تَقولُsay نِساءٌwomen شِبتِyou have gone gray مِنfrom غَيرِother than كَبرَةٍold age
تَقولُ نِساءٌ شِبتِ مِن غَيرِ كَبرَةٍ
وَأَيسَرُand less severe مِمّاthan what قَدalready لَقيتُI have endured يُشيبُturns one gray
وَأَيسَرُ مِمّا قَد لَقيتُ يُشيبُ
Women say, “You have gone gray, though not from old age.”
Women say, 'You have gone gray without being old.'
Even less than what I have endured would turn one gray.
And even less than what I have endured would turn one gray.
أَقولُI say أَباO father of حَسّانَHassan لاnot العَيشُlife طَيِّبٌsweet
أَقولُ أَبا حَسّانَ لا العَيشُ طَيِّبٌ
وَكَيفَand how وَقَدand indeed أُفرِدتُI have been left alone مِنكَapart from you يَطيبُbe sweet
وَكَيفَ وَقَد أُفرِدتُ مِنكَ يَطيبُ
I say: “Abu Hassan, life is not sweet—
I say, O Abu Hassan, life is not sweet;
and how could it be, when I have been left alone, bereft of you?”
And how could it be sweet, when I have been left alone without you?
فَتىyoung السِنِّage كَهلُmature الحِلمِsound judgment لاnot مُتَسَرِّعٌimpetuous
فَتى السِنِّ كَهلُ الحِلمِ لا مُتَسَرِّعٌ
وَلاnor جامِدٌungenerous جَعدُclenched اليَدَينِthe two hands جَديبُbarren of bounty
وَلا جامِدٌ جَعدُ اليَدَينِ جَديبُ
Young in years, yet mature in judgment, never rash;
Young in years, mature in judgment, not impetuous,
neither dull nor tight-fisted, nor barren of bounty.
Nor ungenerous, tight-fisted, or barren of bounty.
أَخوpossessor of الفَضلِmerit لاno باغٍaggressor عَلَيهِagainst him لِفَضلِهِbecause of his merit
أَخو الفَضلِ لا باغٍ عَلَيهِ لِفَضلِهِ
وَلاnor هُوَhe خَرقٌuncouth فيin الوُجوهِfaces قَطوبُscowling
وَلا هُوَ خَرقٌ في الوُجوهِ قَطوبُ
A man of excellence, with none to rival his merit,
A man of merit, whom none assails, such is his merit;
nor was he an uncouth fool, scowling in people’s faces.
Nor is he uncouth or scowling in people's faces.
إِذاwhenever ذَكَرَmentioned الناسُpeople السَماحَgenerosity مِنِfrom اِمرِئٍa man
إِذا ذَكَرَ الناسُ السَماحَ مِنِ اِمرِئٍ
وَأَكرَمَand he showed generosity أَوor قالَsaid الصَوابَwhat is right خَطيبُan orator
وَأَكرَمَ أَو قالَ الصَوابَ خَطيبُ
Whenever people spoke of generosity in a man,
Whenever people mention a man's generosity,
and he acted nobly—or an orator spoke what was right—
And he shows generosity, or an orator speaks aright,
ذَكَرتُكَI remembered you فَاِستَعبَرتُso I wept وَالصَدرُand the breast كاظِمٌholding back grief
ذَكَرتُكَ فَاِستَعبَرتُ وَالصَدرُ كاظِمٌ
عَلىupon غُصَّةٍa choking grief مِنهاfrom it الفُؤادُthe heart يَذوبُmelts
عَلى غُصَّةٍ مِنها الفُؤادُ يَذوبُ
I remembered you and burst into tears, my breast suppressing
I remember you and weep, my breast holding in
a choking grief from which the heart melts away.
A choking grief that melts the heart.
لَعَمريby my life لَقَدindeed أَوهَيتَyou have weakened قَلبيmy heart عَنِfrom العَزاconsolation
لَعَمري لَقَد أَوهَيتَ قَلبي عَنِ العَزا
وَطَأطَأتَand you have bowed رَأسيmy head وَالفُؤادُand the heart كَئيبُsorrowful
وَطَأطَأتَ رَأسي وَالفُؤادُ كَئيبُ
By my life, you have indeed weakened my heart beyond consolation,
By my life, you have indeed left my heart too weak for consolation,
and bowed my head, while my heart remains grief-stricken.
And bowed my head, while my heart is sorrowful.
لَقَدindeed قُصِمَتwas snapped مِنّيfrom me قَناةٌa spear-shaft صَليبَةٌsturdy
لَقَد قُصِمَت مِنّي قَناةٌ صَليبَةٌ
وَيُقصَمُand is snapped عودُa wooden rod النَبعِthe nabʿ tree وَهُوَand it صَليبُhard
وَيُقصَمُ عودُ النَبعِ وَهُوَ صَليبُ
A stout spear-shaft of mine has indeed been broken;
Indeed, a sturdy spear-shaft of mine has been snapped;
even a bough of the nabʿ tree is broken, hard though it is.
And even a rod of nabʿ wood can be snapped, though it is hard.
Sol 6.1