لاnot حينَa time for صَبرٍpatience فَخَلِّso let الدَمعَthe tears يَنهَمِلُflow freely
لا حينَ صَبرٍ فَخَلِّ الدَمعَ يَنهَمِلُ
فَقدُthe loss of الشَبابِyouth بِفَقدِwith the loss of الروحِthe soul مُتَّصِلُis connected
فَقدُ الشَبابِ بِفَقدِ الروحِ مُتَّصِلُ
This is no time for patience; let the tears flow freely.
No respite when patience departs and tears flow
The loss of youth is bound to the loss of the soul.
Youth is linked to the soul's loss when it's gone
سَقياًblessings of rain وَرَعياًand of care لِأَيّامِupon the days of الشَبابِyouth وَإِنand even though
سَقياً وَرَعياً لِأَيّامِ الشَبابِ وَإِن
لَمnot يَبقَremain مِنهُof it لَهُfor him رَسمٌa trace وَلاnor طَلَلُa ruined remnant
لَم يَبقَ مِنهُ لَهُ رَسمٌ وَلا طَلَلُ
May rain and care bless the days of youth, even though
To tend and shepherd my youthful days though
no trace or ruined remnant of it remains for him.
No vestige nor ruins of it remain
جَرَّdragged الزَمانُTime ذُيولاًtrailing skirts فيthrough مَفارِقِهِhis hair's partings
جَرَّ الزَمانُ ذُيولاً في مَفارِقِهِ
وَلِلزَمانِand for Time عَلىdespite إِحسانِهِits kindness عِلَلُflaws
وَلِلزَمانِ عَلى إِحسانِهِ عِلَلُ
Time has dragged its skirts through the partings of his hair,
Time has dragged its train in our parting
and Time, for all its kindness, has its flaws.
And for time's kindness endless excuses remain
وَرُبَّماand many a time جَرَّhe trailed أَذيالَthe skirts of الصِباyouth مَرَحاًjoyfully
وَرُبَّما جَرَّ أَذيالَ الصِبا مَرَحاً
وَبَينَand between بُردَيهِhis two cloaks غُصنٌa bough ناعِمٌtender خَضِلُlush
وَبَينَ بُردَيهِ غُصنٌ ناعِمٌ خَضِلُ
And many a time he trailed youth's skirts in delight,
Sometimes youth frolics, its gown flowing
and between his two cloaks was a tender, lush bough.
Between its folds a soft, tender branch sways
يُصبيhe captivates الغَوانيthe beautiful women وَيَزهاهُand makes him proud بِشِرَّتِهِwith his ardor
يُصبي الغَواني وَيَزهاهُ بِشِرَّتِهِ
شَرخُthe prime of الشَبابِyouth وَثَوبٌand a mantle حالِكٌjet-black رَجلُsmooth-flowing (of hair)
شَرخُ الشَبابِ وَثَوبٌ حالِكٌ رَجلُ
He captivates fair women, and in his ardor is made proud by
It cheers the flirts and adorns with its liveliness
youth in its prime and a jet-black, flowing mantle.
The prime of youth and a shabby, worn cloak
لاdo not تَكذِبَنَّlie (emphatic) فَماfor it is not الدُنياthe world بِأَجمَعِهاin its entirety
لا تَكذِبَنَّ فَما الدُنيا بِأَجمَعِها
مِنَof الشَبابِyouth بِيَومٍfor a day واحِدٍsingle بَدَلُa substitute
مِنَ الشَبابِ بِيَومٍ واحِدٍ بَدَلُ
Do not lie: all the world together
Do not lie, nothing in this world
is no substitute for a single day of youth.
Can for a single day replace one's youth
كَفاكَsuffices you بِالشَيبِwith gray hair عَيباًas a flaw عِندَin the eyes of غانِيَةٍa beautiful woman
كَفاكَ بِالشَيبِ عَيباً عِندَ غانِيَةٍ
وَبِالشَبابِand with youth شَفيعاًas an intercessor أَيُّهاO الرَجُلُman
وَبِالشَبابِ شَفيعاً أَيُّها الرَجُلُ
Gray hair is enough of a flaw in a beauty's eyes,
Gray hair is disgrace enough for a flirt
and youth enough of an intercessor, O man.
While youth intercedes, O man
بانَdeparted الشَبابُyouth وَوَلّىand turned away عَنكَfrom you باطِلُهُits frivolity
بانَ الشَبابُ وَوَلّى عَنكَ باطِلُهُ
فَلَيسَso it is not يَحسُنُbefitting مِنكَfrom you اللَهوُamusement وَالغَزَلُand courtship
فَلَيسَ يَحسُنُ مِنكَ اللَهوُ وَالغَزَلُ
Youth has departed, and its frivolity has left you;
Youth has gone, its vanity turned from you
so amusement and courtship no longer befit you.
Revelry and amorous verse no more suit you
أَمّاas for الغَوانيthe beautiful women فَقَدthen indeed أَعرَضنَthey turned away عَنكَfrom you قِلىًin loathing
أَمّا الغَواني فَقَد أَعرَضنَ عَنكَ قِلىً
وَكانَand was إِعراضُهُنَّtheir turning away الدَلُّcoyness وَالخَجَلُand bashfulness
وَكانَ إِعراضُهُنَّ الدَلُّ وَالخَجَلُ
As for the beauties, they have turned from you in loathing,
The flirts have turned away, caring little
though once their turning away was coyness and bashfulness.
Their indifference the proof and shame
أَعَرنَكَthey lent you الهَجرَestrangement ماas long as ناحَتcooed mournfully مُطَوَّقَةٌa collared dove
أَعَرنَكَ الهَجرَ ما ناحَت مُطَوَّقَةٌ
فَلاso no وِصالٌreunion وَلاand no عَهدٌpledge وَلاand no رُسُلُmessengers
فَلا وِصالٌ وَلا عَهدٌ وَلا رُسُلُ
They have lent you estrangement for as long as a collared dove laments;
They shun you, no bond nor troth remains
so no reunion, no pledge, and no messengers.
No union, no covenant, no messages come
لَيتَwould that المَناياthe fates of death أَصابَتنيhad struck me بِأَسهُمِهاwith their arrows
لَيتَ المَنايا أَصابَتني بِأَسهُمِها
فَكُنَّso they would be يَبكينَweeping عَهديmy memory قَبلَbefore أَكتَهِلُI reach middle age
فَكُنَّ يَبكينَ عَهدي قَبلَ أَكتَهِلُ
Would that the fates of death had struck me with their arrows,
Would that death had stricken me with its arrows
so they would mourn my memory before I reached middle age.
So they'd cry for me before I was fully grown
عَهدَO season of الشَبابِyouth لَقَدindeed أَبقَيتَyou have left ليfor me حَزَناًsorrow
عَهدَ الشَبابِ لَقَد أَبقَيتَ لي حَزَناً
ماجَدَّis never renewed ذِكرُكَyour memory إِلّاexcept that جَدَّis renewed ثَكَلُbereavement
ماجَدَّ ذِكرُكَ إِلّا جَدَّ ثَكَلُ
O season of youth, you have indeed left me sorrow;
The days of my youth left me but sorrow
whenever your memory is renewed, bereavement is renewed.
Its memory stirs no more but barren grief
إِنَّindeed الشَبابَyouth إِذاwhen ماحَلَّdoes alight رائِدُهُits scout
إِنَّ الشَبابَ إِذا ماحَلَّ رائِدُهُ
فيat مَنهَلٍa watering place رادَgoes scouting يَقفوfollowing إِثرَهُhis trail أَجَلُdeath
في مَنهَلٍ رادَ يَقفو إِثرَهُ أَجَلُ
Indeed, whenever youth's scout alights
When a scout's youth starts to fade
at a watering place, death goes scouting, following his trail.
Death stalks his trail, eager to seal his fate
Sol 6.1