ياO شيخold man أَينwhere منfrom الخريفautumn ربيعspring
يا شيخ أَين من الخريف ربيع
ماno للشبابfor youth وقدand already خلاكforsaken you رجوعreturn
ما للشباب وقد خلاك رجوع
O old man, how far spring is from autumn!
O Sheikh, where is the spring from this autumn?
Youth will not return, now that it has forsaken you.
What remains for youth when old age returns?
ياO شيخold man بعدafter الأربعينforty بقاؤناour remaining alive
يا شيخ بعد الأربعين بقاؤنا
عبثfutility فلهوfor the merriment لداتناour age-mates ممنوعforbidden
عبث فلهو لداتنا ممنوع
O old man, after forty our living on
O Sheikh, after forty our stay
Is futile, for our peers' merriment is forbidden.
Is futile play which for us is forbidden
إماif صبوتyou grew amorous اليومtoday قيلit is said لعمركمby your lives
إما صبوت اليوم قيل لعمركم
ياO ناسpeople تهيامardent infatuation الشيوخold men فظيعappalling
يا ناس تهيام الشيوخ فظيع
If you grow amorous today, they say, 'By your lives,
They say, "You have poured as if still young today"
O people, old men's infatuation is appalling!'
O people, the foolishness of old men is terrible indeed
وإذاand if نظمتyou composed الشعرpoetry قيلit is said تكلفaffectation
وإذا نظمت الشعر قيل تكلف
وإذاand if أَدرتyou passed around الكاسthe cup قيلit is said حليعunclear as written; probably 'dissolute'
وإذا أَدرت الكاس قيل حليع
And if you compose poetry, they say, 'Affectation!'
And if I compose poetry they say, "It's pretentious!"
And if you pass the cup around, they say, '[Dissolute]!'
And if I hold the cup they say, "He's a drunk!"
وإِذاand if بكيتyou wept جوىburning heartache ونحتand you wailed صبابةardent longing
وإِذا بكيت جوى ونحت صبابة
قالواthey said وهجرand ravings ابنson; here, a man aged المئينhundreds of years دموعtears
قالوا وهجر ابن المئين دموع
And if you weep from heartache and wail with longing,
And if I shed tears of passion and sculpt idols
They say, 'And tears are the ravings of a man in his hundreds.'
They say, "Even the son of a hundred has tears!"
ياO شيخold man تفspit! (in contempt) علىon الحياةlife بلاwithout هوىlove
يا شيخ تف على الحياة بلا هوى
وجوانحand inner ribs (the bosom) تزهوexult بهin it وضلوعand ribs
وجوانح تزهو به وضلوع
O old man, spit on life without love
O Sheikh, spit on life without passion
And a bosom and ribs that exult in it.
And breasts that boast of it and ribs
لمنwhose المضاربthe tents لاdo not تسلask هيthey للألىto those who
لمن المضارب لا تسل هي للألى
أيامهمtheir days كحياتناlike our life ترقيعpatchwork
أيامهم كحياتنا ترقيع
Whose are the tents? Do not ask—they belong to those
For whom are the tents? Not for the worn out
Whose days, like our life, are patchwork.
Their days are like our lives, patched up
للّهto God درbounty (in a formula of praise) الهبرal-Habr إنindeed قبابهhis tents
للّه در الهبر إن قبابه
أدمleather hides وإِنand indeed جنابهhis domain لمنيعtruly impregnable
أدم وإِن جنابه لمنيع
God bless al-Habr! Indeed, his tents
Praise God for the tombs, though their domes be dust
Are of leather, and his domain is truly impregnable.
And their sides cracked, strong are their keep!
Sol 6.1