قدindeed قلتI said للعذَّالِto the reproachers عندduring تَتَبُّعيmy seeking out
قد قلت للعذَّالِ عند تَتَبُّعي
بالقصِّby clipping شيباًgray hair كلَّevery يومday يَحدثُappears
بالقصِّ شيباً كلَّ يوم يَحدثُ
I have told my reproachers, while seeking out
I said to the blamer as he traced my greying hair each day:
each day's new gray hairs to clip away:
The wicked plants grow more, so the good ones are pruned,
كثرgrew plentiful الخبيثُthe bad منamong النباتthe vegetation فهُذِّبتْso were pruned
كثر الخبيثُ من النبات فهُذِّبتْ
منهfrom it الأَطايبُthe good ones وهيand they بعدُlater ستَخبُثُwill turn bad
منه الأَطايبُ وهي بعدُ ستَخبُثُ
Foul growth became abundant; thus were pruned
But later the good ones too will turn wicked.
the good shoots from it; they too will later turn foul.
Though I pretend I'm not going grey,
وإخالand I think أنِّيthat I am للخضابto hair dye محالفٌan ally
وإخال أنِّي للخضاب محالفٌ
وَهُوَand it is المحالفthe ally لاno محالَةَescape ينكثُbreaks its pledge
وَهُوَ المحالف لا محالَةَ ينكثُ
And I think I am allied with hair dye,
Pretence will inevitably end in betrayal.
yet this ally will inevitably break its pledge.
Time toys with my hair,
أضحىhas become الزمانُtime بلمتيwith my locks مُتَعَبِّثاًtoying
أضحى الزمانُ بلمتي مُتَعَبِّثاً
وأمامَand before أحداثِcalamities الزمانtime تَعَبُّثُmischief
وأمامَ أحداثِ الزمان تَعَبُّثُ
Time now toys with my locks,
And before the caprices of time I'm helpless.
and before time's calamities comes its mischief.
When I was blamed for greying,
ولماand not كُرِثْتُI was distressed لأنbecause شَيْبيَmy gray hair شائعٌwidespread
ولما كُرِثْتُ لأن شَيْبيَ شائعٌ
لكنَّbut ماwhat يَجْنِيit inflicts ويُعقِبُand brings in its wake يُكْرِثُcauses distress
لكنَّ ما يَجْنِي ويُعقِبُ يُكْرِثُ
It is not the spread of my gray hair that has distressed me,
I thought: what comes will come more.
but what it inflicts and brings in its wake causes distress.
Now in life I wander and settle,
أصبحتُI have become فيin الدنياthe world أروحI go in the evening وأغتديand I go in the morning
أصبحتُ في الدنيا أروح وأغتدي
وإخالنيand I think myself فيon غَيْرother than أرضيmy land أحرثُI plow
وإخالني في غَيْر أرضي أحرثُ
Now in this world I go out, evening and morning,
Thinking I'm in an alien land I plough.
and think I am plowing land that is not my own.
Yet with grey has come a sweet life.
ولقدand indeed تطيبُbecomes pleasant معwith المشيبgray hair معيشةٌlife
ولقد تطيبُ مع المشيب معيشةٌ
ويكونand there is منfrom بعدafter الخُفُوفِhastening تلبُّثُlingering
ويكون من بعد الخُفُوفِ تلبُّثُ
And life may indeed be sweet with gray hair,
After hardship comes ease.
and after hastening, there can be lingering.
Partial English translation: 13 of 14 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1