أَكرِمhonor بَياضَكَyour whiteness عَنfrom خِطرٍdye يُسَوِّدُهُblackens it
أَكرِم بَياضَكَ عَن خِطرٍ يُسَوِّدُهُ
وَاِزجُرand restrain يَمينَكَyour right hand عَنfrom شَيبٍgray hair تُنَقّيهِyou pluck it out
وَاِزجُر يَمينَكَ عَن شَيبٍ تُنَقّيهِ
Honor your whiteness: spare it the dye that blackens it.
Honor your whiteness from a danger that blackens it
And restrain your right hand from plucking out gray hair.
And restrain your right hand from vice that pollutes it
لَقَيتَهُyou greeted it بِجَلاءٍwith banishment عَنfrom مَنازِلِهِits dwellings
لَقَيتَهُ بِجَلاءٍ عَن مَنازِلِهِ
وَلَيسَand it is not يَحسُنُfitting هَذاthis مِنof تَلَقّيهِreceiving it
وَلَيسَ يَحسُنُ هَذا مِن تَلَقّيهِ
You greeted it with banishment from its dwellings,
You met it with clarity from its dwellings
And this is no fitting way to receive it.
And it is not good, this reception from you
أَلاwhy not تَفَكَّرتَyou reflected قَبلَbefore النَسلِprocreation فيon زَمَنٍan age
أَلا تَفَكَّرتَ قَبلَ النَسلِ في زَمَنٍ
بِهِin it حَلَلتَyou dwelt فَتَدريso you know أَينَwhere تُلقيهِyou cast him
بِهِ حَلَلتَ فَتَدري أَينَ تُلقيهِ
Why did you not reflect, before begetting a child, on the age
Did you not think before having children in a time
In which you lived, so you might know where you would cast him?
In which you dissolved, so you would know where to lead them
تَرجوyou hope لَهُfor him مِنamong نَعيمِthe bliss of الدَهرِtime مُمتَنَعاًsomething unattainable
تَرجو لَهُ مِن نَعيمِ الدَهرِ مُمتَنَعاً
وَماand not عَلِمتَyou knew بِأَنَّthat العَيشَlife يُشقيهِmakes him wretched
وَما عَلِمتَ بِأَنَّ العَيشَ يُشقيهِ
You hope for him what is unattainable among life's delights,
You hope for them from the bliss of time the unattainable
Yet you do not know that life will make him wretched.
Yet you did not know that life makes them suffer
شَكاhe complained of الأَذىpain فَسَهِرتَso you stayed awake اللَيلَthe night وَاِبتَكَرَتand she set out early
شَكا الأَذى فَسَهِرتَ اللَيلَ وَاِبتَكَرَت
بِهِwith him الفَتاةُthe young woman إِلىto شَمطاءَa gray-haired woman تَرقيهِrecites healing charms over him
بِهِ الفَتاةُ إِلى شَمطاءَ تَرقيهِ
He complained of pain; you stayed awake all night, and early in the morning
He complained of pain so you stayed up nights and got up early
The young woman took him to a gray-haired woman who recited healing charms over him.
With him the young woman climbed the hill to heal him
وَأُمُّهُand his mother تَسأَلُconsults العَرّافَthe soothsayer قاضِيَةًfulfilling
وَأُمُّهُ تَسأَلُ العَرّافَ قاضِيَةً
عَنهُon his behalf النُذورَthe vows لَعَلَّperhaps اللَهَGod يُبقيهِkeeps him alive
عَنهُ النُذورَ لَعَلَّ اللَهَ يُبقيهِ
And his mother consults the soothsayer, fulfilling
And his mother asks the fortune teller judging
Vows on his behalf, hoping that God may keep him alive.
About him, vowing offerings, perhaps God will keep him alive
وَأَنتَand you أَرشَدُare wiser مِنهاthan her حينَwhen تَحمِلُهُyou carry him
وَأَنتَ أَرشَدُ مِنها حينَ تَحمِلُهُ
إِلىto الطَبيبِthe physician يُداويهِtreats him وَيَسقيهِand gives him medicine to drink
إِلى الطَبيبِ يُداويهِ وَيَسقيهِ
And you are wiser than she when you carry him
While you are more rightly-guided than her when you take him
To the physician, who treats him and gives him medicine to drink.
To the doctor who treats him and gives him medicine
وَلَوand even if رَقىrecited healing charms over الطِفلَthe child عيسىJesus أَوor أُعيدَwere brought back لَهُfor him
وَلَو رَقى الطِفلَ عيسى أَو أُعيدَ لَهُ
بُقراطُHippocrates ماnot كانَwould مِنfrom مَوتٍdeath يُوَقّيهِshield him
بُقراطُ ما كانَ مِن مَوتٍ يُوَقّيهِ
And even if Jesus recited healing charms over the child, or, for his sake,
If the child was treated by Jesus or Hippocrates was brought back to life for him
Hippocrates were brought back, neither could shield him from death.
It would not save him from death
وَالحَيُّand the living person فيin العُمرِlife مِثلُlike الغِرِّthe unwary person يَرقَأَُclimbs فيup
وَالحَيُّ في العُمرِ مِثلُ الغِرِّ يَرقَأَُ في
سورِthe wall of العِدىthe enemies وَإِلىand toward حَتفٍdeath تَرَقّيهِhis ascent
سورِ العِدى وَإِلى حَتفٍ تَرَقّيهِ
And the living man, throughout life, is like an unwary man climbing
The living in life are like the spinning of wool, climbing
The enemies' wall: his ascent is toward death.
The battlements of time, and to death you lead them
دَنَّستَyou sullied عِرضَكَyour honor حَتّىuntil ماnot تَرىyou see دَنَساًa stain
دَنَّستَ عِرضَكَ حَتّى ما تَرى دَنَساً
لَكِنbut قَميصُكَyour shirt لِلأَبصارِfor others' eyes تُنقيهِyou clean it
لَكِن قَميصُكَ لِلأَبصارِ تُنقيهِ
You have sullied your honor until you see no stain,
You have defiled your honor until you see no defilement
Yet you clean your shirt for watching eyes.
But your shirt to the sights you purify
Sol 6.1