أَشَيباًgray hair already? ولمّاand not yet تَمضِhave passed خَمسونَfifty حجّةًyear
أَشَيباً ولمّا تَمضِ خَمسونَ حجّةً
وَلاnor قارَبتنيdrawn near me إنّindeed هَذاthis منَof الظلمِinjustice
وَلا قارَبتني إنّ هَذا منَ الظلمِ
Gray hair already, though fifty years have not yet passed,
Gray-haired before I reached fifty pilgrimages,
nor even drawn near me? Surely this is injustice.
And it did not even come close to me, this is truly unjust.
وَلَوand had أَنصفتنيtreated me fairly الأربعونthe forty years لَنَهنَهَتwould have restrained
وَلَو أَنصفتني الأربعون لَنَهنَهَت
مِنَof الشيبِgray hair زَوراًa visitor جاءَcame منfrom جانبِthe quarter الهمِّcare
مِنَ الشيبِ زَوراً جاءَ من جانبِ الهمِّ
And had forty years treated me fairly, they would have held back
Had forty been fair to me, it would have rebuked
a visitor—gray hair—who came from the quarter of care.
The gray hair falsely coming from worry's side.
قَرعتُI struck لَهover it سنّيmy tooth وَلَوand if أَستَطيعُهُI could do it
قَرعتُ لَه سنّي وَلَو أَستَطيعُهُ
قَرعتُI would strike لَهover it ماwhat لَمnot تَرhas seen العينُthe eye مِنof عظميmy bones
قَرعتُ لَه ما لَم تَر العينُ مِن عظمي
I struck my tooth in anguish over it; and, if I could,
I knocked on its years, and if I were able,
I would strike, in anguish over it, my bones unseen by the eye.
I would have knocked on what my eyes have not seen of my bones.
يَقولونَthey say لاdo not تَجزعdespair منَover الشيبِgray hair ضلّةًin folly
يَقولونَ لا تَجزع منَ الشيبِ ضلّةً
وَأسهُمُهُwhile its arrows إِيايَme دونَهمُrather than them تصميkill outright
وَأسهُمُهُ إِيايَ دونَهمُ تصمي
They say, in their folly, 'Do not despair over gray hair,'
They say, do not worry that the gray hair misguided you,
while its arrows strike me dead, not them.
And their arrows at me fall short of them.
وَقالواand they said أَتاهcame to him الشّيبgray hair بِالحلمِwith forbearance وَالحجىand wisdom
وَقالوا أَتاه الشّيب بِالحلمِ وَالحجى
فَقُلتُso I said بماin exchange for what يَبريit pares away وَيعرُقand gnaws away منfrom لحميmy flesh
فَقُلتُ بما يَبري وَيعرُق من لحمي
And they said, 'Gray hair brought him forbearance and wisdom.'
They said gray hair came with wisdom and experience,
So I said, 'At the cost of what it pares and gnaws from my flesh!'
So I said with what feeds and sweats from my flesh.
وَماand not سرّنيpleased me حِلمٌforbearance يَفيءُturns back إِلىtoward الرّدىdeath
وَما سرّني حِلمٌ يَفيءُ إِلى الرّدى
كَفانِيَsufficed me ماwhat قَبلَbefore المَشيبِgraying منof الحلمِforbearance
كَفانِيَ ما قَبلَ المَشيبِ من الحلمِ
And no forbearance that leads to death has pleased me;
Wisdom that regresses to evil never pleased me,
the forbearance I had before graying was enough for me.
What came before the gray hair sufficed me of wisdom.
إِذاif كانَis ماwhat يُعطينِيَgives me الحزمُprudence سالِباًtaking away
إِذا كانَ ما يُعطينِيَ الحزمُ سالِباً
حَياتيmy life فَقُلthen tell ليto me كيفَhow يَنفعنيbenefits me حَزميmy prudence
حَياتي فَقُل لي كيفَ يَنفعني حَزمي
If what prudence gives me steals
If what gives me composure takes away my life,
my life, tell me how my prudence helps me.
Tell me, how can composure benefit me?
وَقَدand indeed جرّبتtested نَفسيmy soul الغداةَthis morning وقارَهits dignity
وَقَد جرّبت نَفسي الغداةَ وقارَه
فَماso not شدّstrengthened مِنany of وَهنيmy weakness وَلاnor سدّfilled مِنany of ثَلميmy breaches
فَما شدّ مِن وَهني وَلا سدّ مِن ثَلمي
And this morning my soul has tested its dignity;
I tried my soul in the morning, dignified,
yet it neither shored up my weakness nor filled my breaches.
But it neither strengthened my weakness nor sealed my gaps.
وَإِنّيand indeed I مُذsince أَضحىbecame عذاريmy sideburns قرارَهُits abode
وَإِنّي مُذ أَضحى عذاري قرارَهُ
أَعادI am visited as a patient بلاwithout سُقمٍillness وَأَجفىand I am shunned بلاwithout جرمِfault
أَعاد بلا سُقمٍ وَأَجفى بلا جرمِ
And since my sideburns became its dwelling,
Since it cleared in the morning, it repeats without illness
I am visited though not ill, and shunned though blameless.
And desists without crime.
وسيّانand both are alike بَعدafter الشيبِgray hair عندَto حَبائبيmy beloveds
وسيّان بَعد الشيبِ عندَ حَبائبي
وَقَفنَthey paused عليهbefore it أَوor وَقفنthey paused علىbefore رسمِa dwelling's traces
وَقَفنَ عليه أَو وَقفن على رسمِ
And after gray hair, it is all the same to my beloveds
After gray hair, both are the same to my loved ones,
whether they pause before it or before an abandoned dwelling's traces.
Whether they paused over it or paused over my remains.
وَقدand indeed كنتُI was ممّنamong those who يَشهدُtakes part in الحربَbattle مرّةًonce
وَقد كنتُ ممّن يَشهدُ الحربَ مرّةً
وَيُرمىand is hurled at بِأَطرافwith the tips الرماحِof spears كماjust as يرميhe hurls
وَيُرمى بِأَطراف الرماحِ كما يرمي
And once I was among those who went into battle
I used to be one who witnessed war sometimes
and had spearpoints hurled at them, just as they hurled them in turn,
And was pelted by spear tips as they pelted.
إِلىuntil أَنthat علاrose over هَذاthis المشيبُgrayness مفارقيmy hair's partings
إِلى أَن علا هَذا المشيبُ مفارقي
وَلَمand not يَدعُنيsummoned me الأقوامُthe people إِلّاexcept إِلىto السلمِpeace
وَلَم يَدعُني الأقوامُ إِلّا إِلى السلمِ
until this grayness spread over the partings of my hair,
Until this gray hair parted from me,
and people summoned me only to peace.
And the people left me only to peace.
Sol 6.1