راعَهُalarmed him الشَيبُgray hair إِذwhen نَزَلcame; descended
راعَهُ الشَيبُ إِذ نَزَل
وَكَفاهُand sufficed him مِنَof; from العَذَلadmonition; reproach
وَكَفاهُ مِنَ العَذَل
Gray hair alarmed him when it came,
Old age came upon him as he descended,
and was admonition enough for him.
And sufficed him from longing.
وَاِنقَضَتand ended مُدَّةُthe span الصِباyouth
وَاِنقَضَت مُدَّةُ الصِبا
وَاِنقَضىand ended اللَهوُamusement وَالغَزَلand courtship
وَاِنقَضى اللَهوُ وَالغَزَل
And the span of youth came to an end,
The days of youth expired,
and amusement and courtship came to an end.
And play and love songs expired.
قَدindeed لَعمريby my life دَمَلتُهُI treated it
قَد لَعمري دَمَلتُهُ
بِخَضابٍwith hair dye فَماbut not اِندَمَلhealed
بِخَضابٍ فَما اِندَمَل
Indeed, by my life, I treated it
By my life, I have adorned it
with dye, but it did not heal.
With henna, so it faded not.
فَاِبكso weep لِلشَّيبِfor gray hair إِذwhen بَداappeared
فَاِبك لِلشَّيبِ إِذ بَدا
لاnot عَلىover الرَبعِthe dwelling-place وَالطَلَلand the ruins
لا عَلى الرَبعِ وَالطَلَل
So weep for gray hair as it appears,
Weep for old age when it appears,
not over the dwelling-place and the ruins.
Not for the abandoned encampment and deserted dwellings.
وَصَلَjoined; bound اللَهُGod لِلأَميfor the emir (continued)
وَصَلَ اللَهُ لِلأَمي
رِcompletion of 'emir' عُرىthe bonds المُلكِkingship فَاِتَّصَلand so it held together
رِ عُرى المُلكِ فَاِتَّصَل
May God bind for the emir
May God unite for the leader
the bonds of kingship, that it may hold together.
The bonds of kingship, so they are linked.
مَلِكٌa king عَزمُهُhis resolve الزَماTime (continued)
مَلِكٌ عَزمُهُ الزَما
نُcompletion of 'Time' وَأَفَعالُهُand his deeds الدُوَلthe turns of fortune
نُ وَأَفَعالُهُ الدُوَل
A king whose resolve is Time,
A king whose resolve is fate
and whose deeds are the turns of fortune.
And whose deeds are cycles.
كِسرَوىٌّKhosrow-like بِمَجدِهِthrough his glory
كِسرَوىٌّ بِمَجدِهِ
يَضرُبُcites; sets forth الضارِبُthe one giving an example المَثَلthe example; proverb
يَضرُبُ الضارِبُ المَثَل
Khosrow-like in his glory,
A Kisra in his glory,
the proverb-maker cites him as an example.
Sets a simile for the smiter.
وَإِلىand to طِلِّshade (apparently intended) عِزِّهِhis might
وَإِلى طِلِّ عِزِّهِ
يَلجَأُtakes refuge الخائِفُthe frightened one الوَجلthe trembling; fearful
يَلجَأُ الخائِفُ الوَجل
And to the shade of his might
And to the shade of his power,
the frightened, trembling man takes refuge.
The timid terrified takes refuge.
كُلُّevery; all خَلقٍcreature سِوىexcept الإِماthe imam (continued)
كُلُّ خَلقٍ سِوى الإِما
مِcompletion of 'imam' للأَنعامِهِto his bounty (apparently intended) خَوَلservants; dependants
مِ للأَنعامِهِ خَوَل
All creatures, save the imam,
Every creature but the Imam
are servants to his bounty.
Is an animal tending to his animals.
لَيتَهُif only he حينَwhen جادَwas generous ليto me
لَيتَهُ حينَ جادَ لي
بِالغِنىwith wealth جادَwas generous بِالقَفَلwith a return home
بِالغِنى جادَ بِالقَفَل
If only, when he was generous to me
Would that when he was generous to me
with wealth, he had also granted me a return home.
With wealth, he was generous with a lock!
Sol 6.1