الشيبُgray hair أَزهارُthe blossoms of الشَبابِyouth فَماso why لَهُfor it
الشيبُ أَزهارُ الشَبابِ فَما لَهُ
يُخفىis hidden وَحُسنُand the beauty of الرَوضِthe garden بِالأَزهارِthrough flowers
يُخفى وَحُسنُ الرَوضِ بِالأَزهارِ
Gray hair is youth's blossoms—why should it
be hidden, when a garden's beauty lies in flowers?
وَدَّwished الَّذيthe one who هَوِيَloved الحِسانَbeautiful women لَوِif only اِشتَرىhe bought
وَدَّ الَّذي هَوِيَ الحِسانَ لَوِ اِشتَرى
ظَلماءَthe dark night of لِمَّتِهِhis locks بِأَلفِfor a thousand نَهارِdays
ظَلماءَ لِمَّتِهِ بِأَلفِ نَهارِ
He who loved beautiful women wished he could buy
the dark night of his locks with a thousand days.
وَالناسُand people مِثلُlike النَبتِplants أَيُّwhat بَهارَةٍan oxeye blossom
وَالناسُ مِثلُ النَبتِ أَيُّ بَهارَةٍ
ذَهَبَتperished فَلَمthen did not تَنفُضscatter سَليلَoffspring of بَهارِoxeye
ذَهَبَت فَلَم تَنفُض سَليلَ بَهارِ
And people are like plants: what oxeye blossom
has perished without scattering oxeye offspring?
لَيتَif only الجِيادَthe fine steeds غَداةَon the morning when صادَفَهاmet them الرَدىdeath
لَيتَ الجِيادَ غَداةَ صادَفَها الرَدى
ماnot أَعقَبَتleft descendants بِنَتائِجِwith newborn offspring الأَمهارِthe foals
ما أَعقَبَت بِنَتائِجِ الأَمهارِ
Would that the fine steeds, on the morning death met them,
had left behind no newborn foals.
هارٍcrumbling عَلَيهِupon him مَوقِفٌa footing مِنof خائِفٍone who fears
هارٍ عَلَيهِ مَوقِفٌ مِن خائِفٍ
لِلدَهرِof Time فَتكَةَa deadly assault سائِفٍa swordsman أَوor هاريa club-wielder
لِلدَهرِ فَتكَةَ سائِفٍ أَو هاري
Crumbling beneath him is the footing of one who fears
Time's deadly strike, like a swordsman's or a club-wielder's.
لَولاwere it not for السَفاهَةُfolly ماnot تَعَلَّلَsought solace جاهِلٌan ignorant man
لَولا السَفاهَةُ ما تَعَلَّلَ جاهِلٌ
بِتَخَيُّرِby carefully choosing الأَحماءِthe in-laws وَالأَصهارِand relatives by marriage
بِتَخَيُّرِ الأَحماءِ وَالأَصهارِ
Were it not for folly, no ignorant man would seek solace
in choosing his in-laws and relatives by marriage.
إِنّاindeed we لَفيsurely in وَقتِthe time of الغُروبِsunset وَقَدand already مَضىhas passed
إِنّا لَفي وَقتِ الغُروبِ وَقَد مَضى
زَمَنُthe time of الضَحاءِlate morning وَساعَةُand the hour of الإِظهارِentering noon
زَمَنُ الضَحاءِ وَساعَةُ الإِظهارِ
We are surely at sunset, and already past are
the time of late morning and the hour of noon.
ماnot أُمُّUmm (mother) دَفرٍDafr (stench) فيin الحَياةِlife مَروَعَةٌfrightened
ما أُمُّ دَفرٍ في الحَياةِ مَروَعَةٌ
بِطَلاقِby the divorce of ذيone possessing شَرَفٍnobility وَلاnor بِظِهارِby declaring a wife forbidden as one's mother
بِطَلاقِ ذي شَرَفٍ وَلا بِظِهارِ
Umm Dafr, the world, is not frightened in life
by a nobleman's divorce, nor by a ẓihār repudiation.
ولَقَدand indeed تَشابَهَwere alike فيin الظَواهِرِoutward appearances مَولِدٌa birth
ولَقَد تَشابَهَ في الظَواهِرِ مَولِدٌ
حِلُّlawful النُكاحِmarriage وَمَولِدٌand a birth بِعِهارِthrough fornication
حِلُّ النُكاحِ وَمَولِدٌ بِعِهارِ
And indeed, alike in outward appearance are a birth
from lawful marriage and a birth through fornication.
وَالإِنسُand humankind فيin عَمّاءَblind confusion لَمnot يَتَبَيَّنواthey discerned
وَالإِنسُ في عَمّاءَ لَم يَتَبَيَّنوا
بِالفِكرِthrough thought إِلّاexcept حِكمَةَthe wisdom of القَهّارِthe All-Subduing One
بِالفِكرِ إِلّا حِكمَةَ القَهّارِ
And humankind is in blind confusion; they have not discerned
through thought anything but the wisdom of the All-Subduing One.
يَبغيseeks الطَهارَةَpurity ناسِكٌan ascetic وَمَحَلُّهُand his dwelling
يَبغي الطَهارَةَ ناسِكٌ وَمَحَلُّهُ
فيin مَومِسٍa harlot بَرِأَتis free مِنَfrom الإِطهارِpurification
في مَومِسٍ بَرِأَت مِنَ الإِطهارِ
An ascetic seeks purity, yet his dwelling
is in a harlot untouched by purification.
وَمِنَand among الرَزاياcalamities ماthat which يُفيءُbrings لَكَto you العُلاeminence
وَمِنَ الرَزايا ما يُفيءُ لَكَ العُلا
كَالمِسكِlike musk فاحَgave off fragrance بِمَوقِعِat the impact of الأَفهارِthe pounding stones
كَالمِسكِ فاحَ بِمَوقِعِ الأَفهارِ
And some calamities bring you eminence,
like musk that releases fragrance at the blows of pounding stones.
أَسنَيتُI have grown old مِنfrom مَرِّthe passage of السِنينَthe years وَلَمand did not أُرِدI intend
أَسنَيتُ مِن مَرِّ السِنينَ وَلَم أُرِد
أَسنَيتُI have grown radiant مِنfrom ضَوءِthe light of السَناradiance البَهّارُdazzling
أَسنَيتُ مِن ضَوءِ السَنا البَهّارُ
I have grown old with the passage of years; I did not mean
'I have grown radiant' from the light of dazzling splendor.
وَجَهَرتُand I dredged مِنamong قُلُبِthe wells of الوِدادِaffection ذَمامَهاtheir scant-watered wells
وَجَهَرتُ مِن قُلُبِ الوِدادِ ذَمامَها
فَذَمَمتُso I found fault فيin سِرّيmy secrecy وَعِندَand during جِهاريmy speaking openly
فَذَمَمتُ في سِرّي وَعِندَ جِهاري
And among the wells of affection I dredged the scant-watered ones,
so I found fault, both privately and openly.
وَشُهِرتُand I became famous فيin الدُنِّياthe world وَمَنand who ليfor me أَنthat أَرىI see
وَشُهِرتُ في الدُنِّيا وَمَن لي أَن أَرى
كَالنيرِlike the luminary الفانيvanishing مَعَwith الإِشهارِthe passing of a month
كَالنيرِ الفاني مَعَ الإِشهارِ
And I have become famous in this world—who will let me see myself
like the luminary that vanishes as the month passes?
وَكَأَنَّand as though ساهِرَةَthe wakeful expanse of السَماءِheaven تَضَمَّنَتhas harbored
وَكَأَنَّ ساهِرَةَ السَماءِ تَضَمَّنَت
أَنَفاًdisdain مِنَfor التَسهيدِbeing kept awake وَالإِسهارِand being made sleepless
أَنَفاً مِنَ التَسهيدِ وَالإِسهارِ
And it is as though heaven's wakeful expanse harbors
disdain for being kept awake and made sleepless.
Sol 6.1