بَصُرتُI saw بِشَيبَةٍa gray hair وَخَطَتhad streaked نَصيليmy beard
بَصُرتُ بِشَيبَةٍ وَخَطَت نَصيلي
فَقُلتُso I said لَهُto it تَأَهَّبprepare yourself لِلرَحيلِfor departure
فَقُلتُ لَهُ تَأَهَّب لِلرَحيلِ
I saw a gray hair that had streaked my beard,
So I said to it: prepare for departure.
وَلاand let not يَهُنِseem insignificant القَليلُa little عَلَيكَto you مِنهاof it
وَلا يَهُنِ القَليلُ عَلَيكَ مِنها
فَماfor there is not فيin الشَيبِgray hair وَيحَكَalas for you مِنany قَليلِtrifle
فَما في الشَيبِ وَيحَكَ مِن قَليلِ
And let not a little of it seem trivial to you,
For nothing in gray hair—alas for you!—is trivial.
وَكَمand how often قَدindeed أَبصَرَتhave seen عَيناكَyour two eyes مُزناًrain clouds
وَكَم قَد أَبصَرَت عَيناكَ مُزناً
أَصابَكَfell upon you طَلُّهاtheir drizzle قَبلَbefore الهُمولِthe downpour
أَصابَكَ طَلُّها قَبلَ الهُمولِ
And how often have your eyes seen rain clouds
Whose drizzle touched you before the downpour!
وَكَمand how often عايَنتَyou beheld خَيطَthe thread of الصُبحِdawn يَجلوdispelling
وَكَم عايَنتَ خَيطَ الصُبحِ يَجلو
سَوادَthe blackness of اللَيلِnight كَالسَيفِlike a sword الصَقيلِpolished
سَوادَ اللَيلِ كَالسَيفِ الصَقيلِ
And how often have you seen dawn's thread dispel
The blackness of night, like a polished sword!
وَلاand do not تَحقِرscorn بِنُذرِthe warnings of الشَيبِgray hair وَاِعلَمand know
وَلا تَحقِر بِنُذرِ الشَيبِ وَاِعلَم
بِأَنَّthat القَطرَraindrops يَبعَثُbring forth بِالسُيولِtorrents
بِأَنَّ القَطرَ يَبعَثُ بِالسُيولِ
And do not scorn gray hair's warnings, and know
That raindrops set torrents flowing.
فَكَمfor how many مِمَّنof those who مَفارِقُهُhis hair-partings ثَغامٌwhite thagham grass
فَكَم مِمَّن مَفارِقُهُ ثَغامٌ
وَأَنجُمُهُand his stars عَلىon فَلَكِthe orbit of الأُفولِsetting
وَأَنجُمُهُ عَلى فَلَكِ الأُفولِ
For many a man whose parted hair is white as thagham grass,
And whose stars are on their setting course,
تَعَوَّضَhas taken in exchange مِنin place of ذِراعِa cubit of الخَطوِstride فِتراًa thumb-to-index span
تَعَوَّضَ مِن ذِراعِ الخَطوِ فِتراً
وَمِنand in place of عَضبٍa keen sword بِمَفلولِa notched blade كَليلِblunt
وَمِن عَضبٍ بِمَفلولِ كَليلِ
Has traded a cubit's stride for a short span,
And a keen sword for one notched and blunt.
فَكَيفَso how بِمِثلِهِwith one like him لِمَهاةِfor a female oryx of رَملٍsand
فَكَيفَ بِمِثلِهِ لِمَهاةِ رَملٍ
كَأَنَّas though وِصالَهاunion with her نَومُthe sleep of العَليلِa sick man
كَأَنَّ وِصالَها نَومُ العَليلِ
How, then, can his like be fit for an oryx of the sands,
Whose embrace is like a sick man's sleep?
تَطَلُّبُseeking غَيرِother than ماwhat فيis in الطَبعِone's nature صَعبٌis difficult
تَطَلُّبُ غَيرِ ما في الطَبعِ صَعبٌ
عَلَيكَfor you فَدَعso abandon طِلابَthe pursuit of المُستَحيلِthe impossible
عَلَيكَ فَدَع طِلابَ المُستَحيلِ
Seeking what is not in one's nature is hard
For you; so abandon the pursuit of the impossible.
وَلازِمand persist in قَرعَknocking at بابِthe door of الرَبِّthe Lord دَأباًunceasingly
وَلازِم قَرعَ بابِ الرَبِّ دَأباً
فَإِنَّfor indeed لُزومَهُpersisting at it سَبَبُthe means of الدُخولِentry
فَإِنَّ لُزومَهُ سَبَبُ الدُخولِ
And keep knocking at the Lord's door unceasingly,
For persisting at it is the means of entry.
فَماfor there is not مِنany مُخلِصٍa sincerely devoted person لِلَّهِto God إِلّاexcept
فَما مِن مُخلِصٍ لِلَّهِ إِلّا
عَلىupon أَعمالِهِhis deeds أَثَرُthe mark of القُبولِacceptance
عَلى أَعمالِهِ أَثَرُ القُبولِ
For no one is sincerely devoted to God without
The mark of acceptance upon his deeds.
Sol 6.1