لَيسَthere is no عَلىwith الشَيبِgray hair لِلغَوانيfor fair women
لَيسَ عَلى الشَيبِ لِلغَواني
وَإِنand even if تَجَمَّلنَthey act graciously مِنany قَرارِrest
وَإِن تَجَمَّلنَ مِن قَرارِ
With gray hair, fair women find
The nights are not to blame for the follies of youth,
no rest, however gracious they may seem.
Though now they adorn with dignified composure.
كَأَنَّماas though البيضُthe fair-skinned women مِنamong لِداتيmy peers
كَأَنَّما البيضُ مِن لِداتي
ضَرائِرُrival wives البيضِthe white hairs مِنof عِذاريmy cheek's hair
ضَرائِرُ البيضِ مِن عِذاري
It is as though the fair women of my age
My white locks seem as if shed by my cheeks,
were rival wives to the white hairs along my cheek.
While in fact, they are the white flowers of my temples.
إِنif خَيَّمَتencamped هَذِهِthese بِأَرضيin my land
إِن خَيَّمَت هَذِهِ بِأَرضي
تَحَمَّلَتpacked up and departed تِلكَthose عَنfrom دِياريmy dwellings
تَحَمَّلَت تِلكَ عَن دِياري
If these pitch camp in my land,
When one campsite departs from my land,
those pack up and leave my dwellings.
Another is pitched for me in my home.
أَرَينَthey have shown فيin رَأسِيَmy head اللَياليthe nights
أَرَينَ في رَأسِيَ اللَيالي
شَرَّthe worst ضِياءٍlight لِشَرِّof the worst نارِfire
شَرَّ ضِياءٍ لِشَرِّ نارِ
The nights have shown upon my head
Have I not seen in the nights of my life,
the worst light of the worst fire.
The evilest of lights for the evilest of fires?
يُبديit reveals الخَفِيّاتِthe hidden things مِنamong عُيوبيmy faults
يُبدي الخَفِيّاتِ مِن عُيوبي
وَيُظهِرُand it exposes السِرَّthe secret مِنof عَواريmy blemishes
وَيُظهِرُ السِرَّ مِن عَواري
It exposes my hidden faults,
It reveals the hidden faults in me,
and brings my secret blemishes to light.
And exposes my innermost secrets.
أَعدوI act as a foe بِهِwith it اليَومَtoday لِلغَوانيto fair women
أَعدو بِهِ اليَومَ لِلغَواني
أَعدىmore hostile مِنَthan الذِئبِthe wolf لِلضَواريto the hunting hounds
أَعدى مِنَ الذِئبِ لِلضَواري
With it, today I am a foe to fair women,
Today it makes me more hostile to youth,
a greater foe than the wolf to hunting hounds.
Than a wolf is to sheep.
وَكُنَّand they were طَربىdelighted إِلىat طُروقيmy night visits
وَكُنَّ طَربى إِلى طُروقي
إِذwhen لَيلُthe night رَأسيmy head بِلاwithout دَراريbright stars
إِذ لَيلُ رَأسي بِلا دَراري
And they once rejoiced at my visits by night,
My nights were once filled with joy,
when the night of my head had no bright stars.
Before my hair lost its darkness.
فَمُذbut since أَضاءَlit up المَشيبُgray hair فوديmy temple
فَمُذ أَضاءَ المَشيبُ فودي
تَوَرَّعَrefrained scrupulously الزَورُthe visitors عَنfrom مَزاريvisiting me
تَوَرَّعَ الزَورُ عَن مَزاري
But since gray hair lit up my temple,
But since my hair turned white,
the visitors have scrupled to visit me.
Vain talk has become rare for me.
مِثلُlike الخَيالاتِthe phantoms زُرنَthey visited لَيلاًat night
مِثلُ الخَيالاتِ زُرنَ لَيلاً
وَزُلنَand they vanished مَعwith طالِعِthe rising of النَهارِthe day
وَزُلنَ مَع طالِعِ النَهارِ
Like phantoms, they visited by night,
My thoughts used to frolic at night,
and vanished with the break of day.
And disappear at dawn.
Sol 6.1