أَينَwhere الشَبابُyouth وَأَيَّةًand which way سَلَكاit went
أَينَ الشَبابُ وَأَيَّةً سَلَكا
لاno أَينَwhere يُطلَبُit is sought ضَلَّit was lost بَلrather هَلَكاit perished
لا أَينَ يُطلَبُ ضَلَّ بَل هَلَكا
Where is youth, and which way has it gone?
Where is the vigor of youth, where has it gone?
Nowhere can it be sought: lost—rather, perished.
Not lost, for it cannot be found, rather it's perished and gone.
لاdo not تَعجَبيmarvel ياO سَلمَSalm مِنat رَجُلٍa man
لا تَعجَبي يا سَلمَ مِن رَجُلٍ
ضَحِكَlaughed المَشيبُgray hair بِرَأسِهِon his head فَبَكىso he wept
ضَحِكَ المَشيبُ بِرَأسِهِ فَبَكى
Do not marvel, O Salm, at a man
Do not wonder, O Salma, at a man
On whose head gray hair laughed, so he wept.
Whose hair turned grey as he wept with laughter.
قَدindeed كانَhe used to يَضحَكُlaugh فيin شَبيبَتِهِhis youth
قَد كانَ يَضحَكُ في شَبيبَتِهِ
فَأَتىthen came المَشيبُgray hair فَقَلَّماand seldom ضَحِكاhe laughed
فَأَتى المَشيبُ فَقَلَّما ضَحِكا
He used to laugh in his youth;
In his youth he would laugh heartily,
Then gray hair came, and he seldom laughed.
But grey hair came and scarce his laughter rang.
ياO سَلمَSalm ماno بِالشَيبِin gray hair مَنقَصَةٌa defect
يا سَلمَ ما بِالشَيبِ مَنقَصَةٌ
لاneither سوقَةًa commoner يُبقيit spares وَلاnor مَلِكاa king
لا سوقَةً يُبقي وَلا مَلِكا
O Salm, there is no defect in gray hair:
O Salma, grey hair brings no disgrace,
It spares neither commoner nor king.
Neither loss of rule nor loss of reign.
قَصَرَhe curbed الغَوايَةَfolly عَنfrom هَوىlove for قَمَرٍa moon
قَصَرَ الغَوايَةَ عَن هَوى قَمَرٍ
وَجَدَhe found السَبيلَthe path إِلَيهِto it مُشتَرَكاshared
وَجَدَ السَبيلَ إِلَيهِ مُشتَرَكا
He curbed his foolish love for a moon
His passion for the moon was cut short,
Whose path he found shared by others,
And he found the way to her shared by all.
وَعداًand hastened (reading wa-ʿadā) بِأُخرىtoward another عَزَّwas difficult مَطلَبُهاattaining her
وَعداً بِأُخرى عَزَّ مَطلَبُها
صَبّاًlovesick يَطاhe treads مِنfrom دونِهاbefore her الحَسَكاthorns
صَبّاً يَطا مِن دونِها الحَسَكا
And hastened toward another, hard to attain,
With a promise of another, his quest was hindered,
Lovesick, treading thorns on the way to her.
Pouring his devotion upon her while others strove in vain.
ياoh لَيتَif only شِعريmy knowing كَيفَhow نَومُكُماyour sleep (you two)
يا لَيتَ شِعري كَيفَ نَومُكُما
ياO صاحِبَيَّmy two companions إِذاif دَميmy blood سُفِكاwas shed
يا صاحِبَيَّ إِذا دَمي سُفِكا
Oh, if only I knew how you two would sleep,
Oh, how I wish I knew how you two sleep,
O my two companions, if my blood were shed!
My friends, when my blood is spilled.
لاdo not تَأخُذاhold to account (you two) بِظُلامَتيfor the wrong done to me أَحَداًanyone
لا تَأخُذا بِظُلامَتي أَحَداً
قَلبيmy heart وَطَرفيand my gaze فيin دَميmy blood اِشتَرَكاthey both shared
قَلبي وَطَرفي في دَمي اِشتَرَكا
Do not hold anyone to account for the wrong done to me:
Take not my darkness to blame another,
My heart and my gaze shared in shedding my blood.
For my heart and eyes in my blood are drowned.
Sol 6.1