وتَنَكَّرَتْand she disapproved of شَيْبِيmy gray hair فَقُلْتُso I said لَهَاto her
وتَنَكَّرَتْ شَيْبِي فَقُلْتُ لَهَا
ليْسَis not المَشيبُgray hair بِنَاقِصٍdiminishing عُمْرِيmy lifespan
ليْسَ المَشيبُ بِنَاقِصٍ عُمْرِي
And she disapproved of my gray hair, so I said to her:
My hair turned grey and I said to it,
“Gray hair does not diminish my lifespan.
Grey hair does not diminish my lifetime.
سِيَّانِalike شَيْبِيmy gray hair والشَّبَابُand youth إِذَاif
سِيَّانِ شَيْبِي والشَّبَابُ إِذَا
مَاconditional emphasis كُنْتُI am مِنْwith respect to أَجَلِيmy allotted span عَلَىaccording to قَدْرِa fixed measure
مَا كُنْتُ مِنْ أَجَلِي عَلَى قَدْرِ
My gray hair and youth are alike, if
It is all the same, my greyness and youthfulness,
I am bound by the measure of my allotted span.
If I have not been equal to my fate.
مَاnot شِبْتُI turned gray مِنْfrom كِبَرِold age ولكِنِّيbut I am امْرُؤٌa man
مَا شِبْتُ مِنْ كِبَرِ ولكِنِّي امْرُؤٌ
قَارَعْتُI battled حَدَّthe sharp edge of نَوَاجِذِthe molars of الدَّهْرِtime
قَارَعْتُ حَدَّ نَوَاجِذِ الدَّهْرِ
I did not turn gray from old age, but I am a man
It is not from old age that I turned grey, but because
Who has battled the sharp edge of time’s molars.”
I confronted the claws and fangs of fate.
Sol 6.1