لَمّاwhen طَوَتكَenfolded you الأَربَعوthe forty (continued)
لَمّا طَوَتكَ الأَربَعو
نَsuffix completing 'forty' وَآنَand the time had come لِلعُمرِfor life اِنقِراضُan ending
نَ وَآنَ لِلعُمرِ اِنقِراضُ
When forty years had enfolded you,
When forty years enfolded you
and life's end had drawn near,
And the prime of life was at its end
جادَgave freely الشَبابُyouth بِنَفسِهِwith its own life
جادَ الشَبابُ بِنَفسِهِ
وَبَداand appeared بِعارِضِكَon the side of your beard البَياضُwhiteness
وَبَدا بِعارِضِكَ البَياضُ
youth gave up its life,
Youth bid farewell on its own accord
and white appeared on the side of your beard.
And whiteness began to descend upon your temples
فَمتىso whenever أَطَفتَyou drew near بِلَذَّةٍto a pleasure
فَمتى أَطَفتَ بِلَذَّةٍ
فَلِعارِضٍthen a hindrance has فيهاin it اِعتِراضُan obstruction
فَلِعارِضٍ فيها اِعتِراضُ
So whenever you drew near to a pleasure,
So whenever you take pleasure
some hindrance stood in its way.
In something which meets disapproval
سُقياًa blessing of rain لِأَيّامٍfor days مَضَتthat passed
سُقياً لِأَيّامٍ مَضَت
وَكَأَنَّand as though أَوجُهَهاtheir faces الرِياضُthe gardens
وَكَأَنَّ أَوجُهَها الرِياضُ
May rain bless the days gone by,
Offer it as drink to days gone by
with faces that seemed like gardens—
While their pastures appear to be meadows
أَيّامَdays يَدعوناcalls us الهَوىpassion
أَيّامَ يَدعونا الهَوى
وَتَقودُناand leads us الحدقُthe pupils المِراضُlanguid
وَتَقودُنا الحدقُ المِراضُ
days when passion called us,
Days wherein desire beckons us
and languid eyes led us.
And sickly eyes lead us astray
Sol 6.1