ليسdoes not تُغنيavail شهادةُthe testimony of الشَّعرthe hair الأسblack (first fragment)
ليس تُغني شهادةُ الشَّعر الأس
ودِblack (final fragment) شيئاًanything إذاwhen اسْتشنَّhas shriveled الأديمُthe skin
ودِ شيئاً إذا اسْتشنَّ الأديمُ
The testimony of black hair cannot avail
The testimony of black hair avails
at all, when the skin itself is called as witness.
nothing when the skin has shriveled.
أفَيرْجوdoes he then hope? مُسوِّدٌone who dyes his hair black أنْthat يُزَكَّىbe deemed trustworthy
أفَيرْجو مُسوِّدٌ أنْ يُزَكَّى
شاهدُthe witness of الخِطرِkhitr, a hair-dye plant أينwhere ضلَّhas strayed الحليمُthe sensible man
شاهدُ الخِطرِ أين ضلَّ الحليمُ
Does one who blackens his hair hope to be vouched for
Does one who blackens his hair hope to win credence
by the witness of his swagger? Where has the man of sense gone?
for the witness of khitr dye? Where has the sensible man strayed?
لاno لعمريby my life ماnot للخضابfor hair dye لذيto one endowed with الأبْsight (first fragment)
لا لعمري ما للخضاب لذي الأبْ
صارِsight (final fragment) إلاexcept التكذيبُdeclaring false والتأثيمُand imputing sin
صارِ إلا التكذيبُ والتأثيمُ
No, by my life: to discerning eyes, hair dye has
No, by my life! To those with sight, hair dye deserves
only discredit and condemnation.
nothing but charges of falsehood and sin.
يَدَّعيit claims للْكبيرِfor the old man شرخَthe prime of شبابٍyouth
يَدَّعي للْكبيرِ شرخَ شبابٍ
قدalready تولَّىhas gone away بهwith it الزمانُtime البهيمُpitch-dark
قد تولَّى به الزمانُ البهيمُ
It claims for the old man the very bloom of youth,
It claims for the old man the prime of youth,
though dark Time has carried that youth away.
which dark time has already carried away.
والسوادُand blackness المخضوبُdyed أوجبُmore deserving of تكذيdisbelief (first fragment)
والسوادُ المخضوبُ أوجبُ تكذي
باًdisbelief (final fragment) إذاif كُذِّبَis disbelieved السوادُblackness الصَّميمُgenuine
باً إذا كُذِّبَ السوادُ الصَّميمُ
And dyed blackness is all the more deserving of disbelief
And dyed blackness is still more deserving of disbelief
when true blackness itself gives it the lie.
if even genuine blackness is disbelieved.
Sol 6.1