شابturned gray فيهon him العِذَارُthe side-whiskers فازددتso I increased عُجباًin wonder
شاب فيه العِذَارُ فازددت عُجباً
لصباحٍat a dawn بداappeared بأَوّلِat the beginning of لَيْلِnight
لصباحٍ بدا بأَوّلِ لَيْلِ
His side-whiskers turned gray, and my wonder grew
A youth possessed allure, so I was struck with wonder
at a dawn appearing at the very onset of night.
For a dawn that began with the eve of night
خَافَhe feared مَيْليَmy inclination عَنْهaway from him فكانَbut it was عَليْهِupon him
خَافَ مَيْليَ عَنْه فكانَ عَليْهِ
وقليلٌand little لهُfor him انحرافِيmy turning وَميْلِيand my inclination
وقليلٌ لهُ انحرافِي وَميْلِي
He feared my turning away from him, but I leaned toward him;
He feared my inclination from him, so he was upon it
and my turning and leaning are little enough for him.
And little was my deviation and inclination from him
واقتضىand demanded الشَّيْبُgray hair مِنْهfrom him مقْلُوبُthe rearrangement of جُودِيmy generosity
واقتضى الشَّيْبُ مِنْه مقْلُوبُ جُودِي
مِثْلَjust as ماwhat طابَgrew sweet منهthrough him تصحيفُthe re-dotting of نَيْليmy attainment
مِثْلَ ما طابَ منه تصحيفُ نَيْلي
His gray hair demanded my 'generosity' rearranged into 'passion',
And gray hair demanded from him the reversal of my generosity
just as my 'attainment,' re-dotted into 'lovesickness,' grew sweet through him.
Like the goodness of him corrupting my attainment
جاءَit came فيat غَيْرother than وقْتِهits time ذلكthat الthe (continued)
جاءَ في غَيْر وقْتِه ذلك ال
شَّيبُgray hair فغطَّاهُso it covered it ثوبُthe robe of لَثْمِيmy kissing بِذيْلwith a hem
شَّيبُ فغطَّاهُ ثوبُ لَثْمِي بِذيْل
It came before its time, that
That gray hair came in other than its time, so it covered him
gray hair; so the robe of my kisses covered it with its hem.
The gown of my saliva with its train
ولقدand indeed زَادَهُit increased him جَمالاًin beauty وحُسْناًand loveliness
ولقد زَادَهُ جَمالاً وحُسْناً
زَادَit increased نُوْحِيmy lament منfrom الغَرامِpassionate love وَوَيْلِيand my woe
زَادَ نُوْحِي من الغَرامِ وَوَيْلِي
Indeed, it added to his beauty and loveliness,
And it increased his beauty and goodness
and deepened my love-born lament and woe.
Increased my pining of love and my misery
ولقدand indeed طَفَّلcame uninvited المشيبُgray hair فقُلناso we said
ولقد طَفَّل المشيبُ فقُلنا
أَحسنَmade more beautiful الطِّفْلَthe child ذاthis المشيبُgray hair الطُفَيليthe uninvited guest
أَحسنَ الطِّفْلَ ذا المشيبُ الطُفَيلي
Gray hair indeed arrived uninvited, so we said:
And gray hair acted childishly, so we said
'This gatecrashing gray hair has made the child more beautiful.'
The childish gray-haired one beautified my little child
Sol 6.1