قُلsay لِلمَشيبِto gray hair يَدُthe hand الأَيامِof days دائِبَةٌunceasing
قُل لِلمَشيبِ يَدُ الأَيامِ دائِبَةٌ
تُنقيكَcleanses you وَالمَرءُand man مِنout of جَهلٍignorance يُنَقّيكاremoves you
تُنقيكَ وَالمَرءُ مِن جَهلٍ يُنَقّيكا
Say to gray hair: the hand of days is ever at work,
Tell old age the hand of days is diligent
cleansing you, while man, out of ignorance, removes you.
It purifies you and one is purified of ignorance
لَوif كُنتُI were كَالجَبَلِlike a mountain الراسيfirmly rooted لَأَوَّدَنيwould surely bend me
لَو كُنتُ كَالجَبَلِ الراسي لَأَوَّدَني
بِالثِقلِwith the weight أَنَّكَthat you فيon رَأسيmy head تَرَقّيكاyour ascent
بِالثِقلِ أَنَّكَ في رَأسي تَرَقّيكا
Were I like a firmly rooted mountain, I would be bent
If I were like a firmly rooted mountain
by the weight of your ascent upon my head.
Its weight would make me love that you climb upon my head
وَكَيفَand how يَقطَعُcuts short إِنسانٌa person مَدىthe span أَجَلٍof a lifespan
وَكَيفَ يَقطَعُ إِنسانٌ مَدى أَجَلٍ
عَلَيكَfor you وَالمَلِكُwhile the King الدَيّانُthe Requiter يُبقيكاkeeps you alive
عَلَيكَ وَالمَلِكُ الدَيّانُ يُبقيكا
And how can a man cut short the span of a life
How can a person cut short the course of a lifetime
for you, while the King, the Requiter, keeps you alive?
That is allotted to you while the Judge King preserves you
فَلاso neither الأُساةُthe physicians أَطالَتhave lingered فيin تَفَكُّرِهاtheir deliberation
فَلا الأُساةُ أَطالَت في تَفَكُّرِها
تَشفيcure ضَناكَyour wasting illness وَلاnor الكُهّانُthe soothsayers تَرقيكاrecite healing charms over you
تَشفي ضَناكَ وَلا الكُهّانُ تَرقيكا
So no physicians, however long they ponder,
Neither can brooding prolong your grief
can cure your wasting illness, nor can soothsayers heal you with charms.
Nor soothsayers heal your affliction
لَمّاwhen صَبِبتَyou grew lovesick سُقيتَyou were given to drink الوَجدَlonging مُنحَنِياًbent low
لَمّا صَبِبتَ سُقيتَ الوَجدَ مُنحَنِياً
مِنَof الصَبيبِplant-dye extract أَوor الحِنّاءِhenna يَسقيكاhe gives you to drink
مِنَ الصَبيبِ أَو الحِنّاءِ يَسقيكا
When you grew lovesick, you were given longing to drink, bent low;
When you were poured you were made to drink fervor bent over
he gives you a draught of dye extract or henna.
From the downpour or henna that gives you to drink
لاقاكَmet you بِالخَطَرِwith khatar dye مَغرورٌa deluded man عَلىin خَطَرٍdanger
لاقاكَ بِالخَطَرِ مَغرورٌ عَلى خَطَرٍ
وَكُنتَand you were بِالعِطرِwith perfume أَولىmore deserving فيin تَلَقّيكاwelcoming you
وَكُنتَ بِالعِطرِ أَولى في تَلَقّيكا
A deluded man met you with khatar dye, himself in danger,
One deluded by danger met you in danger
though perfume was more fitting for your welcome.
And you were worthier to meet him in fragrance
يَقُصُّfollows آثارَthe tracks أَقوامٍof people أوليpossessing سَفَهٍfoolishness
يَقُصُّ آثارَ أَقوامٍ أولي سَفَهٍ
وَبِالمِقَصَّينِand with the two scissor blades فيamid النَعماءِblessings يُشقيكاmakes you suffer
وَبِالمِقَصَّينِ في النَعماءِ يُشقيكا
He follows the tracks of foolish folk,
He recounts the traces of foolish past folk
and with the two scissor blades makes you suffer amid blessings.
And with shears in prosperity he troubles you
ياO صِبغَةَdye اللَهِof God مَنwho أَعطاكَhas given you واقِيَةًprotection
يا صِبغَةَ اللَهِ مَن أَعطاكَ واقِيَةً
فَإِنَّfor indeed صُبغَthe dye أُناسٍof people لاnot يُوَقّيكاprotects you
فَإِنَّ صُبغَ أُناسٍ لا يُوَقّيكا
O God's dye, who has given you protection?
O God's dye who gave you protection
For people's dye does not protect you.
The dyes of some people cannot protect you
Sol 6.1