لِجامٌa bridle لِلمَشيبِof gray hair ثَنىcurbed جِماحيmy unruliness
لِجامٌ لِلمَشيبِ ثَنى جِماحي
وَذَلَّلَنيand subdued me لِأَيّامٍto the days وَراضاand tamed
وَذَلَّلَني لِأَيّامٍ وَراضا
A bridle of gray hair curbed my unruliness
A bridle for my graying temples bent
And subdued me to the days and tamed me.
And made submissive my defiant days,
أُقُرُّI admit بِلُبسِهِto wearing it وَلقَدand indeed أَرانيI see myself
أُقُرُّ بِلُبسِهِ وَلقَد أَراني
أُجاحِدُهُI deny it إِباءًout of defiance وَاِمتِعاضاand resentment
أُجاحِدُهُ إِباءً وَاِمتِعاضا
I admit to wearing it, though I have seen myself
I acquiesce in wearing it though I
Denying it out of defiance and resentment.
Reluctantly abhor and rue its ways.
تَعَوَّضتُI took in exchange الوَقارَdignity مِنَin place of التَصابيplaying the youth
تَعَوَّضتُ الوَقارَ مِنَ التَصابي
لَشُدَّhow hard indeed عَلىupon المُعَوَّضِthe one compensated ماwhat اِستَعاضاhe received in exchange
لَشُدَّ عَلى المُعَوَّضِ ما اِستَعاضا
I took dignity in exchange for youthful dalliance;
For dignity I made this compromise
How hard on the one compensated is what he received in exchange!
That I might tie and take the thing I hate.
لَوىturned away عَنّيfrom me الخُدودَthe cheeks مِنَof الغَوانيthe beauties
لَوى عَنّي الخُدودَ مِنَ الغَواني
وَقَطَّعَand cut off دونِيَfrom me الحَدَقَthe pupils المِراضاthe languid
وَقَطَّعَ دونِيَ الحَدَقَ المِراضا
It turned the beauties’ cheeks away from me
It turned my cheeks away from dimples and
And barred their languid eyes from me.
Before my eyes spread out a joyless state.
فَصارَso became بَياضُهُits whiteness عِنديto me سَواداًblackness
فَصارَ بَياضُهُ عِندي سَواداً
وَكانَand had been سَوادُهُits blackness عِنديto me بَياضاwhiteness
وَكانَ سَوادُهُ عِندي بَياضا
So its whiteness became blackness to me,
Its whiteness now seems blackness to my eyes,
Whereas its blackness had been whiteness to me.
Its blackness changed to whiteness in my sight.
Sol 6.1