عرضتI offered هديتيmy gift للبيعfor sale يوماone day
عرضت هديتي للبيع يوما
لانظرso that I might see ماwhat تساويit is worth عنwith يقينيmy certainty
لانظر ما تساوي عن يقيني
One day I offered my gift for sale,
I offered my gift for sale one day
to see for certain what it was worth.
To see what it was worth, out of certainty
فحينso when الاربعينforty سمعتI heard فيهاoffered for it
فحين الاربعين سمعت فيها
فكادتso nearly انto تموقهاtear it (likely intended) يمينيmy right hand
فكادت ان تموقها يميني
So when I heard forty offered for it,
But when forty years passed, I heard
my right hand almost tore it apart.
My right hand was about to erase it
وقلتand I said لردهاsurely taking it back اولىis preferable فقالتthen it said
وقلت لردها اولى فقالت
مقالاa statement قدindeed حوىcontained ظرفاwit بلينwith gentleness
مقالا قد حوى ظرفا بلين
And I said, “Surely taking it back is better”; then it replied
And I said it was best to return it, but it said
with words full of wit, spoken gently:
Words that contained gentle reproach
إلىuntil كمhow long تخفضlower الشعراءthe poets فدريmy worth (likely intended)
إلى كم تخفض الشعراء فدري
وترفعand raise للسهاto al-Suha (a star) منwhoever كانwas دونيbeneath me
وترفع للسها من كان دوني
“How long will the poets lower my worth
How much do you belittle the poets, friend?
and raise to al-Suha those who were beneath me?
And raise up those below me?
وماذاand what تبتغيseek الشعراءthe poets منيfrom me
وماذا تبتغي الشعراء مني
وقدwhile already جاومتI have passed (likely intended) حدthe threshold of الاربعينforty
وقد جاومت حد الاربعين
And what do the poets seek from me,
What do the poets want from me
when I have already passed the threshold of forty?”
When I have reached forty years?
Sol 6.1