إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle تَقَضّىhave elapsed الأَربَعونَforty years فَلاthen do not تُرِدdesire
إِذا ما تَقَضّى الأَربَعونَ فَلا تُرِد
سِوىexcept اِمرَأَةٍa woman فيin الأَربَعينَforty years لَهاfor her قِسمُa share
سِوى اِمرَأَةٍ في الأَربَعينَ لَها قِسمُ
When forty years have passed, desire none
When forty years are done, desire no more
but a woman who has her share of forty years.
Save a maid in her forties with a fate in store,
فَإِنَّfor indeed الَّذيhe who وَفّىcompleted الثَلاثينَthirty years وَاِرتَقىand climbed
فَإِنَّ الَّذي وَفّى الثَلاثينَ وَاِرتَقى
عَلَيهُنَّbeyond them عَشراًten years لِلفَناءِof death بِهِon him وَسمُa mark
عَلَيهُنَّ عَشراً لِلفَناءِ بِهِ وَسمُ
For he who has completed thirty and climbed
For he who thirties past did shun and soar
ten years beyond them bears the mark of death.
On them must add ten more to deathward bore.
زَمانُthe time of الغَوانيthe beautiful women عَصرَthe time when جِسمَكَyour body زائِدٌgrowing
زَمانُ الغَواني عَصرَ جِسمَكَ زائِدٌ
وَهُنَّand they عَناءٌa burden بَعدَafter أَنthat يَقِفَstops الجِسمُthe body
وَهُنَّ عَناءٌ بَعدَ أَن يَقِفَ الجِسمُ
The time for fair women is when your body is growing,
Time of delight is plus to body's need;
and they are a burden once the body stops growing.
And they are toil when power to joy recede.
سَأَلتَyou asked بَنيthe sons of الأَيّامِthe days عَنabout ذاهِبِvanished الصِباyouth
سَأَلتَ بَني الأَيّامِ عَن ذاهِبِ الصِبا
كَأَنَّكَas though you قُلتَsaid الآنَnow ماwhat فَعَلَتdid طَسمُTasm
كَأَنَّكَ قُلتَ الآنَ ما فَعَلَت طَسمُ
You asked the sons of the days about vanished youth,
The days thou askest of lost youth, indeed,
as though you now said, 'What has become of Tasm?'
As though saying "Whither went the talisman?"
تُريدُyou desire مِنَfrom الدُنياthe world خِلافاًsomething different لِماfrom what مَضىhas passed
تُريدُ مِنَ الدُنيا خِلافاً لِما مَضى
وَأَعياكَand has baffled you تَدبيرٌa design بِهِfor it سَبَقَcame beforehand الرَسمُthe prescribed pattern
وَأَعياكَ تَدبيرٌ بِهِ سَبَقَ الرَسمُ
You desire from the world something unlike what has passed,
From life thou seekest what is past and fled,
and a design whose pattern was set beforehand has baffled you.
And thou art tasked beyond what Fate hath sped.
هُوَit الداءُthe malady لاnot يَنفَكُّceases يُشكىis lamented وَيُشتَكىand is complained of
هُوَ الداءُ لا يَنفَكُّ يُشكى وَيُشتَكى
وَلَوand had شاءَwilled رَبُّthe Lord of الناسِhumankind أَدرَكَهُreached it الحَسمُthe decisive cure
وَلَو شاءَ رَبُّ الناسِ أَدرَكَهُ الحَسمُ
It is the malady, endlessly lamented and complained of;
The ill clings fast and is bemoaned and pled,
and had the Lord of humankind willed, a decisive cure would have reached it.
Though God of men, an He but willed, th' account would read.
مَضىpassed away الشَخصُthe person ثُمَّthen الذِكرُthe memory فَاِنقَرَضاso both perished مَعاًtogether
مَضى الشَخصُ ثُمَّ الذِكرُ فَاِنقَرَضا مَعاً
وَماand not ماتَhas died كُلَّall of المَوتdeath مَنwhoever عاشَlives on مِنهُof him اِسمُa name
وَما ماتَ كُلَّ المَوت مَن عاشَ مِنهُ اِسمُ
The person passed away, then the memory; both perished together.
The person passed, and eke the name is dead,
And one whose name lives on has not wholly died.
Not wholly dead who lives by deixis dread.
Sol 6.1