لاdo not تًسْأَلونيask me أَنْto أُجَدِّدَrenew صورَتيmy image
لا تًسْأَلوني أَنْ أُجَدِّدَ صورَتي
كَيْso that تَشْمَتَmay gloat الأَيَّامُthe days مِنْover قَسَماتيmy features!
كَيْ تَشْمَتَ الأَيَّامُ مِنْ قَسَماتي!
Do not ask me to renew my image
Do not ask me to renew my image
so that the days may gloat over my features!
So that fate may gloat over my allotment!
ماnot كُنْتُI was أَحْفِلُcare بِالمَظاهِرِabout appearances فيin الصِّبَاyouth
ما كُنْتُ أَحْفِلُ بِالمَظاهِرِ في الصِّبَا
أَتَكونُshould they be? فيat السَّبْعينَseventy مِنْamong رَغَباتيmy desires ؟!
أَتَكونُ في السَّبْعينَ مِنْ رَغَباتي ؟!
I cared nothing for appearances in my youth;
In my youth, I did not care for appearances -
should they be among my desires at seventy?!
Why would I in my seventies crave them?!
إِنْif نالَhas taken its toll مِنْon وَجْهيmy face الزَّمانُtime فَعاجِزٌthen it is powerless
إِنْ نالَ مِنْ وَجْهي الزَّمانُ فَعاجِزٌ
عَنْagainst مَبْدَئِيmy principle فيin الحَقِّthe truth يَوْمَon a day of ثَباتِsteadfastness
عَنْ مَبْدَئِي في الحَقِّ يَوْمَ ثَباتِ
If time has taken its toll on my face, it is powerless
If time has marred my face, it remains helpless
to shake my stand for truth on a day of resolve.
Against my steadfast principles and truths
لاno لَسْتُI do not أُومِنُbelieve بِالوُجوهِin faces وَكِذْبِهاand their lies
لا لَسْتُ أُومِنُ بِالوُجوهِ وَكِذْبِها
ونِفاقِand the hypocrisy ذيof one with الوَجْهَيْنِtwo faces فيat الجَلَساتِgatherings
ونِفاقِ ذي الوَجْهَيْنِ في الجَلَساتِ
No, I do not believe in faces and their lies,
I do not believe in faςades and their lies
and the hypocrisy of the two-faced man at gatherings.
And the hypocrisy of two-faced gatherings
إِنْif شابَturned gray شَعْرِيmy hair باكِرًاearly فِلَأَنَّنيthen it is because I
إِنْ شابَ شَعْرِي باكِرًا فِلَأَنَّني
عاصَرْتُI lived through ماwhat عاصَرْتُI lived through مِنْof نَكَباتِcalamities
عاصَرْتُ ما عاصَرْتُ مِنْ نَكَباتِ
If my hair turned gray early, it is because I
If my hair grayed early, it is because
lived through all the calamities I lived through.
I lived through tribulations and disasters
يالَيْتَif only لَوْنَthe color of الشَّيْبِgray hair كانَhad been مُرافِقِيmy companion
يالَيْتَ لَوْنَ الشَّيْبِ كانَ مُرافِقِي
فيon كُلِّevery يَوْمٍday أَسْوَدٍblack بِحَياتيin my life !!!
في كُلِّ يَوْمٍ أَسْوَدٍ بِحَياتي !!!
If only the color of gray hair had been my companion
I wish the color of gray had accompanied me
on every black day of my life!
Through each dark day of my life!!!
والشَّيْبُand gray hair يَمْسَحُهُwipes it away السَّوادُblackness بِصِبْغَةٍwith a dye
والشَّيْبُ يَمْسَحُهُ السَّوادُ بِصِبْغَةٍ
فتَعودُso you return تَضْحَكُyou smile لِلشَّبابِat youth الْآتِيto come !!!
فتَعودُ تَضْحَكُ لِلشَّبابِ الْآتِي !!!
And black dye wipes away the gray,
And grayness is wiped out by black dye
so you smile again at the youth to come!
So youthful laughter returns!!!
ولَدَىand with الجِراحَةِsurgery كُلُّevery شَكْلٍshape مُمْكِنٌpossible
ولَدَى الجِراحَةِ كُلُّ شَكْلٍ مُمْكِنٌ
فَادْفَعْso pay وَخُذْand take ماwhatever شِئْتَyou wish مِنْof طَلَعاتِlooks !
فَادْفَعْ وَخُذْ ما شِئْتَ مِنْ طَلَعاتِ !
And with surgery, every shape is possible;
With surgery, any shape is possible
so pay, and take whatever looks you wish!
So pay up and take what you want of features!
رَضِيَتْshe was content بِناwith us أُمُّmother of العِيالِthe children وَلَمْand has not تَزَلْceased ...
رَضِيَتْ بِنا أُمُّ العِيالِ وَلَمْ تَزَلْ ...
فَاخْرُجْso get out بِرَبِّكَfor your Lord's sake مِنْfrom رُؤَىthe visions of مِرْآتيmy mirror !
فَاخْرُجْ بِرَبِّكَ مِنْ رُؤَى مِرْآتي !
The children's mother has been content with us, and still is...
The mother of children accepted us as we are...
So, for your Lord's sake, step out of my mirror's visions!
So by your Lord, leave the visions of my mirror!
دَعْنِيlet me أَموتُdie عَلىupon المَبادِئِthe principles راضِيًاcontent
دَعْنِي أَموتُ عَلى المَبادِئِ راضِيًا
عَمَّاwith what فَعَلْتُI have done لِكَيْso that يَطيبَmay be sweet مَماتيmy death !
عَمَّا فَعَلْتُ لِكَيْ يَطيبَ مَماتي !
Let me die faithful to my principles, content
Let me die, pleased with my principles
with what I have done, so that my death may be sweet!
And what I did to sweeten my death!
لِيI have صُورَةٌa portrait بِالشِّعْرِin poetry صُغْتُI fashioned حُروفَهاits letters
لِي صُورَةٌ بِالشِّعْرِ صُغْتُ حُروفَها
فَاقْرَأْso read تَجِدْنِيyou will find me فيin صَدَىthe echo of كَلِماتيmy words!
فَاقْرَأْ تَجِدْنِي في صَدَى كَلِماتي!
I have a portrait whose letters I fashioned in verse;
I have an image in poetry whose letters I forged -
so read, and you will find me in the echo of my words!
Read, and you will find me in the echo of my words!
Sol 6.1