أَبعَيدَafter? الشّبابِyouth هَوىpassion وَصِباand youthful folly
أَبعَيدَ الشّبابِ هَوى وَصِبا
كلاno indeed لاno لَهوَamusement ولاand no لَعِباplay
كلا لا لَهوَ ولا لَعِبا
After youth—still passion and youthful folly?
Was it far from youth he fell in love and grew infatuated?
No indeed—no amusement and no play.
Nay, no more frolicking or playing for him.
ذَرتِscattered السِّتونَsixty بُرادَتَهاits filings
ذَرتِ السِّتونَ بُرادَتَها
فِيin مِسكِmusk عِذارَكِyour cheek hair فاشتَهَبَاso it turned gray
فِي مِسكِ عِذارَكِ فاشتَهَبَا
Sixty has scattered its filings
The winters shed their cold
In the musk of your cheek hair, turning it gray.
In the musk of your excuse, so it caught fire.
ياO نفسُsoul أحيَيlive on تَصِلِيyou will attain أمَلاًa hope
يا نفسُ أحيَي تَصِلِي أمَلاً
عيشيlive رَجَباًRajab تَرَيyou will see عَجَباa marvel
عيشي رَجَباً تَرَي عَجَبا
O soul, live on, and you will fulfill a hope.
O soul, revive your prayers and hopes!
Live to Rajab, and you will see a marvel.
Live a springtime and you will witness wonders.
فَخُذَنso do begin فِيin شُكرِgiving thanks الكَبرَةِold age مَاwhenever
فَخُذَن فِي شُكرِ الكَبرَةِ مَا
جاءَcomes الإِصباحُdawn وَمَاand whenever ذَهَبَاit departs
جاءَ الإِصباحُ وَمَا ذَهَبَا
So begin giving thanks for old age whenever
So take in gratitude to old age what
Dawn comes and whenever it departs.
Morning brought and evening took away.
فِيهاin it أحرَزتَyou gained مَعَارِفَknowledge مَاthat which
فِيها أحرَزتَ مَعَارِفَ مَا
أبلَيتَyou wore out لِجِدّتِهِfor its freshness الحِقَباages
أبلَيتَ لِجِدّتِهِ الحِقَبا
In it you gained knowledge of that
In it you gained knowledge of what
For whose freshness you wore out ages.
You paid with your lifetimes to acquire.
وَالخمرُand wine إِذاwhen عُتِّقَتit is aged وَصَفَتand becomes clear
وَالخمرُ إِذا عُتِّقَت وَصَفَت
أغلَىdearer ثمَناًin price مِنهَاthan it عِنَبَاas grapes
أغلَى ثمَناً مِنهَا عِنَبَا
And wine, when aged and clear,
Wine, when aged and described,
Is dearer in price than it was as grapes.
Costs more than grapes for drinking.
وَبَقيّةُand the remainder عُمرِlife المَرءِa man لَهُfor him
وَبَقيّةُ عُمرِ المَرءِ لَهُ
إِنif كانَhe is بِهاin it طَبَّاًskilled دَرِباpracticed
إِن كانَ بِها طَبَّاً دَرِبا
And the remainder of a man's life is his,
What remains of a man's life, for him
If he is skilled and practiced in it:
Is blessed if therein is a known path.
يَبنِيhe builds فِيهَاin it بإِنَابَتِهِthrough his repentance
يَبنِي فِيهَا بإِنَابَتِهِ
ماwhat هَدَّمَهُhe demolished it أيامَin the days of صِباyouth
ما هَدَّمَهُ أيامَ صِبا
He rebuilds in it through his repentance
He builds in it through his penance
What he tore down in the days of youth.
What his days of youth destroyed.
وَيُنَبّهُand he awakens عَينَthe eye of تُقىًpiety هَجَعَتit slept
وَيُنَبّهُ عَينَ تُقىً هَجَعَت
وَيُعمِّرُand he restores بيتa house of حِجىًreason خرِباruined
وَيُعمِّرُ بيت حِجىً خرِبا
And awakens the eye of piety that slept,
And awakens an eye piety put to sleep
And restores a ruined house of reason.
And restores a collapsed sanctuary.
ويُحَبُرand he embellishes فيهاin it الشِّعرَverse علىin
ويُحَبُر فيها الشِّعرَ على
وَزنٍa meter هَزجيُدعَىlilting, called الخَبَباal-Khabab
وَزنٍ هَزجيُدعَى الخَبَبا
And therein he crafts fine verse in
And in it poetry flows in
A lilting meter called al-Khabab,
A rhythm called obscure by the rabble,
وَحشٍdesolate فيamong العُربِthe Arabs مَنازِلُهُits dwellings
وَحشٍ في العُربِ مَنازِلُهُ
مَجهولِunknown الأصلِorigin إذاwhen نُسِباits lineage is traced
مَجهولِ الأصلِ إذا نُسِبا
Whose dwellings among the Arabs are desolate,
With dwellings among the Arabs for one
Of unknown origin when its lineage is traced;
Of unknown origin if he claims ancestry,
سَهلِeasy التَّقطِيعِmetrical scansion وَلَكِنbut لَمdid not
سَهلِ التَّقطِيعِ وَلَكِن لَم
يُنطقmake speak بَارِيكَyour Maker بِهِin it العَرَباthe Arabs
يُنطق بَارِيكَ بِهِ العَرَبا
Easy to scan, yet never
Easy of versification but which
Did your Maker cause the Arabs to speak in it.
The Arabs were not inspired by its Creator to speak,
نَكِرَتهُthey found it alien فَلَمso did not يَضرِبdrive in وَتِداًa tent-peg
نَكِرَتهُ فَلَم يَضرِب وَتِداً
فِيin الحَيِّthe tribal camp وَلَمand did not يَمدُدstretch سبَبَاa cord
فِي الحَيِّ وَلَم يَمدُد سبَبَا
They found it alien, so it drove no tent-peg
Its strangeness so it laid no peg
In the tribal camp, and stretched no cord.
In encampments nor stretched a cord.
Sol 6.1