الشَيبُgray hair نَبَّهَroused ذاthe possessor of النُهىreason فَتَنَبَّهاso he took heed
الشَيبُ نَبَّهَ ذا النُهى فَتَنَبَّها
وَنَهىand warned الجُهولَthe fool فَماbut did not اِستَفاقَcome to his senses وَلاnor اِنتَهىdesist
وَنَهى الجُهولَ فَما اِستَفاقَ وَلا اِنتَهى
Gray hair awakened the man of understanding, and he took heed;
Gray hair roused the man of reason, and he took heed;
it admonished the ignorant man, but he neither came to his senses nor desisted.
and warned the fool, but he neither came to his senses nor desisted.
بَلrather زادَincreased نَفسيmy soul رَغبَةًdesire فَتَهافَتَتso it rushed headlong
بَل زادَ نَفسي رَغبَةً فَتَهافَتَت
تَبغيit seeks اللُهىgifts وَكَأَنand as though بِهاin it بَينَa parting اللَهاthe uvulas
تَبغي اللُهى وَكَأَن بِها بَينَ اللَها
Rather, it increased my soul’s desire, and she plunged headlong,
Rather, it increased my soul's desire, and it rushed headlong,
seeking amusement, though death seemed lodged between her uvulas.
seeking gifts, as though its throat gaped wide.
فَإِلىthen until مَتىwhen أَلهوI dally وَأَفرَحُand I rejoice بِالمُنىin wishes
فَإِلى مَتى أَلهو وَأَفرَحُ بِالمُنى
وَالشَيخُand the old man أَقبَحُugliest ماwhen يَكونُhe is إِذاwhen لَهاhe dallies
وَالشَيخُ أَقبَحُ ما يَكونُ إِذا لَها
How long, then, shall I play and rejoice in vain hopes,
How long, then, shall I dally and rejoice in wishes?
when gray-haired age is ugliest of all when it plays?
And an old man is at his ugliest when he dallies.
ماnot حُسنُهُhis beauty إِلّاexcept التُقىpiety لاnot أَنto يُرىbe seen
ما حُسنُهُ إِلّا التُقى لا أَن يُرى
صَبّاًenamored بِأَلحاظِwith the glances of الجَآذِرِthe young antelopes وَالمَهاand the oryx
صَبّاً بِأَلحاظِ الجَآذِرِ وَالمَها
Its only beauty is piety—not that it be seen
His only beauty is piety, not to be seen
infatuated with the glances of gazelle-fawns and oryx.
enamored of the glances of young antelopes and oryx.
أَنّيhow? يُقاتِلُhe fights وَهُوَwhile he is مَفلولُblunted الظُباthe blade-edges
أَنّي يُقاتِلُ وَهُوَ مَفلولُ الظُبا
كابيstumbling الجَوادِthe steed إِذاwhen اِستَقَلَّhe rises تَأَوَّهاhe groans
كابي الجَوادِ إِذا اِستَقَلَّ تَأَوَّها
How can he fight when the edges of his blades are blunted,
How can he fight when his blade-edges are blunted,
like a flagging steed that groans when it tries to rise?
his steed stumbles, and he groans whenever he rises?
مَحَقَeffaced الزَمانُtime هِلالَهُhis crescent فَكَأَنَّماso it is as though
مَحَقَ الزَمانُ هِلالَهُ فَكَأَنَّما
أَبقىleft لَهُfor him مِنهُof it عَلىat قَدرِthe size of السُهاSuhā (a faint star)
أَبقى لَهُ مِنهُ عَلى قَدرِ السُها
Time has effaced his crescent until it seems
Time has effaced his crescent, as though
to have left him of it only as much as the faint star Suhā.
it left him only a remnant the size of Suhā.
فَغَداso he became حَسيراًexhausted يَشتَهيhe longs أَنto يَشتَهيfeel desire
فَغَدا حَسيراً يَشتَهي أَن يَشتَهي
وَلَكَمand how often جَرىhe ran طَلقَunbridled الجَموحِheadstrongness كَماas اِشتَهىhe wished
وَلَكَم جَرى طَلقَ الجَموحِ كَما اِشتَهى
Thus he became spent, longing to be desired,
So he became exhausted, longing to feel desire;
though often he had run, wild and unbridled, just as he pleased.
and how often he ran with unbridled abandon, as he pleased!
إِنif أَنَّmoans أَوّاهٌa sighing penitent وَأَجهَشَand bursts into sobs فيin البُكاweeping
إِن أَنَّ أَوّاهٌ وَأَجهَشَ في البُكا
لِذُنوبِهِfor his sins ضَحِكَlaughed الظَلومُthe wrongdoer وَقَهقَهاand guffawed
لِذُنوبِهِ ضَحِكَ الظَلومُ وَقَهقَها
If he groans, “Alas!” and bursts into weeping
If a penitent moans and bursts into tears
for his sins, the young boy laughs and guffaws.
for his sins, the wrongdoer laughs and guffaws.
لَيسَdoes not 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 one like him
Admonitions do not restrain him, yet for one like him
at his age has surely reached the time to restrain himself.
at his age, the time has come to restrain himself.
فَقَدَlost اللَداتِage-mates وَزادَand increased غَيّاًin waywardness بَعدَهُمafter them
فَقَدَ اللَداتِ وَزادَ غَيّاً بَعدَهُم
هَلّاwhy not تَيَقَّظَawaken بَعدَهُمafter them وَتَنَبَّهاand take heed
هَلّا تَيَقَّظَ بَعدَهُم وَتَنَبَّها
He has lost his pleasures, yet grown more wayward after them;
He lost his age-mates, yet grew more wayward after they were gone.
why did he not awaken after them and take heed?
Why did he not awaken after they were gone, and take heed?
ياO! وَيحَهُalas for him! ماwhat بالُهُis the matter with him لاnot يَنتَهيhe desists
يا وَيحَهُ ما بالُهُ لا يَنتَهي
عَنfrom غَيِّهِhis waywardness وَالعُمرُand the lifespan مِنهُof his قَدalready اِنتَهىhas ended
عَن غَيِّهِ وَالعُمرُ مِنهُ قَد اِنتَهى
Woe to him! What ails him, that he will not desist
Alas for him! Why does he not desist
from his waywardness, when his span of life has already run its course?
from his waywardness, when his life has already run its course?
قَدindeed كانَwas مِنamong شِيَميmy traits الدَهاcunning فَتَرَكتُهُso I abandoned it
قَد كانَ مِن شِيَمي الدَها فَتَرَكتُهُ
عِلماًknowing بِأَنَّthat مِنَpart of الدَهاcunning تَركُabandoning الدَهاcunning
عِلماً بِأَنَّ مِنَ الدَها تَركُ الدَها
Cunning was once among my traits, but I forsook it,
Cunning was among my traits, but I abandoned it,
knowing that forsaking cunning is itself a kind of cunning.
knowing that abandoning cunning is itself cunning.
وَلَوand if أَنَّنيthat I أَرضىI accept الدَناءَةَbaseness خُطَّةًa way of life
وَلَو أَنَّني أَرضى الدَناءَةَ خُطَّةً
لَوَدَدتُI would surely wish أَنّيthat I كُنتُI were أَحمَقَfoolish أَبلَهاwitless
لَوَدَدتُ أَنّي كُنتُ أَحمَقَ أَبلَها
If I were content to adopt baseness as my course,
And if I accepted baseness as a way of life,
I would wish I were a fool—the most witless of them all.
I would wish I were foolish and witless.
فَلَقَدfor indeed رَأَيتُI saw البُلهَthe simple-minded قَدalready بَلَغواthey reached المَدىthe limit
فَلَقَد رَأَيتُ البُلهَ قَد بَلَغوا المَدى
وَتَجاوَزوهُand surpassed it وَاِزدَرَواand scorned بِأُوليat those endowed with النُهىreason
وَتَجاوَزوهُ وَاِزدَرَوا بِأُولي النُهى
For I have seen fools reach the furthest bound,
For I have seen the simple-minded reach the limit,
surpass it, and look with scorn upon men of understanding.
surpass it, and scorn those endowed with reason.
مَنwhoever لَيسَdoes not يَسعىstrive فيfor الخَلاصِsalvation 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 the salvation of his own soul—
Whoever does not strive for his own soul's salvation,
his striving will be against it, not for it.
his striving works against it, not for it.
إِنَّindeed الذُنوبَsins بِتَوبَةٍthrough repentance تُمحىare erased كَماjust as
إِنَّ الذُنوبَ بِتَوبَةٍ تُمحى كَما
يَمحوerases سُجودُprostration السَهوِforgetfulness غَفلَةَthe lapse of مَنone who سَهاforgot
يَمحو سُجودُ السَهوِ غَفلَةَ مَن سَها
Indeed, sins are erased by repentance, just as
Indeed, sins are erased by repentance, just as
the prostration for forgetfulness erases the lapse of one who forgets.
the prostration for forgetfulness erases the lapse of one who forgot.
Sol 6.1