بَانَbecame apparent عَليَّupon me الكِبَرُold age
بَانَ عَليَّ الكِبَرُ
وَغَيَّرتنيand changed me الغِيَرُvicissitudes
وَغَيَّرتني الغِيَرُ
Old age has plainly shown on me,
Old age shows on me,
and fortune’s changes have changed me.
and vicissitudes have changed me.
وَصَارَand came to مَنwhoever يَنظُرنيlooks at me
وَصَارَ مَن يَنظُرني
يَقُولُsays هذاthis is عُمَرُUmar
يَقُولُ هذا عُمَرُ
Whoever looks at me is bewildered
And now whoever looks at me
and says, “Is this ʿUmar?”
says, "This is Umar."
أينَwhere is اهِتزارٌswaying كالقضيlike the branch (continued)
أينَ اهِتزارٌ كالقضي
بِcompletion of 'branch' اللَّدّنِsupple حِينَwhen أَخطُرُI strut
بِ اللَّدّنِ حِينَ أَخطُرُ
Where is my graceful swaying, like a
Where is my swaying like a
supple bough, when I used to strut?
supple branch when I strut,
وقولُهُمْand their saying عِندَduring الصِّباyouth
وقولُهُمْ عِندَ الصِّبا
تَاللّهِby God ماذاthis is not (ما ذا) بَشَرُa human being
تَاللّهِ ماذا بَشَرُ
And where is what they said in my youth:
and their words in my youth:
“By God, what a man!”
"By God, this is no mortal"?
تَقُوُّسُcurving الظَهرِthe back وَمَاand not
تَقُوُّسُ الظَهرِ وَمَا
غَيْرُother than العصاthe staff ليfor me وَتَرُa bowstring
غَيْرُ العصا لي وَتَرُ
My back has curved into a bow, and I have
My back is bowed, and
no bowstring but my staff.
my staff is my only bowstring.
وَليسَand there is not ليfor me مِنof; from الغَواthe lovely women (continued)
وَليسَ لي مِن الغَوا
نيcompletion of 'lovely women' اليومَtoday سَهْمٌan arrow; a share يُذْكَرُworth mentioning
ني اليومَ سَهْمٌ يُذْكَرُ
Nor have I, among beautiful
Nor have I, among the lovely
women today, a share worth mentioning.
women today, an arrow worth mentioning.
Sol 6.1