نَزَعْتُI turned away عَنِfrom الصِّبَاyouthful folly وَعَصَيْتُand defied نَفْسِيmyself
نَزَعْتُ عَنِ الصِّبَا وَعَصَيْتُ نَفْسِي
وَدَافَعْتُand warded off الْغَوَايَةَtemptation بِالتَّأَسِّيby self-consolation
وَدَافَعْتُ الْغَوَايَةَ بِالتَّأَسِّي
I turned away from youthful folly and defied myself,
I cast off youth and disobeyed my soul
And warded off temptation by consoling myself.
And warded off temptation with piety
وَقُلْتُand I said لِصَبْوَتِيto my youthful longing وَالْعَيْنُwhile the eye غَرْقَىdrowned
وَقُلْتُ لِصَبْوَتِي وَالْعَيْنُ غَرْقَى
بِأَدْمُعِهَاin its tears رُوَيْدَكِrestrain yourself لاdo not تَمَسِّيtouch me
بِأَدْمُعِهَا رُوَيْدَكِ لا تَمَسِّي
And I said to my youthful longing, while my eye was drowned
And said to my playfulness, while my eyes overflowed
In its tears: "Gently now—do not touch me."
With tears, "Calm yourself, do not touch me!"
فَقَدْfor indeed وَلَّىdeparted الصِّبَاyouthful ardor إِلَّاexcept قَلِيلاًa little
فَقَدْ وَلَّى الصِّبَا إِلَّا قَلِيلاً
أُنَازِعُI contend for سُؤْرَهُits dregs بِفُضُولِwith the remnants of كَأْسِيmy cup
أُنَازِعُ سُؤْرَهُ بِفُضُولِ كَأْسِي
For youthful ardor has departed, save a little;
For youth has gone, leaving but little
I contend for its dregs with the remnants of my cup.
That I argue against its sorrows with my cup's excess
وَمَنْand whoever يَكُbe جَاوَزَhas passed الْعِشْرِينَtwenty years تَتْرَىin succession
وَمَنْ يَكُ جَاوَزَ الْعِشْرِينَ تَتْرَى
وَأَرْدَفَهَاand followed them بِأَرْبَعَةٍwith four وَخَمْسِand five
وَأَرْدَفَهَا بِأَرْبَعَةٍ وَخَمْسِ
And whoever has passed twenty years in succession
And whoever has passed twenty, you will find
And followed them with four and five,
Followed by four more and five
فَقَدْthen indeed سَفَرَتْunveiled themselves لِعَيْنَيْهِto his eyes اللَّيَالِيthe nights
فَقَدْ سَفَرَتْ لِعَيْنَيْهِ اللَّيَالِي
وَبَانَand became clear لَهُto him الْهُدَىguidance مِنْfrom بَعْدِafter لَبْسِconfusion
وَبَانَ لَهُ الْهُدَى مِنْ بَعْدِ لَبْسِ
Then the nights have unveiled themselves to his eyes,
For nights have sailed away from his eyes
And guidance has become clear to him after confusion.
And guidance was revealed to him after confusion
نَظَرْتُI looked إِلَىinto الْمِرَاةِthe mirror فَكَشَّفَتْand it revealed لِيto me
نَظَرْتُ إِلَى الْمِرَاةِ فَكَشَّفَتْ لِي
قِنَاعَاًa veil لاحَgleamed فِيهِin it قَتِيرُgray hairs رَأْسِيmy head
قِنَاعَاً لاحَ فِيهِ قَتِيرُ رَأْسِي
I looked into the mirror, and it revealed to me
I looked in the mirror and it uncovered for me
A veil in which my head's gray hairs gleamed.
A mask in which appeared my hoary head
وَكُنْتُand I was وَكَانَand it was فَيْنَاناًluxuriant أَثيثاًthick
وَكُنْتُ وَكَانَ فَيْنَاناً أَثيثاً
أُنَازِعُI wrestle with شِرَّتِيmy impetuosity وَأَذُودُand restrain بَأْسِيmy fierceness
أُنَازِعُ شِرَّتِي وَأَذُودُ بَأْسِي
And once, while it was luxuriant and thick,
And I was, though well-appointed and lively
I wrestled with my impetuosity and restrained my fierceness.
Wrestling with my own evil and warding off harm
فَعُدْتُso I became وَقَدْand already ذَوَىwithered مِنْfrom بَعْدِafter لِينٍsoftness
فَعُدْتُ وَقَدْ ذَوَى مِنْ بَعْدِ لِينٍ
أُدَارِيI soothe صَبْوَتِيmy youthful longing وَأُسِرُّand conceal يَأْسِيmy despair
أُدَارِي صَبْوَتِي وَأُسِرُّ يَأْسِي
So now, with it withered after its softness,
So I returned after softness had faded
I soothe my youthful longing and conceal my despair.
Evading my playfulness and concealing my despair
فَمَاso not أَمْسِيmy yesterday كَيَومِيlike my today حِينَwhen أَغْدُوI wake
فَمَا أَمْسِي كَيَومِي حِينَ أَغْدُو
عَلَىin كِبَرٍold age وَمَاand not يَوْمِيmy today كَأَمْسِيlike my yesterday
عَلَى كِبَرٍ وَمَا يَوْمِي كَأَمْسِي
So my yesterday is unlike my today, as I wake
Thus I do not spend my evening as I did my morning
In old age; nor is my today like my yesterday.
Due to old age, nor is my day like my evening
وَمَاand not الأَيَّامُthe days إِلَّاexcept صائِبَاتٌunerring shafts
وَمَا الأَيَّامُ إِلَّا صائِبَاتٌ
تَمُرُّpass بِكُلِّthrough every سَابِغَةٍcoat of mail وَتُرْسِand shield
تَمُرُّ بِكُلِّ سَابِغَةٍ وَتُرْسِ
And days are nothing but unerring shafts,
And days are but raiders
Piercing every coat of mail and shield.
Passing by, each fully armed and helmeted
أَبَادَتْannihilated قَبْلَنَاbefore us إِرَمَاًIram وَعَاداًand ʿAd
أَبَادَتْ قَبْلَنَا إِرَمَاً وَعَاداً
وَطَارَتْand flew بَيْنَbetween ذُبْيَانٍDhubyan وَعَبْسِand ʿAbs
وَطَارَتْ بَيْنَ ذُبْيَانٍ وَعَبْسِ
They annihilated Iram and ʿAd before us,
They destroyed 'Aram and 'Ad before us
And flew between Dhubyan and ʿAbs.
And flew between Thubian and 'Abs
وَأَلْوَتْand swept away بِالْمُضَلَّلِwith al-Mudallal وَاسْتَمَالَتْand bent
وَأَلْوَتْ بِالْمُضَلَّلِ وَاسْتَمَالَتْ
عِمَادَthe pillar of الشَّنْفَرَىal-Shanfara وَهَوَتْand plunged down بِقُسِّwith Quss
عِمَادَ الشَّنْفَرَى وَهَوَتْ بِقُسِّ
And swept al-Mudallal away, and bent
And destroyed the misguided and seduced
Al-Shanfara's pillar, and brought Quss down.
The pillar of Shanfara and toppled with spears
فَلاso not جمشِيدُJamshid دَافَعَfended off إِذْwhen أَتَتْهُthey came to him
فَلا جمشِيدُ دَافَعَ إِذْ أَتَتْهُ
بِحَادِثِهاwith their calamity وَلاnor رَبُّthe lord of الدِّرَفْسِthe Dirafs banner
بِحَادِثِها وَلا رَبُّ الدِّرَفْسِ
So Jamshid could not fend them off when they came to him
So neither Jamshid when they came to him
With their calamity, nor could the lord of the Dirafs banner.
With their events, nor the Lord of Dirfis could resist
عَلَىalong هَذَاthis يَسِيرُjourney النَّاسُpeople طُرَّاًall
عَلَى هَذَا يَسِيرُ النَّاسُ طُرَّاً
وَيَبْقَىand remains اللَّهُGod خَالِقُthe Creator of كُلِّevery نَفْسِsoul
وَيَبْقَى اللَّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ نَفْسِ
Along this path all people journey,
On this the people travel blindly
And God remains, the Creator of every soul.
While Allah remains creator of every soul
Sol 6.1