شعرٌhair ناصعٌdazzling white ووجهٌand a face كئيبُgloomy
شعرٌ ناصعٌ ووجهٌ كئيبُ
إنّindeed هذاthis منfrom الزّمانtime عجيبُwondrous
إنّ هذا من الزّمان عجيبُ
Hair brilliantly white, and a face sunk in gloom—
Dazzling-white hair and a gloomy face—
truly, this is a marvel wrought by Time.
indeed, this is a wonder of time.
ياO بياضَwhiteness المشيبgray hair لونُكyour color إنْif أنْjudges fairly (word begins)
يا بياضَ المشيب لونُك إنْ أنْ
صفَjudges fairly (word ends) رائيكَyour beholder حالِكٌpitch-dark غرِبيبُraven-black
صفَ رائيكَ حالِكٌ غرِبيبُ
O whiteness of gray age, your hue—if your judgment is fair—
O whiteness of gray hair, your color—if
your condition is raven-black.
your beholder judges fairly—is dark, raven-black.
صدّturned away منfrom غيرother than أنthat يُمَلّbe wearied of وماand did not أنْdisapproved (word begins)
صدّ من غير أن يُمَلّ وما أنْ
كرdisapproved (word ends) شيئاًanything سواكexcept you عنّيin me الحبيبُthe beloved
كر شيئاً سواك عنّي الحبيبُ
The beloved shunned me without having grown weary, and found—
The beloved turned away, though not wearied of, and
—nothing objectionable in me except you.
found nothing amiss in me except you.
ياO مُضيئاًshining one فيin العينِthe eye تَسوَدُّturn black منهُbecause of it
يا مُضيئاً في العينِ تَسوَدُّ منهُ
كلَّevery يومٍday جوانحٌbosoms; ribs وقلوبُand hearts
كلَّ يومٍ جوانحٌ وقلوبُ
O you who shine radiant to the eye—because of you, each day,
O you who shine to the eye, because of you
bosoms and hearts grow black.
bosoms and hearts grow black each day.
لَيسthere is not ليfor me مُذْsince حَللتَyou settled ياO شَيبُgray hair فيin رَأhead (word begins)
لَيس لي مُذْ حَللتَ يا شَيبُ في رَأ
سِيَmy head (word ends) كرهاًagainst my will عندwith الغوانيbeautiful women نصيبُa share
سِيَ كرهاً عند الغواني نصيبُ
Since you settled, O gray hair, in my—
I have no share, since you settled, O gray hair, in my
—head against my will, I have no favor with beautiful women.
head against my will, in the favor of beautiful women.
وَلَخَيرٌand indeed better مِنthan لَونكyour color اليقِقِpure-white المُشْthe radiant (word begins)
وَلَخَيرٌ مِن لَونك اليقِقِ المُشْ
رِقِradiant (word ends) عنديin my view وعندهنّand in their view الشُّحوبُpallor
رِقِ عندي وعندهنّ الشُّحوبُ
And better than your intensely white, radiant hue—
And indeed better than your pure-white, radiant color,
—to me and to them—is pallor.
to me and to them, is pallor.
رُحنَthey (women) began يَدعونَنيthey call me معيباًflawed وَيَنبذand cast aside (word begins)
رُحنَ يَدعونَني معيباً وَيَنبذ
نَthey (feminine plural ending) عُهوديmy pledges وَأَنتand you تلكthose العيوبُflaws
نَ عُهودي وَأَنت تلك العيوبُ
They went away calling me blemished and casting aside—
They went about calling me flawed and casting
—their covenants with me, though you are all those blemishes.
aside my pledges; you are those very flaws.
كَيفَhow أَخشىI fear الرّقيبthe watcher والشّيبand gray hair فيon وَجface (word begins)
كَيفَ أَخشى الرّقيب والشّيب في وَج
هيmy face (word ends) عَلىover الغانياتِbeautiful women منِّيfrom me رقيبُa watcher
هي عَلى الغانياتِ منِّي رقيبُ
How should I fear the watchman, when gray hair in my—
How can I fear the watcher, when the gray hair on my
—face itself watches over the beauties, guarding them from me?
face guards the beautiful women from me?
Sol 6.1