نَزَلَhas settled المَشيبُgray hair فَماso there is no لَهُfor it تَحويلُremoval
نَزَلَ المَشيبُ فَما لَهُ تَحويلُ
وَمَضىand has passed الشَبابُyouth فَماso there is no إِلَيهِto it سَبيلُway
وَمَضى الشَبابُ فَما إِلَيهِ سَبيلُ
Gray hair has settled in; there is no removing it.
And youth has passed; there is no path back to it.
وَلَقَدand indeed أرانيI see myself والشَبابُwhile youth يَقودُنيleads me
وَلَقَد أراني والشَبابُ يَقودُني
وَرِداؤُهُand its cloak حَسَنٌfair عَليَّupon me جَميلُbeautiful
وَرِداؤُهُ حَسَنٌ عَليَّ جَميلُ
I can still see myself, with youth leading me,
And its cloak upon me fair and beautiful.
وَعَليَّand upon me مِنfrom وَرَقِthe foliage الشَبابِyouth وَظِلِّهِand its shade
وَعَليَّ مِن وَرَقِ الشَبابِ وَظِلِّهِ
غُصنٌa bough تَفَرَّعَbranched out فيamong الغُصونِthe boughs ظَليلُshady
غُصنٌ تَفَرَّعَ في الغُصونِ ظَليلُ
And over me, from youth's foliage and its shade,
A shady bough branched out among the boughs.
بَشَرٌskin يَكونُis مِنَof الحَريرِsilk وَلِمَّةٌand locks of hair
بَشَرٌ يَكونُ مِنَ الحَريرِ وَلِمَّةٌ
مِثلُlike الجَناحِthe wing وَعارِضٌand a cheek مَصقولُpolished
مِثلُ الجَناحِ وَعارِضٌ مَصقولُ
Skin made of silk, and locks of hair
Like a wing, and a smooth, polished cheek.
فَاليومَso today وَدَّعنيbade me farewell الشَبابُyouth كَأَنَّنيas though I were
فَاليومَ وَدَّعني الشَبابُ كَأَنَّني
سَيفٌa sword تَقادَمَhas grown long عَهدُهُits lifetime مَفلُولُnotched
سَيفٌ تَقادَمَ عَهدُهُ مَفلُولُ
But today youth has bidden me farewell, as though I were
A sword grown old, its edge notched.
تُرضيكَpleases you هَيبَتُهُits imposing presence إِذاwhen استَقبَلتَهُyou face it
تُرضيكَ هَيبَتُهُ إِذا استَقبَلتَهُ
وَتَقولُand you say حينَwhen تَراهُyou see it فيهِin it نُحُولُthinness
وَتَقولُ حينَ تَراهُ فيهِ نُحُولُ
Its imposing presence pleases you when you face it,
And when you see it, you say, 'It is thin.'
Sol 6.1