هذيthese منازلهمtheir dwellings أماdo you not تتذكرremember
هذي منازلهم أما تتذكر
درستhave faded معاهدهمtheir familiar haunts فأمستso have become تنكرunrecognizable
درست معاهدهم فأمست تنكر
These are their dwellings—do you not remember?
These are their dwellings, do you not remember?
Their familiar haunts have faded and become unrecognizable.
I studied in their schools, now unrecognizable.
عفتeffaced السيولthe torrents طلولهاtheir ruins فكأنهاso they are like
عفت السيول طلولها فكأنها
خدّىmy cheek يخددهاfurrow them دموعtears تهمرpour down
خدّى يخددها دموع تهمر
The torrents have effaced their ruins, so they are like
The torrents have washed away their heights, as though
My cheek, furrowed by tears that pour down.
A cheek is furrowed by streaming tears.
درستhave faded رسومهمtheir traces ورسمand the trace شبيبتىmy youth
درست رسومهم ورسم شبيبتى
وعلاهماand covered them both نَورblossoms وشيبand gray hair أزهرbright white
وعلاهما نَور وشيب أزهر
Their traces have faded, as has the trace of my youth,
I studied their customs and the custom of my youth,
And blossoms and gleaming white hair have covered them both.
Over both shone light and blossoming gray hair.
لونthe hue المشيبgray hair علىupon عذارىmy cheek آيةa sign
لون المشيب على عذارى آية
بيضاءwhite منfrom سوءaffliction تروعterrifies وتنذرand warns
بيضاء من سوء تروع وتنذر
The hue of gray hair upon my cheek is a sign,
The grayness of old age on the chaste is a sign
White from affliction, it terrifies and warns.
White from misfortune, warning and alarming.
قالواthey said الخضابdyeing the hair فقلتso I replied أنيthat I am ماقتone who detests
قالوا الخضاب فقلت أني ماقت
حىّliving المشيبgray hair فكيفso how ميتاdead يقبرis buried
حىّ المشيب فكيف ميتا يقبر
They said, 'Dye it!' I replied, 'I detest
They said: "Dye it!" But I said "I hate
Living gray hair—how, then, can it be buried dead?'
Even the grayness of the living, so why should the dead be buried?"
Sol 6.1