الشَيبُgray hair نَبَّهَawakened ذاthe possessor of النُهىreason فَتَنَبَّهاso he took heed
الشَيبُ نَبَّهَ ذا النُهى فَتَنَبَّها
وَنَهىand admonished الجُهولَthe fool فَماbut he did not اِستَفاقَcome to his senses وَلاnor اِنتَهىdesist
وَنَهى الجُهولَ فَما اِستَفاقَ وَلا اِنتَهى
Gray hair awakened the man of reason, and he took heed.
It admonished the fool, but he neither came to his senses nor desisted.
بَلrather زادَincreased نَفسيmy soul رَغبَةًin desire فَتَهافَتَتso it rushed headlong
بَل زادَ نَفسي رَغبَةً فَتَهافَتَت
تَبغيseeking اللُهىlargesse وَكَأَنand as though بِهاwith it بَينَbetween اللَهاthe uvulas
تَبغي اللُهى وَكَأَن بِها بَينَ اللَها
Rather, it increased my soul's desire, and it rushed headlong,
seeking largesse, as though it were already within the throat.
فَإِلىso until مَتىwhen أَلهوshall I dally وَأَفرَحُand rejoice بِالمُنىin wishes
فَإِلى مَتى أَلهو وَأَفرَحُ بِالمُنى
وَالشَيخُand the old man أَقبَحُugliest ماever يَكونُhe is إِذاwhen لَهاhe dallies
وَالشَيخُ أَقبَحُ ما يَكونُ إِذا لَها
How long shall I dally and rejoice in wishes?
An old man is at his ugliest when he dallies.
ماnot حُسنُهُhis beauty إِلّاexcept التُقىpiety لاnot أَنthat يُرىhe be seen
ما حُسنُهُ إِلّا التُقى لا أَن يُرى
صَبّاًlovesick بِأَلحاظِwith the glances of الجَآذِرِyoung antelopes وَالمَهاand oryxes
صَبّاً بِأَلحاظِ الجَآذِرِ وَالمَها
His only beauty is piety, not to be seen
lovesick for the glances of young antelopes and oryxes.
أَنّيhow يُقاتِلُhe fights وَهُوَwhile he is مَفلولُblunted الظُباin sword-edges
أَنّي يُقاتِلُ وَهُوَ مَفلولُ الظُبا
كابيstumbling الجَوادِin steed إِذاwhen اِستَقَلَّhe rises تَأَوَّهاhe groans
كابي الجَوادِ إِذا اِستَقَلَّ تَأَوَّها
How can he fight, with his sword-edges blunted,
his steed stumbling, groaning whenever he rises?
مَحَقَeffaced الزَمانُtime هِلالَهُhis crescent فَكَأَنَّماso it is as though
مَحَقَ الزَمانُ هِلالَهُ فَكَأَنَّما
أَبقىit left لَهُfor him مِنهُof it عَلىto قَدرِthe measure of السُهاal-Suhā
أَبقى لَهُ مِنهُ عَلى قَدرِ السُها
Time has effaced his crescent, as though
it had left him of it only the size of al-Suhā.
فَغَداso he became حَسيراًspent يَشتَهيhe longs أَنto يَشتَهيfeel desire
فَغَدا حَسيراً يَشتَهي أَن يَشتَهي
وَلَكَمand how often جَرىhe ran طَلقَat full gallop الجَموحِof an unbridled horse كَماas اِشتَهىhe wished
وَلَكَم جَرى طَلقَ الجَموحِ كَما اِشتَهى
So he has become spent, longing to feel desire.
And how often he galloped like an unbridled horse, just as he wished!
إِنif أَنَّgroaned أَوّاهٌa devout man وَأَجهَشَand burst فيinto البُكاweeping
إِن أَنَّ أَوّاهٌ وَأَجهَشَ في البُكا
لِذُنوبِهِfor his sins ضَحِكَlaughed الظَلومُthe wrongdoer وَقَهقَهاand guffawed
لِذُنوبِهِ ضَحِكَ الظَلومُ وَقَهقَها
If a devout man groans and bursts into tears
for his sins, the wrongdoer laughs and guffaws.
لَيسَnot تُنَهنِهُهُrestrain him العَظاتُadmonitions وَمِثلُهُand one like him
لَيسَ تُنَهنِهُهُ العَظاتُ وَمِثلُهُ
فيat سِنِّهِhis age قَدalready آنَthe time has come أَنto يَتَنَهنَهاrestrain himself
في سِنِّهِ قَد آنَ أَن يَتَنَهنَها
Admonitions do not restrain him, though for one like him
at his age, the time has come to restrain himself.
فَقَدَhe lost اللَداتِhis age-mates وَزادَand increased غَيّاًin waywardness بَعدَهُمafter them
فَقَدَ اللَداتِ وَزادَ غَيّاً بَعدَهُم
هَلّاwhy did he not تَيَقَّظَawaken بَعدَهُمafter them وَتَنَبَّهاand take heed
هَلّا تَيَقَّظَ بَعدَهُم وَتَنَبَّها
He has lost his age-mates and grown more wayward after them.
Why did he not awaken after them and take heed?
ياO وَيحَهُalas for him ماwhat بالُهُhis condition لاnot يَنتَهيhe desists
يا وَيحَهُ ما بالُهُ لا يَنتَهي
عَنfrom غَيِّهِhis waywardness وَالعُمرُwhile the lifespan مِنهُof him قَدalready اِنتَهىhas ended
عَن غَيِّهِ وَالعُمرُ مِنهُ قَد اِنتَهى
Alas for him! What ails him, that he will not desist
from his waywardness, when his life has reached its end?
قَدindeed كانَwas مِنamong شِيَميmy traits الدَهاcunning فَتَرَكتُهُso I abandoned it
قَد كانَ مِن شِيَمي الدَها فَتَرَكتُهُ
عِلماًknowing بِأَنَّof the fact that مِنَpart of الدَهاcunning تَركُis abandoning الدَهاcunning
عِلماً بِأَنَّ مِنَ الدَها تَركُ الدَها
Cunning was once among my traits, but I gave it up,
knowing that abandoning cunning is itself a form of cunning.
وَلَوand if أَنَّنيthat I أَرضىaccepted الدَناءَةَbaseness خُطَّةًas a way of life
وَلَو أَنَّني أَرضى الدَناءَةَ خُطَّةً
لَوَدَدتُthen I would wish أَنّيthat I كُنتُwere أَحمَقَfoolish أَبلَهاa simpleton
لَوَدَدتُ أَنّي كُنتُ أَحمَقَ أَبلَها
And if I accepted baseness as my way of life,
I would wish that I were a foolish simpleton.
فَلَقَدfor indeed رَأَيتُI have seen البُلهَthe fools قَدalready بَلَغواthey reached المَدىthe furthest limit
فَلَقَد رَأَيتُ البُلهَ قَد بَلَغوا المَدى
وَتَجاوَزوهُand surpassed it وَاِزدَرَواand scoffed بِأُوليat those endowed with النُهىreason
وَتَجاوَزوهُ وَاِزدَرَوا بِأُولي النُهى
For I have seen fools reach the furthest limit,
and surpass it, scorning those possessed of reason.
مَنwhoever لَيسَdoes not يَسعىstrive فيfor الخَلاصِdeliverance لِنَفسِهِfor his own soul
مَن لَيسَ يَسعى في الخَلاصِ لِنَفسِهِ
كانَتwas سِعايَتُهُhis striving عَلَيهاagainst it لاnot لَهاfor it
كانَت سِعايَتُهُ عَلَيها لا لَها
Whoever does not strive for his own deliverance—
his striving is against his soul, not for it.
إِنَّindeed الذُنوبَsins بِتَوبَةٍthrough repentance تُمحىare erased كَماjust as
إِنَّ الذُنوبَ بِتَوبَةٍ تُمحى كَما
يَمحوerases سُجودُprostration السَهوِfor forgetfulness غَفلَةَthe lapse of مَنone who سَهاforgot
يَمحو سُجودُ السَهوِ غَفلَةَ مَن سَها
Indeed, sins are erased by repentance, just as
the prostration for forgetfulness erases the lapse of one who forgot.
Sol 6.1