شَيخٌan old man كَبِيرٌaged قَدalready تَخَدَّدَhas become furrowed لَحمُهُhis flesh
شَيخٌ كَبِيرٌ قَد تَخَدَّدَ لَحمُهُ
أَفنىwore out ثَلاثَthree عَمائِمٍturbans أَلوَاناcolors
أَفنى ثَلاثَ عَمائِمٍ أَلوَانا
A very old man, whose flesh has grown furrowed,
An old shaykh whose flesh has withered away
Has worn out three turbans of differing hues:
Has worn out three caps of varied hues:
سَوداءَblack داجِيَةٍdark وَسَحقَand a threadbare cloth مُفوَّفٍstriped
سَوداءَ داجِيَةٍ وَسَحقَ مُفوَّفٍ
وَدُروسَand worn-out remnants مُخلَقَةٍtattered تَلُوحُgleam هِجَاناpure white
وَدُروسَ مُخلَقَةٍ تَلُوحُ هِجَانا
One deep black, and one threadbare and striped,
Jet black, light brown, and quilted white,
And tattered remnants, gleaming pure white.
And lessons of piety gleam through.
ثُمَّthen المَنِيَّةُdeath بَعدَafter ذلكَthat كُلِّهِall of it
ثُمَّ المَنِيَّةُ بَعدَ ذلكَ كُلِّهِ
وَكَأَنَّماand as though يُعنىis meant بِذاكَby that سِواناsomeone other than us
وَكَأَنَّما يُعنى بِذاكَ سِوانا
Then comes death, after all of that—
Then death comes after all of that
Yet it is as though someone other than us were meant by it.
As if it cared not a whit.
Sol 6.1