أَماويُّO Māwiyya إِنْif كانَwas الشبابُyouth الَّذيwhich اِنقَضَتcame to an end
أَماويُّ إِنْ كانَ الشبابُ الَّذي اِنقَضَت
لَياليهِits nights عَنّيfrom me شابَtainted مِنكَfrom you صَفاءاpurity
لَياليهِ عَنّي شابَ مِنكَ صَفاءا
O Māwiyya, if the youth whose
O Ammawi, if the youth whose nights passed from me
nights have passed away from me has clouded your affection,
Made one of you youthful in purity,
فَماthen what الذّنبُthe fault ليmine فيin فاحمٍcoal-black hair حالَchanged لَونهُits color
فَما الذّنبُ لي في فاحمٍ حالَ لَونهُ
بَياضاًwhiteness وَقَدand already حالَturned الظلامُdarkness ضِياءاlight
بَياضاً وَقَد حالَ الظلامُ ضِياءا
then what fault is mine if coal-black hair has changed its color
Then it is no sin of mine in a cheek whose color
to white, when darkness has turned to light?
Turned white when darkness turned to radiance.
وَماand not إِنْemphatic particle عَهِدناwe have known زائلاًa passing thing حانَcame due فقدُهُits loss
وَما إِنْ عَهِدنا زائلاً حانَ فقدُهُ
وَإِنْand even if كانَit was مَوقوفاًheld in reserve أَزالended إِخاءاfriendship
وَإِنْ كانَ مَوقوفاً أَزال إِخاءا
Nor have we known a passing thing, when its loss came due,
And if what we knew would pass did pass,
even if held in reserve, to put an end to friendship.
Though permanent it erased compassion.
وَلَوand if كانَthere were فيماin what يُحدثُbrings about الدَّهرُtime حيلةٌa way out
وَلَو كانَ فيما يُحدثُ الدَّهرُ حيلةٌ
أَبَيْتُI refused عَلىagainst هَذاthis المَشيبِgraying إِباءاutter refusal
أَبَيْتُ عَلى هَذا المَشيبِ إِباءا
And if there were a way around what time brings about,
And if the changes of fate had a trick,
I would have utterly refused this graying.
I refused this gray hair with refusal.
فَلاso do not تُنكريyou reject لَوناًa color تَبَدّلتُI took in exchange غَيرَهanother in its place
فَلا تُنكري لَوناً تَبَدّلتُ غَيرَه
كَمُستَبدِلٍlike one exchanging بَعدَafter الرّداءِthe cloak رِداءاa cloak
كَمُستَبدِلٍ بَعدَ الرّداءِ رِداءا
So do not reject a color I have exchanged for another,
So do not deny me a color I exchanged
like one exchanging a cloak for another cloak.
Like one exchanging a cloak for another cloak.
فَإِنّيfor indeed I علىtrue to العهدِthe pledge الّذيwhich تَعهَدينهُyou know it
فَإِنّي على العهدِ الّذي تَعهَدينهُ
حفاظاًsafeguarding لماfor what اِستَحفَظتِنِيyou charged me to guard وَوفاءاand faithfulness
حفاظاً لما اِستَحفَظتِنِي وَوفاءا
For I remain true to the pledge you know,
For I keep the pact to which you pledged me
guarding what you charged me to keep, and keeping faith.
Protecting what you entrusted me in faithfulness.
مَشيبٌgray hair كَفَتقِlike the rending اللّيلِof night فيamid مُدلهمّةٍpitch darkness
مَشيبٌ كَفَتقِ اللّيلِ في مُدلهمّةٍ
أَتاكcame to you يَقيناًas a certainty أوor أَزالdispelled مِراءاdispute
أَتاك يَقيناً أو أَزال مِراءا
Gray hair, like the rending of night amid pitch darkness,
Gray hair like the darkness of night in gloom
has come to you as a certainty, or put an end to dispute.
Came to you with certainty or erased dispute.
كَأنَّas though اللَياليthe nights عنهُfrom it لمّاwhen رَمَيننيthey struck me
كَأنَّ اللَيالي عنهُ لمّا رَمَينني
جَلَوْنَthey polished away صَداءًrust أوor كشَفنthey lifted غِطاءاa covering
جَلَوْنَ صَداءً أو كشَفن غِطاءا
As though the nights, when they struck me,
As if the nights when they shot me with arrows
had polished rust off it or lifted a veil.
Cast an echo or uncovered a covering.
فَلاso do not تَجعليyou make ماwhat كانَwas منكِfrom you مِنَof الأَذىharm
فَلا تَجعلي ما كانَ منكِ مِنَ الأَذى
عِقاباًa punishment لِماfor what لَمْdid not آتِهِI do it وَجَزاءاand retribution
عِقاباً لِما لَمْ آتِهِ وَجَزاءا
So do not make the harm that came from you
So do not make what hurt me from you
a punishment and retribution for what I never did.
A punishment for what I did not give as reward.
وَعُدّيand reckon بَياضَwhiteness الرّأسِof the head بعدَafter سوادهِits blackness
وَعُدّي بَياضَ الرّأسِ بعدَ سوادهِ
صَباحاًa morning أَتىcame لَمْdid not أَجْنِهِI bring it about وَمَساءاand an evening
صَباحاً أَتى لَمْ أَجْنِهِ وَمَساءا
And reckon my head's whiteness after its blackness
And count the whiteness of hair after its blackness
as a morning that came through no fault of mine, and an evening.
As a morning that came though I did not bring it, or evening.
وَلاand do not تَطلُبيyou seek شَيئاًsomething يَكونُwould be طِلابهُits pursuit
وَلا تَطلُبي شَيئاً يَكونُ طِلابهُ
وَقَدand already ضَلَّlost the way عنهُto it رائِدوهُits scouts عناءاtoil
وَقَد ضَلَّ عنهُ رائِدوهُ عناءا
And do not seek a thing whose pursuit would be—
And do not seek what seeking it
its scouts having lost the way to it—mere toil.
Its seekers went astray from it in pain.
فَإِنّكِfor indeed you إِنْif نادَيتِyou call غِبَّafter تلهّفٍregretful longing
فَإِنّكِ إِنْ نادَيتِ غِبَّ تلهّفٍ
شَباباًyouth وَقَدand already وَلّىdeparted أَضَعْتِyou wasted نِداءاa call
شَباباً وَقَد وَلّى أَضَعْتِ نِداءا
For if, after regretful longing, you call
For if you call, longing ardently,
to youth when it has gone, you waste your call.
For lost youth, you wasted a call.
Sol 6.1