قُلsay لِلَيّاليto the nights ماwhatever أَرَدتِyou wish فَاِصنَعيso do it
قُل لِلَيّالي ما أَرَدتِ فَاِصنَعي
إِنَّindeed الَّذيthat which أَبلَيتِهِyou have worn it away لَنwill not يَرجِعِreturn
إِنَّ الَّذي أَبلَيتِهِ لَن يَرجِعِ
Tell the nights: do whatever you wish.
Surely, it will never return, what you have worn away
مِنَof الشَبابِyouth فَأَجِدّيso exert yourself أَوor دَعيdesist
مِنَ الشَبابِ فَأَجِدّي أَو دَعي
وَأَنتِand you قَدalready أَودَعتِyou have deposited شَرَّthe worst مودَعِthing deposited
وَأَنتِ قَد أَودَعتِ شَرَّ مودَعِ
Of youth—so do your utmost, or desist.
And you have left the worst of deposits:
تَقَرُّحٌulceration فيin بَدَنيmy body وَأَضلُعيand my ribs
تَقَرُّحٌ في بَدَني وَأَضلُعي
وَضَعفُand weakness صُلبيmy spine وَاِشتِكاءُand aching أَخدَعيmy neck-vein
وَضَعفُ صُلبي وَاِشتِكاءُ أَخدَعي
Ulceration in my body and my ribs,
And weakness in my spine, and aching in my neck-vein,
بِوَجَعٍwith pain نَظيرُهُits like لَمdid not أَيجَعِI suffer pain
بِوَجَعٍ نَظيرُهُ لَم أَيجَعِ
ماnot فِيَّin me ياO عاذِلُreproacher مِنany مُستَمتَعِsource of enjoyment
ما فِيَّ يا عاذِلُ مِن مُستَمتَعِ
With pain whose like I have never felt.
There is nothing in me to enjoy, O reproacher.
أَنَحَلَنيhas emaciated me كَرُّthe recurrence of اللَياليthe nights الرُجَّعِever-returning
أَنَحَلَني كَرُّ اللَيالي الرُجَّعِ
تِسعينَninety قَدalready وَصَلتُهاI have joined it بِأَربَعِwith four
تِسعينَ قَد وَصَلتُها بِأَربَعِ
The cycle of returning nights has wasted me away;
I have added four to ninety years.
وَيحَكِwoe to you كُفّيcease عَنfrom مَلاميblaming me وَاِربَعيand desist
وَيحَكِ كُفّي عَن مَلامي وَاِربَعي
وَحَقَّand is true ماwhat أُلقيI convey إِلَيكَto you فَاِسمَعيso listen
وَحَقَّ ما أُلقي إِلَيكَ فَاِسمَعي
Woe to you! Stop blaming me, and desist.
And what I tell you is true, so listen:
إِنّيindeed I لَوif عُمِّرتُI were granted life عُمرَthe lifespan of الأَصمَعِيِّal-Asmaʿi
إِنّي لَو عُمِّرتُ عُمرَ الأَصمَعِيِّ
وَعُمرَand the lifespan of لُقمانَLuqman وَعُمرَand the lifespan of تُبَّعِTubbaʿ
وَعُمرَ لُقمانَ وَعُمرَ تُبَّعِ
Indeed, were I granted al-Asmaʿi's lifespan,
And Luqman's lifespan, and Tubbaʿ's lifespan,
وَنِسرِand the vulture of لُقمانَLuqman الهِجَفِّhuge الأَقرَعِbald
وَنِسرِ لُقمانَ الهِجَفِّ الأَقرَعِ
ماnot كانَthere would be بُدٌّan escape مِنfrom تَبَوّيmy settling into مَضجَعيmy resting-place
ما كانَ بُدٌّ مِن تَبَوّي مَضجَعي
And that of Luqman's huge, bald vulture,
I could not escape settling into my resting-place,
فيin عَرضِa width of شِبرَينِtwo handspans وَخَمسِand five أَذرُعِcubits
في عَرضِ شِبرَينِ وَخَمسِ أَذرُعِ
فيin مَضجَعٍa resting-place ساكِنهُits occupant لَمhas not يَهجَعِslept
في مَضجَعٍ ساكِنهُ لَم يَهجَعِ
In a space two handspans wide and five cubits long,
In a resting-place whose occupant has not slept.
Sol 6.1