أَصبَحتُI have come to أَلحىI reproach خَلَّتَيّاmy two traits
أَصبَحتُ أَلحى خَلَّتَيّا
هاتيكَthat one أُبغِضُهاI hate it وَتَيّاand this little one
هاتيكَ أُبغِضُها وَتَيّا
I have come to reproach my two traits:
that one I hate, and this little one.
وَدُعيتُand I was called شَيخاًan old man بَعدَafter ماthat (introducing the next clause)
وَدُعيتُ شَيخاً بَعدَ ما
سُمّيتُI was called فيin زَمَنٍa time فُتَيّاa young lad
سُمّيتُ في زَمَنٍ فُتَيّا
And I was called an old man after
having once been called a young lad.
وَكَفَيتُand I spared صَحبِيَmy companions إِلَّتَيّاmy two groans
وَكَفَيتُ صَحبِيَ إِلَّتَيّا
بَعدَafter اللُتَيّاthe little ordeal وَاللُتَيّاand the little ordeal
بَعدَ اللُتَيّا وَاللُتَيّا
And I spared my companions my two groans,
after one little ordeal and another.
سَقياًa blessing of rain لِأَيّامِfor the days of الشَبابِyouth
سَقياً لِأَيّامِ الشَبابِ
وَماand not حَسَرتُI wore out مُطيَتَيّاmy two mounts
وَما حَسَرتُ مُطيَتَيّا
May rain bless the days of youth,
when I had not yet worn out my two mounts;
أَيّامَthe days when آمُلُI hope أَنto أَمُسَّtouch
أَيّامَ آمُلُ أَن أَمُسَّ
الفَرقَدَينِthe two Farqad stars بِراحَتَيّاwith my two palms
الفَرقَدَينِ بِراحَتَيّا
the days when I hoped to touch
the two Farqad stars with my two palms,
وَأَفيضُand I pour forth إِحسانيmy kindness عَلىupon
وَأَفيضُ إِحساني عَلى
جارَيَّmy two male neighbors ثَمَّthere وَجارَتَيّاand my two female neighbors
جارَيَّ ثَمَّ وَجارَتَيّا
and pour my kindness upon
my two male neighbors there, and my two female neighbors.
فَالآنَso now تَعجِزُfalls short هِمَّتيmy resolve
فَالآنَ تَعجِزُ هِمَّتي
عَمّاof what يُنالُcan be attained بِخُطوَتَيّاwith my two steps
عَمّا يُنالُ بِخُطوَتَيّا
So now my resolve falls short
of what can be reached with my two steps.
أَوصىcounseled اِبنَتَيهِhis two daughters لَبيدٌLabīd الthe (prefixed to the next line's word)
أَوصى اِبنَتَيهِ لَبيدٌ ال
ماضيdeparted وَلاand not أوصيI counsel اِبنَتَيّاmy two daughters
ماضي وَلا أوصي اِبنَتَيّا
Labīd counseled his two daughters—the
departed one; I do not counsel my two daughters.
لَستُI am not المُفاخِرَone who boasts فيamong الرِجاthe men (continued on the next line)
لَستُ المُفاخِرَ في الرِجا
لِ(completes 'men') بِعَمَّتَيَّof my two paternal aunts وَخالَتَيّاand my two maternal aunts
لِ بِعَمَّتَيَّ وَخالَتَيّا
I am not one to boast among
men of my two paternal aunts and my two maternal aunts.
لَكِنbut أُقِرُّI admit بِأَنَّنيthat I am
لَكِن أُقِرُّ بِأَنَّني
ضَرعٌa weakling أُمارِسُI grapple with دارَتَيّاmy two abodes
ضَرعٌ أُمارِسُ دارَتَيّا
But I admit that I am
a weakling, grappling with my two abodes.
وَاللَهُand God يَرحَمُنيhas mercy on me إِذاwhen
وَاللَهُ يَرحَمُني إِذا
أودِعتُI am placed أَضيَقَthe narrower of ساحَتَيّاmy two courtyards
أودِعتُ أَضيَقَ ساحَتَيّا
And may God have mercy on me when
I am placed in the narrower of my two courtyards.
لاdo not تَجعَلَنever make حاليmy state إِذاwhen
لا تَجعَلَن حالي إِذا
غُيِّبتُI am hidden away أَيأَسَthe more hopeless of حالَتَيّاmy two states
غُيِّبتُ أَيأَسَ حالَتَيّا
Do not make my state, when
I am hidden away, the more hopeless of my two states.
Sol 6.1