أخيmy brother رأيتI have seen الشيبgray hair موتاًdeath وإنand even if بكىwept
أخي رأيت الشيب موتاً وإن بكى
لهfor it منبتa root حيliving ففيthen in إثرهits wake يقفوfollows
له منبت حي ففي إثره يقفو
My brother, I have seen gray hair as death, though tears are shed
My brother, I saw gray hair as death, though it weeps
For it by a living root, which follows in its wake.
It has a living root, so after it youth grows
إذاwhen شابturned gray شعرhair صحbecame certain مذsince شابturned gray موتهits death
إذا شاب شعر صح مذ شاب موته
وإنand indeed قصارىthe ultimate end ماwhat بقيremained بعدهafter it يقفوfollows
وإن قصارى ما بقي بعده يقفو
When hair turns gray, its death is certain from the moment it grays.
When the hair turns youthful, it is healthy since its death has youth
And the ultimate fate of what remains is to follow after it.
And the most that remains after it grows youth
ألاtake heed إنindeed موتdeath الشعرthe hair نصفٌa half وماand what بقيremained
ألا إن موت الشعر نصفٌ وما بقي
وماand what وليfollowed منfrom القوةstrength الضعفweakness
وما ولي من القوة الضعف
Take heed: the death of hair is half; and what remains
Indeed, the death of hair is half, and what remains
And what follows strength is weakness.
Is not like the strength, it is weakness
إذاwhen ماتdied نصفhalf المرءthe person والنصفand the other half بعدهafter it
إذا مات نصف المرء والنصف بعده
لعمرby the life of أبيmy father لمdid not يبقremain منof نصفهhis half النصفthe half
لعمر أبي لم يبق من نصفه النصف
When half a man has died, and the other half follows it,
When half of a man dies, and after it the other half
By my father's life, not even half of his half remains.
By my father's life, half of his half does not remain
وهلand has عاشlived نصفa half بعدafter علمknowledge علمتهI learned it
وهل عاش نصف بعد علم علمته
وإنand if عاشlived هلcan عيشlife علىupon عقبهits heels يصفوbecome unclouded
وإن عاش هل عيش على عقبه يصفو
And has a half lived on, after the knowledge I have gained?
Did half live after the knowledge I knew?
And if it lives, can life in its wake be unclouded?
And if it lived, is life after it pure?
حقيقfitting علىover نفسيmy soul أنعىI lament لأنهbecause it
حقيق على نفسي أنعى لأنه
تجمعhas gathered عنديwith me كلall ماthat which كانused to بيfor me يحفوshow kindness
تجمع عندي كل ما كان بي يحفو
It is fitting that I mourn my own soul, for
It is true of myself, I mourn it because
All that once showed me kindness has gathered around me.
In me has gathered all that was under my care
وقدand indeed أسأرتleft over عنديwith me اللياليthe nights بقيةًa remnant
وقد أسأرت عندي الليالي بقيةً
مواعظadmonitions ليfor me منهاfrom them ومنيand from me لهاfor them صنفa kind
مواعظ لي منها ومني لها صنف
And the nights have left me a remnant:
And the remaining nights have been sleepless with me
Lessons from them for me, and a kind of lesson from me for them.
Lessons for me from it, and from me, types for it
إذاwhen ماتdied نسليmy offspring والذيand the one who هوhe ناسليmy begetter
إذا مات نسلي والذي هو ناسلي
وتربيand my peer فإنيthen I am حرفa particle عطفٍcoordination بهمwith them عطفwas joined
وتربي فإني حرف عطفٍ بهم عطف
When my offspring dies, and he who begot me,
When my progeny dies, and the one who procreates me
And my peer, then I am a conjunction joined to them.
And raises me, I am but a conjunction with them, conjoined
وهلand is نافعuseful اسمٍa noun إذاwhen منfrom أخيرهits end
وهل نافع اسمٍ إذا من أخيره
وأولهand its beginning منfrom كلevery فعلٍverb مضىhas gone حرفa letter
وأوله من كل فعلٍ مضى حرف
And is a noun of any use, when from its end
Is a name beneficial when the best of it
And its beginning, a letter from every verb has gone?
And its first are but letters from every deed gone by?
إذاwhen الحرفthe letter كانwas والدfather المرءthe person وابنهand his son
إذا الحرف كان والد المرء وابنه
وأترابهand his peers فالعيشthen life فيin منwhoever بقىremained حتفdeath
وأترابه فالعيش في من بقى حتف
When the letter is a man's father and his son,
When a letter is a man's parent and child
And his peers, then life for whoever remains is death.
And his peers, then life among who remains is misfortune
ألاtake heed إنindeed دنياناour world يداولpasses around كفهاits hand
ألا إن دنيانا يداول كفها
عليناupon us كؤوساًcups كلهاall of them بينناamong us وكفaffliction
علينا كؤوساً كلها بيننا وكف
Take heed: the hand of our world passes round
Indeed, our world passes its cups between us
Cups to us, all of them affliction among us.
All of them, while we alternate holding and pouring
وماand not هيit إلاexcept روضةٌa garden حلهاalighted upon it الحياthe rain
وما هي إلا روضةٌ حلها الحيا
ومنيتهاand its doom إلاonly الشقائقpoppies والسهفand parching thirst
ومنيتها إلا الشقائق والسهف
And it is only a garden upon which rain has alighted,
It is but a meadow inhabited by life
And its doom is only poppies and parching thirst.
Its perdition is but the anemones and pods
فياso, O لهفanguish نفسيmy soul ماhow much أقاسيI endure منof الأذىharm
فيا لهف نفسي ما أقاسي من الأذى
لديهاin its presence مدىthroughout ماas long as عشتI live لوif only نفعتavailed لهفanguish
لديها مدى ما عشت لو نفعت لهف
So, alas for my soul—what harm I endure
So oh longing of my soul, what suffering from harm
In its presence, for as long as I live—if only anguish availed!
It has with it, however long I live, even if useful, longing
Sol 6.1