الرُشدُwisdom أَجمَلُfairest سيرَةًin conduct ياO أَحمَدُAhmad
الرُشدُ أَجمَلُ سيرَةً يا أَحمَدُ
وُدُّlove الغَوانيthe beautiful women مِنthan شَبابِكَyour youth أَبعَدُfarther off
وُدُّ الغَواني مِن شَبابِكَ أَبعَدُ
Maturity is the lovelier path, Ahmad;
Wisdom is the fairest way of life, Ahmad.
the love of beauties is even farther gone than your youth.
The beauties' love is farther off than your youth.
قَدindeed كانَthere was فيكَin you لِوُدِّهِنَّfor their love بَقِيَّةٌa remnant
قَد كانَ فيكَ لِوُدِّهِنَّ بَقِيَّةٌ
وَاليَومَand today أَوشَكَتِis about to البَقِيَّةُthe remnant تَنفَدُrun out
وَاليَومَ أَوشَكَتِ البَقِيَّةُ تَنفَدُ
Once there remained in you a trace of love for them;
You still had something left in you for their love,
today that last trace is all but spent.
And today that remnant is almost spent.
هاروتُHarut شِعرِكَyour poetry بَعدَafter ماروتِMarut الصِباyouth
هاروتُ شِعرِكَ بَعدَ ماروتِ الصِبا
أَعياhas grown weary وَفارَقَهُand left him الخَليلُthe close companion المُسعِدُthe helpful one
أَعيا وَفارَقَهُ الخَليلُ المُسعِدُ
The Harut of your poetry, after the Marut of youth,
The Harut of your poetry, after the Marut of youth,
grew weary, and its helpful companion parted from it.
Has grown weary, and his helpful companion has left him.
لَمّاwhen سَمِعنَكَthey heard you قُلنَthey said شِعرٌverse أَمرَدٌbeardless
لَمّا سَمِعنَكَ قُلنَ شِعرٌ أَمرَدٌ
ياoh لَيتَif only قائِلَهُits speaker الطَريرُthe handsome one المُسعِدُthe joy-bringing one
يا لَيتَ قائِلَهُ الطَريرُ المُسعِدُ
When they heard you, they said, “Verse by a beardless youth!”
When they heard you, they said, “Beardless verse!
“If only its poet were the fresh-faced bringer of joy!”
If only its speaker were handsome and delightful!”
ماwhat لِلَّواهيfor the carefree women الناعِماتِthe pampered ones وَشاعِرٍand a poet
ما لِلَّواهي الناعِماتِ وَشاعِرٍ
جَعَلَmade النَسيبَlove poetry حِبالَةًa snare يَتَصَيَّدُhe hunts
جَعَلَ النَسيبَ حِبالَةً يَتَصَيَّدُ
What have playful, delicate women to do with a poet
What have carefree, pampered women to do with a poet
who makes love poetry a snare with which to hunt?
Who has made love verse a snare to hunt with?
وَلَكَمand how often جَمَعتَyou gathered قُلوبَهُنَّtheir hearts عَلىin الهَوىlove
وَلَكَم جَمَعتَ قُلوبَهُنَّ عَلى الهَوى
وَخَدَعتَand you beguiled مَنwhoever قَطَعَتbroke off ties وَمَنand whoever تَتَوَدَّدُshows affection
وَخَدَعتَ مَن قَطَعَت وَمَن تَتَوَدَّدُ
How often you gathered all their hearts in passion,
And how often you brought their hearts together in love,
deceiving those you shunned and those you wooed;
And beguiled both those who broke away and those who sought your affection.
وَسَخِرتَand you mocked مِنat واشٍa talebearer وَكِدتَand you schemed لِعاذِلٍagainst a reprover
وَسَخِرتَ مِن واشٍ وَكِدتَ لِعاذِلٍ
وَاليَومَand today تَنشُدُyou seek مَنsomeone who يَشيtells tales وَيُفَنِّدُand reproves
وَاليَومَ تَنشُدُ مَن يَشي وَيُفَنِّدُ
you mocked the talebearer and plotted against the censor—
And mocked a talebearer and schemed against a reprover;
yet today you seek someone to tattle and find fault.
Yet today you seek someone to tell tales and reproach you.
أَإِذاis it when وَجَدتَyou find الغيدَthe graceful women أَلهاكَdistracted you الهَوىpassion
أَإِذا وَجَدتَ الغيدَ أَلهاكَ الهَوى
وَإِذاand when وَجَدتَyou find الشِعرَpoetry عَزَّis hard to find الأَغيَدُthe graceful beloved
وَإِذا وَجَدتَ الشِعرَ عَزَّ الأَغيَدُ
Was it that whenever you encountered graceful maidens, passion distracted you,
Is it that when you find graceful women, passion distracts you,
and whenever you found poetry, the graceful beloved proved elusive?
And when you find poetry, the graceful beloved is out of reach?
Sol 6.1