تَفِرُّflee عَنِfrom الشَّيْبِgray hair الْغَوَانِيbeautiful women تَعَزُّزاًin proud disdain
تَفِرُّ عَنِ الشَّيْبِ الْغَوَانِي تَعَزُّزاً
كَمَاjust as يَعْتَرِيهَاovertakes them إِنْif رَأَتْthey see سَامَSām (in Sām Abraṣ, 'gecko') أَبْرَصَاAbraṣ ('leprous'; completes the gecko's name)
كَمَا يَعْتَرِيهَا إِنْ رَأَتْ سَامَ أَبْرَصَا
Beautiful women flee from gray hair in proud disdain,
The young women shun old age as though it were leprosy,
just as they do when they see a gecko.
As if they saw in it a mangy camel.
بَدَاappeared وَضَحاًas a white patch فِيin جِدَّةِthe freshness of الْعُمْرِlife شَانِياdisfiguring
بَدَا وَضَحاً فِي جِدَّةِ الْعُمْرِ شَانِيا
فَمَنْso whoever سَامَsought شَيْخاًan old man فَهْوَthen he قَدْindeed سَامَsought أَبْرصَاa leper
فَمَنْ سَامَ شَيْخاً فَهْوَ قَدْ سَامَ أَبْرصَا
It appeared as a disfiguring white patch in life's fresh prime;
My decline became clear in the prime of life,
so whoever seeks an old man has indeed sought a leper.
So he who matches wits with an old man matches wits with a leper.
Sol 6.1