راعfrightened المهاthe gazelles شيبيmy grey hair وفيهand in it أمانُهاtheir safety
راع المها شيبي وفيه أمانُها
مِنْfrom أنْthat تصيدَhunt down رميَّهنَّthe quarry among them سِهاميmy arrows
مِنْ أنْ تصيدَ رميَّهنَّ سِهامي
My grey hair frightened the gazelles, though in it lies their safety
The shepherd of love has grown old, yet faithfulness still dwells in him
from my arrows catching any of them as prey.
Lest his arrows should hunt them, though they provoked me
وعققْنَنيand they slighted me لمّاwhen ادَّعيْنَthey claimed عُمومَتيmy being their paternal uncle
وعققْنَني لمّا ادَّعيْنَ عُمومَتي
ومنand from النساءِwomen معقَّةُmistreatment الأعمامِpaternal uncles
ومن النساءِ معقَّةُ الأعمامِ
And they slighted me when they claimed I was their uncle,
And they accused me of claiming their kinship
and from women comes mistreatment of uncles.
Yet the most steadfast of kinsmen are women
غُضّيhold back الملامةthe reproach قدalready كفاكhas spared you ملامتيreproaching me
غُضّي الملامة قد كفاك ملامتي
ضيفٌa guest ثوىsettled عنديwith me بدارin an abode مُقامِlasting residence
ضيفٌ ثوى عندي بدار مُقامِ
Hold back your reproach; you have already been spared reproaching me
I have excused you enough, so cease blaming me
by a guest who has settled with me in a permanent abode.
A guest once lodged in my abode and long did stay
سقطfell البواكرُthe morning showers والروائحُand the evening showers خِلْفةًin succession
سقط البواكرُ والروائحُ خِلْفةً
أيامَdays when لمnot استسقِI sought rain للأيامِfor the days
أيامَ لم استسقِ للأيامِ
Morning and evening showers fell in succession,
The first fruits are gone, and perfumes lost
in days when I sought no rain for the days—
Days when I sought no rain for days
أيامَdays when أجنيI gather العيشَlife حُلوَsweet ثمارهِits fruits
أيامَ أجني العيشَ حُلوَ ثمارهِ
فيin ظلthe shade of حالكةِintensely dark السوادِblackness سُخامِsoft, fine hair
في ظل حالكةِ السوادِ سُخامِ
days when I gathered life's sweet fruits
Days when I plucked the sweet fruits of life
in the shade of soft, jet-black tresses.
In the shade of my dark, thick-haired beloved
أذْرىscattered غبارَthe dust of الشيبِgrey hair فوقover مفارقيmy hair's partings
أذْرى غبارَ الشيبِ فوق مفارقي
ركضُthe galloping of السنينthe years الراكضاتgalloping أماميahead of me
ركضُ السنين الراكضات أمامي
The dust of grey hair was scattered over my hair's partings
I see the dust of age upon my temples
by the galloping of the years galloping ahead of me.
As the racing years race on before me
وأراهand I see it عمَّمنيput a turban on me وعمَّمand put a turban on زوجتيmy wife
وأراه عمَّمني وعمَّم زوجتي
واخْتَصَّنيand singled me out منfrom دونِهاother than her بلِثامِwith a face-veil
واخْتَصَّني من دونِها بلِثامِ
And I see it has put a turban on me, and on my wife,
And it has whitened me and my wife
and singled me out, not her, for a face-veil.
Yet distinguished me from her with a turban
Sol 6.1