الشيبُgray hair أَزهارُthe blossoms of الشَبابِyouth فَماso why لَهُfor it
الشيبُ أَزهارُ الشَبابِ فَما لَهُ
يُخفىis concealed وَحُسنُand the beauty of الرَوضِthe garden بِالأَزهارِlies in flowers
يُخفى وَحُسنُ الرَوضِ بِالأَزهارِ
Gray hairs are youth's blossoms; why are they
The gray hair is the flowers of youth, so why hide it
hidden, when a garden's beauty lies in flowers?
While the beauty of the garden is adorned with flowers
وَدَّwished الَّذيthe one who هَوِيَloved الحِسانَbeautiful women لَوِif only اِشتَرىhe bought
وَدَّ الَّذي هَوِيَ الحِسانَ لَوِ اِشتَرى
ظَلماءَthe darkness of لِمَّتِهِhis locks بِأَلفِfor a thousand نَهارِdays
ظَلماءَ لِمَّتِهِ بِأَلفِ نَهارِ
He who loved beautiful women wished he could buy
He who loved song, would’ve bought, if able
the darkness of his locks for a thousand days.
Its darkness with thousands of days
وَالناسُand people مِثلُlike النَبتِplants أَيُّwhat بَهارَةٍoxeye blossom
وَالناسُ مِثلُ النَبتِ أَيُّ بَهارَةٍ
ذَهَبَتpassed away فَلَمand did not تَنفُضshed سَليلَthe offspring of بَهارِoxeye
ذَهَبَت فَلَم تَنفُض سَليلَ بَهارِ
And people are like plants: what oxeye blossom
People are like plants - whichever flower withers
has faded without shedding an oxeye's offspring?
Did not pollinate the buds of forthcoming flowers
لَيتَif only الجِيادَthe noble steeds غَداةَon the morning صادَفَهاmet them الرَدىdeath
لَيتَ الجِيادَ غَداةَ صادَفَها الرَدى
ماnot أَعقَبَتhad left descendants بِنَتائِجِthrough the birth of الأَمهارِfoals
ما أَعقَبَت بِنَتائِجِ الأَمهارِ
Would that the noble steeds, the morning death found them,
If only one morning, our proud steeds encountered misfortune
had left no descendants through the birth of foals.
They would not end with any tragic consequences
هارٍcrumbling عَلَيهِupon him مَوقِفٌa foothold مِنof خائِفٍone afraid
هارٍ عَلَيهِ مَوقِفٌ مِن خائِفٍ
لِلدَهرِof Time فَتكَةَthe deadly assault سائِفٍof a swordsman أَوor هاريa club-wielder
لِلدَهرِ فَتكَةَ سائِفٍ أَو هاري
The footing crumbles beneath the man who fears
They fearfully stand before an opponent or adversary
Time's assault, like a swordsman's or a club-wielder's.
Who has power of fate or can bring damage
لَولاwere it not for السَفاهَةُfoolishness ماnot تَعَلَّلَwould take solace جاهِلٌan ignorant man
لَولا السَفاهَةُ ما تَعَلَّلَ جاهِلٌ
بِتَخَيُّرِin selecting الأَحماءِin-laws وَالأَصهارِand kin by marriage
بِتَخَيُّرِ الأَحماءِ وَالأَصهارِ
Were it not for foolishness, no ignorant man would take solace
If not for folly no fool would justify
in selecting in-laws and relatives by marriage.
Choosing the foolish or linking relations
إِنّاwe indeed لَفيare surely in وَقتِthe time of الغُروبِsunset وَقَدand already مَضىhas passed
إِنّا لَفي وَقتِ الغُروبِ وَقَد مَضى
زَمَنُthe time of الضَحاءِforenoon وَساعَةُand the hour of الإِظهارِthe arrival of noon
زَمَنُ الضَحاءِ وَساعَةُ الإِظهارِ
We are indeed at sunset; already past
We're surely in the time of sunset, gone
are the time of forenoon and the hour of noon.
Is the time of daylight and the hour of proof
ماnot أُمُّMother of دَفرٍStench فيin الحَياةِlife مَروَعَةٌfrightened
ما أُمُّ دَفرٍ في الحَياةِ مَروَعَةٌ
بِطَلاقِby the divorce of ذيone possessing شَرَفٍnobility وَلاnor بِظِهارِby ẓihār (declaring one's wife forbidden)
بِطَلاقِ ذي شَرَفٍ وَلا بِظِهارِ
Umm Dafr—the world—is not frightened in life
No mother of curls is as fearful in life
by a nobleman's divorce or a ẓihār repudiation.
As an honorable one divorced or made a co-wife
ولَقَدand indeed تَشابَهَare alike فيin الظَواهِرِoutward appearance مَولِدٌa birth
ولَقَد تَشابَهَ في الظَواهِرِ مَولِدٌ
حِلُّlawful النُكاحِmarriage وَمَولِدٌand a birth بِعِهارِthrough fornication
حِلُّ النُكاحِ وَمَولِدٌ بِعِهارِ
Indeed, outwardly alike are a birth
A licit wedlock resembled an illicit one
from lawful marriage and a birth from fornication.
In externals though they differ at the core
وَالإِنسُand humankind فيin عَمّاءَblind confusion لَمhave not يَتَبَيَّنواdiscerned
وَالإِنسُ في عَمّاءَ لَم يَتَبَيَّنوا
بِالفِكرِthrough thought إِلّاexcept حِكمَةَthe wisdom of القَهّارِthe All-Subduer
بِالفِكرِ إِلّا حِكمَةَ القَهّارِ
And humankind, in blind confusion, have not discerned
Mankind is confused, only discerning
through thought anything but the All-Subduer's wisdom.
The wisdom of the Almighty
يَبغيseeks الطَهارَةَpurity ناسِكٌan ascetic وَمَحَلُّهُyet 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
A devout seeker prefers purity yet his setting
is in a harlot untouched by purification.
Is a loose woman far from being chaste
وَمِنَand among الرَزاياcalamities ماis that which يُفيءُbrings لَكَto you العُلاeminence
وَمِنَ الرَزايا ما يُفيءُ لَكَ العُلا
كَالمِسكِlike musk فاحَgave off fragrance بِمَوقِعِunder the impact of الأَفهارِstone pestles
كَالمِسكِ فاحَ بِمَوقِعِ الأَفهارِ
Among calamities are those that bring you eminence,
And of adversities, some restore your glory
as musk releases fragrance beneath the blows of stone pestles.
As musk exuding from the incision site
أَسنَيتُI have aged مِنthrough مَرِّthe passing of السِنينَthe years وَلَمand I did not أُرِدmean
أَسنَيتُ مِن مَرِّ السِنينَ وَلَم أُرِد
أَسنَيتُI have shone مِنfrom ضَوءِthe light of السَناradiance البَهّارُdazzling
أَسنَيتُ مِن ضَوءِ السَنا البَهّارُ
I have aged with the passing years; I did not mean
I aged without wanting to age
"I have shone" with dazzling, radiant light.
I aged without the shine of splendid years
وَجَهَرتُand I dredged مِنamong قُلُبِthe wells of الوِدادِaffection ذَمامَهاtheir scant-watered ones
وَجَهَرتُ مِن قُلُبِ الوِدادِ ذَمامَها
فَذَمَمتُso I voiced blame فيin سِرّيmy privacy وَعِندَand in جِهاريmy public speech
فَذَمَمتُ في سِرّي وَعِندَ جِهاري
And among affection's wells, I dredged the scant-watered ones,
And I unveiled from the heart of passion its fervor
so I voiced blame in secret and in public.
So I suppressed it secretly and openly
وَشُهِرتُand I was made famous فيin الدُنِّياthis world وَمَنbut who ليwill grant me أَنthat أَرىI may be seen
وَشُهِرتُ في الدُنِّيا وَمَن لي أَن أَرى
كَالنيرِlike the luminary الفانيfading away مَعَwith الإِشهارِthe new month's onset
كَالنيرِ الفاني مَعَ الإِشهارِ
And I was made famous in this world; who can grant that I appear
I gained fame in the world but I have none that I can see
like the luminary that fades as the new month comes?
As ephemeral as flame while spreading light
وَكَأَنَّand as though ساهِرَةَthe wakeful expanse السَماءِof heaven تَضَمَّنَتharbored
وَكَأَنَّ ساهِرَةَ السَماءِ تَضَمَّنَت
أَنَفاًproud disdain مِنَfor التَسهيدِbeing denied sleep وَالإِسهارِand being kept awake
أَنَفاً مِنَ التَسهيدِ وَالإِسهارِ
And it is as though the wakeful expanse of heaven harbored
It's as if the sleepless of the sky hinted
a proud disdain for being denied sleep and kept awake.
At the extermination and deprivation of sleep
Sol 6.1