تَكَلَّفَstrained to مَدحُpraise الشَيبِgray hair عِنديin my presence مُعَمِّرٌa long-lived man
تَكَلَّفَ مَدحُ الشَيبِ عِندي مُعَمِّرٌ
وَهَلand would يَمدَحَنَّindeed praise الشَيبَgray hair إِلّاexcept تَكَلُّفاby forcing oneself
وَهَل يَمدَحَنَّ الشَيبَ إِلّا تَكَلُّفا
Maʿmar strained to praise gray hair in my presence—
A long-lived man strained to praise gray hair in my presence,
but can gray hair ever be praised without strain?
and would anyone praise gray hair except by forcing himself?
فَقُلتُso I said اِنظُرَنّيconsider for me أَوَّلاًa beginning مِنهُof it مُؤلِماًpainful
فَقُلتُ اِنظُرَنّي أَوَّلاً مِنهُ مُؤلِماً
لِقَلبِto the heart of فَتىa young man أَوor آخِراًan end مِنهُof it مُتلَفاdestructive
لِقَلبِ فَتى أَو آخِراً مِنهُ مُتلَفا
I said, “Consider me: at first it brings anguish
So I said: consider its beginning for me—painful
to a young man’s heart, and in the end leaves him destroyed.
to a young man's heart—or its end, destructive.
تَصَرَّمَpassed away مِنfrom عُمريmy life ثَلاثونَthirty حُجَّةًyears
تَصَرَّمَ مِن عُمري ثَلاثونَ حُجَّةً
لَبِستُI wore بِهاduring them ثَوبَthe robe of الشَبابِyouth مُطَرِفاornamentally bordered
لَبِستُ بِها ثَوبَ الشَبابِ مُطَرِفا
Thirty years of my life have slipped away;
Thirty years of my life have slipped away,
through them I wore youth’s garment, fresh and fine—
in which I wore the ornamentally bordered robe of youth.
شَبابٌyouth أَطارَdrove away الوَجدَpassion عَنّيfrom me غِيابُهُits absence
شَبابٌ أَطارَ الوَجدَ عَنّي غِيابُهُ
وَصَرفُand the vicissitudes of زَمانٍtime لَمdid not أَجِدI find عَنهُfrom it مَصرِفاan escape
وَصَرفُ زَمانٍ لَم أَجِد عَنهُ مَصرِفا
a youth whose absence has driven passion from me,
Youth—its absence drove passion away from me,
and the turn of time from which I found no escape.
and time's vicissitudes, from which I found no escape.
أَقَمتُI set upright بِهِwith it صَدرَthe breast of السُرورِjoy فَلَمand did not يَزَلcease
أَقَمتُ بِهِ صَدرَ السُرورِ فَلَم يَزَل
بِهِat it الشَيبُgray hair حَتّىuntil رَدَّهُit made it مُتَحَنِّفاbent aside
بِهِ الشَيبُ حَتّى رَدَّهُ مُتَحَنِّفا
With youth I held the breast of joy erect, but gray hair
With it I set joy's breast upright; yet ceaselessly
never ceased its work until it bent that breast double.
gray hair worked on it until it left it bent.
فَطِرso fly بِجَناحِon the wing of اللَهوِpleasure فيin زَمَنِthe time of الصِباyouth
فَطِر بِجَناحِ اللَهوِ في زَمَنِ الصِبا
فَأَخلِقso how apt بِهِit is إِنif شِئتَyou wish أَنto يَتَحَيَّفاdiminish bit by bit
فَأَخلِق بِهِ إِن شِئتَ أَن يَتَحَيَّفا
So fly on pleasure’s wing in the days of youth,
So fly on pleasure's wing in the days of youth,
for that wing, if you will, is all too apt to be clipped.
for how apt time is, if you will, to wear youth away!
تَناوَلَreached وَخطُflecking الشَيبِgray hair أَطرافَthe edges of عارِضيmy cheek-beard
تَناوَلَ وَخطُ الشَيبِ أَطرافَ عارِضي
فَأَصبَحَso it became لَيلاًa night بِالصَباحِwith dawn مُشَنَّفاadorned with an earring
فَأَصبَحَ لَيلاً بِالصَباحِ مُشَنَّفا
The first streaks of gray have reached the edges of my temples,
The flecks of gray hair reached the edges of my beard,
and night now wears the dawn as earrings.
so it became a night adorned with dawn as an earring.
Sol 6.1