نافرتهshe challenged him البيضاءthe fair woman فيover البيضاءwhite hair
نافرته البيضاء في البيضاء
وانفصالand the departure الشبابyouth فصْلَdecisive settlement القضاءِjudgment
وانفصال الشباب فصْلَ القضاءِ
The fair woman challenged him over his white hair,
Her whiteness fled into the whiteness,
and youth's departure was the decisive verdict.
And the parting of youth was a decree of fate.
حاكمَتْهshe brought him to judgment إِلىbefore مُعاتبِةreproach الشَّيْبgray hair
حاكمَتْه إِلى مُعاتبِة الشَّيْب
لِتَستمطرَso she might draw down الحَياthe rain بالحَياءِthrough shame
لِتَستمطرَ الحَيا بالحَياءِ
She brought him before the reproach of gray hair,
It led her to chide grey hairs,
to draw down rain through shame.
That she might coax life with bashfulness.
فاستهلّتْso they poured down لِبَيْنِهاat her parting سحبُclouds عيْنيْهِhis two eyes
فاستهلّتْ لِبَيْنِها سحبُ عيْنيْهِ
ويومُand the day النَّوىseparation منamong الأَنواءِthe rain-bearing seasons
ويومُ النَّوى من الأَنواءِ
Then, at her parting, the clouds of his eyes poured down,
So the clouds of her eyes burst into rain,
and the day of separation is among the seasons of rain.
And the day of bliss turned to gloom.
ياO شباباًyouth لَبِسْتُهI wore it ضافيَample الthe
يا شباباً لَبِسْتُه ضافيَ ال
ظلُّshade وتبلىand wear out مَلابسgarments الأَفياءِthe shades
ظلُّ وتبلى مَلابس الأَفياءِ
O youth, which I wore with ample
O youth that I clad in radiance,
shade—yet garments of shade wear out!
The shade passes away and raiment of the radiant fades.
كانwas بَرْدُcoolness الدُّجىthe darkness of night نسيماًa breeze
كان بَرْدُ الدُّجى نسيماً
وتهويماًand light slumber فأَذكتهthen it kindled it نفْحَةٌa breath منfrom ذُكاءِDhukāʾ (the sun)
وتهويماً فأَذكته نفْحَةٌ من ذُكاءِ
Night's coolness was a breeze
The cool of dusk was a zephyr,
and a light slumber; then a breath from Dhukāʾ, the sun, kindled it.
But a breath of wisdom stirred it into passion.
مَنْhe who لهُto him طاعةُobedience الصّوارِمِthe keen swords فيin الحرthe war (continued next line)
مَنْ لهُ طاعةُ الصّوارِمِ في الحر
بcompletion of 'the war' ولَيُّand the bending الأَعناقِthe necks تحتbeneath اللّواءِthe banner
ب ولَيُّ الأَعناقِ تحت اللّواءِ
He whom keen swords obey in war,
He who has sway over the swords in battle,
and who bends necks beneath the banner—
And leadership of necks beneath the banner.
مِنْamong مَساعٍdeeds إِذاwhen استغاثseeks aid بهfrom him الآthe hopeful one (continued next line)
مِنْ مَساعٍ إِذا استغاث به الآ
مِلُcompletion of 'the hopeful one' لَبّىanswered نَداهhis bounty قبلbefore النِّداءِthe call
مِلُ لَبّى نَداه قبل النِّداءِ
among his deeds: when the hopeful petitioner seeks his aid,
He who, when called by the hopeful, responds,
his bounty answers before the call.
Answering his call before the call.
وكأَنَّand as though القَباءthe robe منكَfrom you لماfor what ضَمَّit enfolded
وكأَنَّ القَباء منكَ لما ضَمَّ
مِنَof الطُّهْرpurity مَسْجِدٌa mosque بقُباءِat Qubāʾ
مِنَ الطُّهْر مَسْجِدٌ بقُباءِ
And it is as though your robe, for what it enfolds
As if the mantle moulded thee,
of purity, were a mosque at Qubāʾ.
When purity formed a mosque with a mantle.
Sol 6.1