بَصُرتُI noticed بِشَيبَةٍa gray hair وَخَطَتstreaked نَصيليmy hair
بَصُرتُ بِشَيبَةٍ وَخَطَت نَصيلي
فَقُلتُso I said لَهُto it تَأَهَّبprepare لِلرَحيلِfor departure
فَقُلتُ لَهُ تَأَهَّب لِلرَحيلِ
A gray hair opened my eyes as it streaked my forelock;
I noticed a gray hair streaking my locks;
then I told it, “Prepare for departure.”
So I said to it: Make ready for departure.
وَلاand let not يَهُنِseem trivial القَليلُthe little عَلَيكَto you مِنهاof it
وَلا يَهُنِ القَليلُ عَلَيكَ مِنها
فَماfor there is no فيin الشَيبِgray hair وَيحَكَwoe to you مِنany قَليلِlittle thing
فَما في الشَيبِ وَيحَكَ مِن قَليلِ
Do not deem even a little of it insignificant:
And let not a little of it seem trivial to you;
in gray hair—alas for you—nothing is slight.
For nothing in gray hair—woe to you!—is little.
وَكَمand how often قَدindeed أَبصَرَتhave seen عَيناكَyour two eyes مُزناًrain clouds
وَكَم قَد أَبصَرَت عَيناكَ مُزناً
أَصابَكَreached you طَلُّهاtheir drizzle قَبلَbefore الهُمولِthe downpour
أَصابَكَ طَلُّها قَبلَ الهُمولِ
How many a raincloud your eyes have seen,
And how often your eyes have seen rain clouds
its drizzle reaching you before the downpour.
Whose drizzle reached you before the downpour.
وَكَمand how often عايَنتَyou have seen خَيطَthe thread of الصُبحِdawn يَجلوdispels
وَكَم عايَنتَ خَيطَ الصُبحِ يَجلو
سَوادَthe blackness of اللَيلِthe night كَالسَيفِlike a sword الصَقيلِpolished
سَوادَ اللَيلِ كَالسَيفِ الصَقيلِ
How often you have watched the thread of dawn clear
And how often you have seen dawn's thread dispel
the night’s blackness like a polished sword.
The blackness of night, like a polished sword.
وَلاand do not تَحقِرthink little بِنُذرِof the warnings of الشَيبِgray hair وَاِعلَمand know
وَلا تَحقِر بِنُذرِ الشَيبِ وَاِعلَم
بِأَنَّthat القَطرَraindrops يَبعَثُbrings on بِالسُيولِtorrents
بِأَنَّ القَطرَ يَبعَثُ بِالسُيولِ
Do not belittle gray hair’s warnings, and know
And do not belittle gray hair's warnings; know
that raindrops can unleash floods.
That raindrops bring on torrents.
فَكَمfor how many مِمَّنof those who مَفارِقُهُhis hair-partings ثَغامٌthagham (a whitish plant)
فَكَم مِمَّن مَفارِقُهُ ثَغامٌ
وَأَنجُمُهُand his stars عَلىon فَلَكِthe sphere of الأُفولِsetting
وَأَنجُمُهُ عَلى فَلَكِ الأُفولِ
How many a man, his temples white as thagham,
For many a man whose hair-partings are white thagham
his stars wheeling in the sphere of setting,
And whose stars are in the sphere of setting
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 بِمَفلولِwith a nicked blade كَليلِblunt
وَمِن عَضبٍ بِمَفلولِ كَليلِ
has traded a cubit-long stride for a mere span,
Has traded a cubit's stride for a finger-span,
and a keen blade for one blunted and dull.
And a keen sword for one nicked and blunt.
فَكَيفَhow then بِمِثلِهِwith one like him لِمَهاةِfor a female oryx رَملٍsand
فَكَيفَ بِمِثلِهِ لِمَهاةِ رَملٍ
كَأَنَّas though وِصالَهاunion with her نَومُthe sleep of العَليلِthe ailing man
كَأَنَّ وِصالَها نَومُ العَليلِ
How could a man like him suit a gazelle of the sands,
How, then, could one like him woo an oryx of the sands?
when union with her is like a sick man’s sleep?
Union with her is like the sleep of the ailing.
تَطَلُّبُseeking غَيرِother than ماwhat فيin الطَبعِone's nature صَعبٌdifficult
تَطَلُّبُ غَيرِ ما في الطَبعِ صَعبٌ
عَلَيكَfor you فَدَعso abandon طِلابَthe pursuit of المُستَحيلِthe impossible
عَلَيكَ فَدَع طِلابَ المُستَحيلِ
Seeking what lies outside nature is hard
Seeking what lies outside one's nature is hard
for you—so abandon pursuit of the impossible.
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 لُزومَهُstaying at it سَبَبُthe means of الدُخولِentry
فَإِنَّ لُزومَهُ سَبَبُ الدُخولِ
Keep knocking at the Lord’s door, tirelessly;
And keep knocking at the Lord's door unceasingly,
for persistence there is the means of entry.
For staying at it is the means of entry.
فَماfor there is no مِنany مُخلِصٍsincerely devoted person لِلَّهِto God إِلّاexcept
فَما مِن مُخلِصٍ لِلَّهِ إِلّا
عَلىupon أَعمالِهِhis deeds أَثَرُa mark of القُبولِacceptance
عَلى أَعمالِهِ أَثَرُ القُبولِ
There is no one sincere to God but that
For no one sincerely devoted to God is without
his deeds bear the mark of acceptance.
The mark of acceptance upon his deeds.
Sol 6.1