يَبْدُوappears مُنِيفاًtowering عَلَىabove هَامِheads الرِّجَالِthe men كَمَاas
يَبْدُو مُنِيفاً عَلَى هَامِ الرِّجَالِ كَمَا
يَبْدُوappears مُنِيفاًtowering عَلَىabove هَامِcrests الرُّبَىthe hills عَلَمُa mountain
يَبْدُو مُنِيفاً عَلَى هَامِ الرُّبَى عَلَمُ
He towers above the heads of men, as
He appears stately upon the necks of men
A mountain towers above the crests of hills.
As he appears stately upon the necks of mounts,
مُجَلَّلاًcloaked هَمُّهُhis worry بِالشَّيْبِwith gray hair لِمتَهُhis locks
مُجَلَّلاً هَمُّهُ بِالشَّيْبِ لِمتَهُ
وَقَدْand may well تَشِيبُturn gray بِأَدْنَىfrom the slightest of هَمهِhis worry اللِّمَمُthe locks
وَقَدْ تَشِيبُ بِأَدْنَى هَمهِ اللِّمَمُ
His locks are cloaked in gray by his worry,
His cares crowned with grey hairs,
And the slightest of his cares can turn locks gray.
And greys are caused by his slightest care.
وَلِلْخُطُوطِand for the lines عِراضاًbroad فَوْقَabove جَبْهَتِهِhis forehead
وَلِلْخُطُوطِ عِراضاً فَوْقَ جَبْهَتِهِ
شِبْهُa likeness المَدَارِجِthe terraces قَدْindeed حُفَّتْwere encircled بِهَاby them القِمَمُthe peaks
شِبْهُ المَدَارِجِ قَدْ حُفَّتْ بِهَا القِمَمُ
And the broad lines across his forehead
Upon his forehead are lines
Resemble terraces encircling the peaks.
Like mountain paths surrounded by peaks.
عَيْنَاهُhis two eyes كَالكَوْكَبَيْنِlike the two stars السَّاطِعَيْنِthe shining ones زَهَاshone
عَيْنَاهُ كَالكَوْكَبَيْنِ السَّاطِعَيْنِ زَهَا
سَنَاهُمَاtheir radiance بِسَنىًwith a radiance لِلْفِكْرِof thought يَضْطَرِمُblazes
سَنَاهُمَا بِسَنىً لِلْفِكْرِ يَضْطَرِمُ
His eyes are like two shining stars; brightly shines
His eyes like two shining planets,
Their radiance, with the blazing light of thought.
Brightened by ideals kindling thought.
وَمَاand not الْغُضُونُthe wrinkles تَدَلَّىdrooped عَارِضَاهُhis cheeks بِهَاwith them
وَمَا الْغُضُونُ تَدَلَّى عَارِضَاهُ بِهَا
إِلاَّbut الشُّجُونُthe sorrows جَلاrevealed أَشْبَاحَهَاtheir forms الأَدَمُthe skin
إِلاَّ الشُّجُونُ جَلا أَشْبَاحَهَا الأَدَمُ
And the wrinkles with which his cheeks sag are nothing
The branches drooping over his cheeks
But sorrows whose forms his skin has revealed.
Are none but griefs, their shadows apparent.
إِنْif تَقْتَرِبْdraw close شَفَتَاهُhis lips وَالزَّمَانُand time رِضىًcontentment
إِنْ تَقْتَرِبْ شَفَتَاهُ وَالزَّمَانُ رِضىً
تَرَقْرَقَتْrippled مِنْهُمَاfrom them both الآيَاتُthe verses وَالْحِكَمُand wise sayings
تَرَقْرَقَتْ مِنْهُمَا الآيَاتُ وَالْحِكَمُ
If his lips draw close in a time of contentment,
If his lips draw near in contentment,
Verses and wise sayings ripple forth from them.
From them flow signs and wisdom.
وَإِنْand if يُفَرِّجْهُمَاparts them both فِيin مَوْقِفٍa situation غَضَبٌanger
وَإِنْ يُفَرِّجْهُمَا فِي مَوْقِفٍ غَضَبٌ
رَاعَتْكَterrified you فُوَّهَةُthe mouth البُرْكَانِthe volcano وَالْحِمَمُand the lava
رَاعَتْكَ فُوَّهَةُ البُرْكَانِ وَالْحِمَمُ
And if anger parts them in some circumstance,
If he parts them in angry stand,
The volcano's mouth and lava fill you with dread.
The crater of a volcano startles you, and its lava.
بَيْنَbetween الصِّلابِthe firm ones الْحَوَانِيthe curving ones مِنْof أَضَالِعِهِhis ribs
بَيْنَ الصِّلابِ الْحَوَانِي مِنْ أَضَالِعِهِ
قَلْبٌa heart كَبِيرٌgreat لِرَيْبِat the calamities of الدَّهْرِtime لاnot يَجِمُis dismayed
قَلْبٌ كَبِيرٌ لِرَيْبِ الدَّهْرِ لا يَجِمُ
Between his firm, arching ribs
Between his strong ribs lies
Lies a great heart, never dismayed by time's calamities.
A great heart, for the guiles of fate it yields not.
يَلِينُsoftens رِفقاًin kindness فَإِنْthen if جَافَىturns stern وَصُكَّand was dashed بِهِagainst it
يَلِينُ رِفقاً فَإِنْ جَافَى وَصُكَّ بِهِ
صَرفُthe adversity الزَّمَانِof time تَوَلَّىretreated وَهْوَand it مُنْهَشِمُshattered
صَرفُ الزَّمَانِ تَوَلَّى وَهْوَ مُنْهَشِمُ
It softens in kindness; but if it hardens and against it is dashed
It is gentle with mirth, but if adversity jests,
Time's adversity, that adversity retreats, shattered.
The vicissitudes of fate withdraw, frustrated.
مُتَمَّمُfully formed الأَسْرِthe bodily frame رَحْبُbroad الصَّدْرِthe chest بَارِزُهُhis chest prominent
مُتَمَّمُ الأَسْرِ رَحْبُ الصَّدْرِ بَارِزُهُ
مَقَوَّمُstraightened الأَزْرِthe back طَاوِيdrawn in الْكَشْحِthe flank مُنْهَضِمُslender
مَقَوَّمُ الأَزْرِ طَاوِي الْكَشْحِ مُنْهَضِمُ
Well-built, broad and prominent of chest,
The perfect of build, broad of chest, prominent,
Straight-backed, lean-flanked, and slender.
Straight of stature, slender of waist, erect.
فَيَاso, oh لَهُfor him هَيْكَلاًa mighty frame مِلْءَfilling الْعُيُونِthe eyes سَطَاassailed
فَيَا لَهُ هَيْكَلاً مِلْءَ الْعُيُونِ سَطَا
بِهِupon him الرَّدَىdeath فَاحْتَوَتْهُso enclosed him دُونَهَاaway from them الحرمُthe sanctuaries
بِهِ الرَّدَى فَاحْتَوَتْهُ دُونَهَا الحرمُ
Ah, what a mighty frame, filling the eyes! He was assailed
What a figure whose sight fills the eyes,
By death; the sanctuaries enclosed him, hidden from those eyes.
Destroying them! Below it lie the ruins.
Sol 6.1