وَماand what مَرحُmirth الفتىthe youth تَزْوَرُّturn away عنهfrom him
وَما مَرحُ الفتى تَزْوَرُّ عنه
حُدودُsharp edges البِيضِbright swords بالحَدَقِin the eyes المِلاحِlovely
حُدودُ البِيضِ بالحَدَقِ المِلاحِ
And what mirth can a youth have, when from him turn away
The youth's amusement does not slip from him,
the edges of bright swords in lovely eyes,
The limits of modesty with coy glances.
ويُصبِحُand he wakes بينamid إعراضٍaversion مُبينٍplain
ويُصبِحُ بين إعراضٍ مُبينٍ
بلاwithout سببٍa cause وهجرانٍand estrangement صَراحِoutright
بلا سببٍ وهجرانٍ صَراحِ
and he wakes amid open aversion,
And he wakes up with outright aloofness
without cause, and outright estrangement?
Without cause, and clear estrangement.
وقالواand they said لاno جُناحَfault فقلتُso I said كلّاnot so
وقالوا لا جُناحَ فقلتُ كلّا
مشيبِيmy gray hair وحْدَهُit alone فيكمْin your eyes جُناحيmy fault
مشيبِي وحْدَهُ فيكمْ جُناحي
They said, “There is no fault.” I said, “Not so:
And they said, “There is no blame,” so I said, “Nay,
My gray hair alone is my fault in your eyes.”
My gray hair alone is my disgrace among you.”
أَلَيسَis it not الشّيبُgray hair يُدْنِيbrings nearer منto مماتِيmy death
أَلَيسَ الشّيبُ يُدْنِي من مماتِي
وَيُطمِعُand gives hope مَنْwhoever قَلانِيhates me فيfor رواحِيmy departure
وَيُطمِعُ مَنْ قَلانِي في رواحِي
Does not gray hair bring me nearer to my death,
Does not gray hair bring my death closer
and make whoever hates me hope for my departure?
And give hope to those who wish me gone?
مَشيبٌgrayness شُنَّwas scattered فيthrough شَعَرٍhair سليمٍhealthy
مَشيبٌ شُنَّ في شَعَرٍ سليمٍ
كشنِّlike spreading العُرِّmange فيamong الإبلِthe camels الصّحاحِhealthy
كشنِّ العُرِّ في الإبلِ الصّحاحِ
Grayness scattered through healthy hair,
Gray hair that has crept into smooth hair
like mange spread among healthy camels.
Like the mange in healthy camels.
كأنّيas though I بعدafter زَوْرَتِهِits visit مَهِيضٌbroken-winged
كأنّي بعد زَوْرَتِهِ مَهِيضٌ
أدِفّI shuffle along علىon الوظيفِthe shank بلاwithout جَناحِa wing
أدِفّ على الوظيفِ بلا جَناحِ
As though, after its visit, I were broken-winged,
It is as if after its creeping, I am one who gallops
shuffling on my shanks without a wing;
Onto appointment without wings.
أوor العانِيthe captive تورّطbecame trapped فيamong الأعادِيthe enemies
أو العانِي تورّط في الأعادِي
فَسُدَّso was barred عليهto him مُطَّلعُthe opening السّراحِrelease
فَسُدَّ عليه مُطَّلعُ السّراحِ
or a captive trapped among enemies,
Or one who is tangled with enemies
with the way to freedom barred to him.
And the prospects of escape are closed to him.
سَقىmay he give drink اللَّهGod الشّبابَyouth الغضّtender راحاًwine
سَقى اللَّه الشّبابَ الغضّ راحاً
عتيقاًaged أوor زلالاًlimpid water مثلَlike راحِwine
عتيقاً أو زلالاً مثلَ راحِ
May God give tender youth wine to drink,
May God water fresh, delightful youth
aged, or limpid water like wine.
With old or pure wine like the forehead’s vein.
ليالِيَnights لَيسَthere is not لِيin me خُلقٌa trait مَعِيبٌblameworthy
ليالِيَ لَيسَ لِي خُلقٌ مَعِيبٌ
فلاso neither جِدِّيmy earnestness يُذمُّis censured ولاnor مِزاحيmy jesting
فلا جِدِّي يُذمُّ ولا مِزاحي
Nights when I had no blameworthy trait,
I have nights with no blameworthy manners,
so neither my earnestness nor my jesting was censured;
So neither my seriousness is condemned nor my jest.
وَإِذْand when أَناI منfrom بَطالاتِidle follies التَّصابِيyouthful dalliance
وَإِذْ أَنا من بَطالاتِ التَّصابِي
ونَشواتِand the raptures الغوانيbeautiful women غيرُnot صاحِsober
ونَشواتِ الغواني غيرُ صاحِ
and when I, from the follies of youthful dalliance
And when I am done with the vanities of youth
and the raptures of beauties, was not sober;
And the pleasures of singing girls and the like,
وَإِذْand when أسْماعهُنَّtheir ears إليَّtoward me مِيلٌinclined
وَإِذْ أسْماعهُنَّ إليَّ مِيلٌ
يُصِخْنَthey listened intently إِلىto اِختِياريmy choices وَاِقتِراحِيand my requests
يُصِخْنَ إِلى اِختِياري وَاِقتِراحِي
and when their ears were inclined toward me,
And their ears inclined toward me,
as they listened intently to my choices and requests.
Shouting for my choice and my suggestion.
فَدونكَهاso take them اِبنَson of حَمْدٍHamd ناقضاتٍrefuting
فَدونكَها اِبنَ حَمْدٍ ناقضاتٍ
لقولِof the words فتىًa youth تجلّدَsteeled himself للّواحِيagainst the reproachers
لقولِ فتىً تجلّدَ للّواحِي
So take these, Ibn Hamd, as refutations
Then, Ibn Hamad, listen to these breakers
of the words of a youth who steeled himself against reproachers,
Of the words of a young man restrained by principles.
فقالand he said وليسand is not حقّاًtrue كلُّevery قولٍsaying
فقال وليس حقّاً كلُّ قولٍ
أهذاdoes this الشّيبُgray hair يمنعنيkeep me from مراحِيmy mirth
أهذا الشّيبُ يمنعني مراحِي
and said—though not every saying is true—
So he said, “Not all words are true.
“Does this gray hair keep me from my mirth?”
Does this gray hair prevent my amusement?”
وَقانيand may he spare me اللَّهGod فَقدَكlosing you منas خليلٍa dear friend
وَقاني اللَّه فَقدَك من خليلٍ
ثَنَتْcurbed مِنِّيin me مودّتُهُhis affection جِماحِيmy unruliness
ثَنَتْ مِنِّي مودّتُهُ جِماحِي
And may God spare me losing you, a friend
May God deprive you of a friend whose affection
whose affection curbed my unruliness;
Diverted my mind from its frenzy.
فكانso he was علىamid قَذىimpurities الأيّامِthe days صفوِيmy clarity
فكان على قَذى الأيّامِ صفوِي
وكانand he was علىamid حَنادِسهاtheir deep darkness صباحِيmy morning
وكان على حَنادِسها صباحِي
so he was my clarity amid the days’ impurities,
He was my comfort during the sparks of days
and amid their deep darkness, my morning.
And my morning during their embers.
Sol 6.1