نِهايةُthe end ماwhat بَنَيْتَyou built إلىto انتِقاضِcollapse
نِهايةُ ما بَنَيْتَ إلى انتِقاضِ
وَشَيْبُكَand your gray hair بالموّاعظِwith admonitions أيَّwhat a قاضيjudge
وَشَيْبُكَ بالموّاعظِ أيَّ قاضي
What you have built ends in collapse.
The end of what you have built leads to ruin
And your gray hair—what a judge with its admonitions!
And your old age preaching is no judge
بناكbuilt you الدَّهرُtime أحسنَmost finely ماwhat بَناهُit built it
بناك الدَّهرُ أحسنَ ما بَناهُ
وماand nothing بعدَafter البناءِthe building سوىexcept البياضِwhiteness; whitewash
وما بعدَ البناءِ سوى البياضِ
Time built you as finely as anything it built.
Time built you better than it built others
And after building comes nothing but whitewash.
And after building, there is nothing left but barrenness
Sol 6.1