight of it النورَblossoms حَتّىuntil
شَنِئتُ بِمُجتَلاها النورَ حَتّى
شَنِئتُI loathed بِمُجتَلىat the sight of النورِthe blossoms القَضيباthe branch
شَنِئتُ بِمُجتَلى النورِ القَضيبا
The sight of it made me loathe blossoms, until
I disliked, due to its lights, brightness until
the sight of blossoms made me loathe the branch.
I disliked the shine of brightness, the striking one
وَعِفتُand I shunned كَراهَةًout of aversion لِلشَيءِto the thing شَيئاًanother thing
وَعِفتُ كَراهَةً لِلشَيءِ شَيئاً
يَكونُis لَهُto it شَبيهاًsimilar أَوor نَسيباakin
يَكونُ لَهُ شَبيهاً أَو نَسيبا
And from hatred of one thing I shunned another
And I shunned, out of hatred for a thing, a thing
that resembles it or is its kin.
That would have a like or relation
وَأَيَّةُand what شَيبَةٍgray hair إِلّاbut نَذيرٌa warning
وَأَيَّةُ شَيبَةٍ إِلّا نَذيرٌ
وَهَلand can there be طَرَبٌdelight وَقَدand already مَثَلَتit has stood forth خَطيباas a preacher
وَهَل طَرَبٌ وَقَد مَثَلَت خَطيبا
And what gray hair is anything but a warning?
And which greying hair except a warner?
And can there be delight, when it has stood forth as a preacher?
And which rapture when examples have turned orators?
وَبُؤتُand I was burdened بِحَملِهاwith bearing it مِنfrom غَيرِother than خَطبٍa calamity
وَبُؤتُ بِحَملِها مِن غَيرِ خَطبٍ
كَأَنّيas though I قَدalready حَمَلتُI carried بِهاwith it عَسيباMount ʿAsīb
كَأَنّي قَد حَمَلتُ بِها عَسيبا
And I bore its burden without a calamity,
And I was laden with its load without being asked in marriage
as though, with it, I had borne Mount ʿAsīb.
As though I was made to carry it all helpless
وَمِلتُand I turned aside مَعَwith الشَبابِyouth عَنِfrom التَصابيyouthful dalliance
وَمِلتُ مَعَ الشَبابِ عَنِ التَصابي
وَكَيفَand how بِهِwith it وَقَدand already طَلَعَتit had risen رَقيباas a watcher
وَكَيفَ بِهِ وَقَد طَلَعَت رَقيبا
And, still young, I turned away from youthful dalliance;
And I grew weary of youthful pursuit
and how could I indulge in it, when gray hair had risen as a watcher?
And how so when it emerged a watcher?
وَقُلتُand I said الشَيبُgray hair لِلفِتيانِfor young men شَينٌa blemish
وَقُلتُ الشَيبُ لِلفِتيانِ شَينٌ
كَفىis enough for الأَحداثَthe young شَيناًas a blemish أَنto تَشيباgrow gray
كَفى الأَحداثَ شَيناً أَن تَشيبا
And I said: gray hair is a blemish on young men;
And I said to the lads, grey hair is disgrace
it is blemish enough for youths to grow gray.
Enough for callow youth to turn grey in disgrace
فَلاso do not تَطمَحreach إِلىtoward فَوديmy temple hair غُلاماًas a boy
فَلا تَطمَح إِلى فَودي غُلاماً
غَريراًnaive أَوor اِغشِنيvisit me كَهلاًas a mature man أَريباwise
غَريراً أَو اِغشِني كَهلاً أَريبا
So do not reach for my temple while I am a boy,
So do not aspire to my cheeks, o lad
still naive—or visit me when I am mature and wise.
Innocent, or deceive me, o decrepit wary one
فَأَحسَنُfor lovelier مِنthan حَمامِdoves الشَيبِgray hair عِنديto me
فَأَحسَنُ مِن حَمامِ الشَيبِ عِندي
غُرابُa crow شَبيبَةٍyouth أَلِفَis accustomed to النَعيباcawing
غُرابُ شَبيبَةٍ أَلِفَ النَعيبا
For, to me, lovelier than the doves of gray hair
For better than the dove of grey hair to me
is youth's crow, accustomed to cawing.
Is a raven of youth used to warbling
يَطيبُis fragrant بِنَفسِهِof itself عِندَamong الغَوانيbeautiful women
يَطيبُ بِنَفسِهِ عِندَ الغَواني
فَيَغنىso it has no need عَنof فَتيتِpowdered المِسكِmusk طيباfor fragrance
فَيَغنى عَن فَتيتِ المِسكِ طيبا
It is fragrant of itself to beautiful women,
It scents itself among the lovesick
so needs no powdered musk for fragrance.
And so dispenses with the musk scent of perfume
وَتَرعىand watches مِنهُfrom it عَينُthe eye الظَبيِthe gazelle شُهباًbright stars
وَتَرعى مِنهُ عَينُ الظَبيِ شُهباً
لَهاbelonging to it فَيُسالِفُso it becomes kin by marriage to الظَبيَthe gazelle الرَبيباhand-reared
لَها فَيُسالِفُ الظَبيَ الرَبيبا
And the gazelle's eye watches bright stars within it
And the gazelle's eye feeds on its grey hair
that are its own; thus it becomes kin by marriage to the hand-reared gazelle.
To which it talks amorously, the gazelle its darling
وَبَينَand between العَينِthe eye وَالشَعرِand the hair اِشتِباكٌan intertwining
وَبَينَ العَينِ وَالشَعرِ اِشتِباكٌ
كَريمٌnoble يَقتَضيimplies نَسَباًkinship قَريباclose
كَريمٌ يَقتَضي نَسَباً قَريبا
And between the eye and the hair is an intertwining,
And between the eye and the hair there is an intimacy
a noble one that bespeaks close kinship.
Precious that calls for kinship and nearness
Sol 6.1