أَبيrefused القَلبُthe heart إِلّاexcept أُمَّUmm (mother of) عَوفٍʿAwf وَحُبَّهاand love for her
أَبي القَلبُ إِلّا أُمَّ عَوفٍ وَحُبَّها
عَجوزاًan old woman وَمَنand whoever يَحبِبloves عَجوزاًan old woman يُفَنَّدِis deemed foolish
عَجوزاً وَمَن يَحبِب عَجوزاً يُفَنَّدِ
The heart would have none but Umm ʿAwf and the love of her,
The heart refused all but Umm ʿAwf and love for her,
though she is old—and whoever loves an old woman is deemed a fool.
An old woman—and whoever loves an old woman is deemed foolish.
كَسَحقِlike a worn piece of اليَمانيYemeni cloth قَدalready تَقادَمَhas grown old عَهدُهُits age
كَسَحقِ اليَماني قَد تَقادَمَ عَهدُهُ
وَجِدَّتُهُand its freshness ماwhatever شِئتَyou wish فيto العَينِthe eye واليَدِand the hand
وَجِدَّتُهُ ما شِئتَ في العَينِ واليَدِ
Like a worn Yemeni cloth whose age is long past,
Like a threadbare Yemeni garment, long grown old,
yet whose freshness is all one could wish for, to eye and hand.
Yet its freshness is all you could wish, to the eye and hand.
Sol 6.1