أسفيmy sorrow علىfor عصرthe season of الشبابyouth تصرمتhave passed away
أسفي على عصر الشباب تصرمت
أيامهits days لاno بلrather علىfor أياميmy days
أيامه لا بل على أيامي
Alas for the season of youth! Gone are
I regret the era of youth that went by,
Its days—no, rather, alas for my own days.
Its days, nay my own days,
لمdid not أبكهweep for it أسفاin sorrow علىover مرحthe merriment of الصباyouth
لم أبكه أسفا على مرح الصبا
ووصالand intimacy with غانيةa beautiful woman وشربand drinking مدامwine
ووصال غانية وشرب مدام
I did not mourn it for the merriment of youth,
I do not regret it for the sake of youth's playfulness,
Nor intimacy with a beautiful woman, nor drinking wine,
The union with a singing girl, or the drinking of wine,
لكنbut علىfor جلديmy endurance وخوضيand my plunging into معركاa battle
لكن على جلدي وخوضي معركا
يرتاعtakes fright فيهin it الموتdeath منat إقداميmy daring advance
يرتاع فيه الموت من إقدامي
But for my endurance and my plunging into battle,
But for my own hardness and fighting battles,
Where death takes fright at my daring advance.
At which death itself recoiled from my audacity,
بيديin my hand حسامa keen sword كلماwhenever جردتهI unsheathed it
بيدي حسام كلما جردته
يومon the day of الوغىbattle أغمدتهI sheathed it فيin الهامheads
يوم الوغى أغمدته في الهام
In my hand was a keen sword; whenever I drew it
With my sword in hand, whenever I unsheathed it
On the day of battle, I sheathed it in heads.
On a day of battle, I would sheathe it in brains,
ولصدرand for a spear's forepart معتدلwell-proportioned الكعوبthe shaft's joints حطمتهI shattered it
ولصدر معتدل الكعوب حطمته
فيin صدرthe breast of كبشa ram-like champion كتيبةa war-band قمقامmighty
في صدر كبش كتيبة قمقام
And for a straight-jointed spear's forepart, which I shattered
And I broke the ribs of chests steadfast as pillars
In the breast of a war-band's mighty ram.
Against the chest of a charging army,
ونزالand combat with فرسانthe horsemen of الهياجbattle وكلهمand all of them
ونزال فرسان الهياج وكلهم
فوقgasping لهولfrom dread of تقحميmy charging in ومقاميand my standing firm
فوق لهول تقحمي ومقامي
And for combat with the horsemen of battle, all of them
And the battle with bold horsemen, all of them,
Gasping in dread at my charge and my stand.
Because of my terrible onslaught and stance,
ولقتليand for my slaying الأسدlions الضواريravening نحطهاtheir growling
ولقتلي الأسد الضواري نحطها
كالرعدlike thunder قعقعrumbled فيin متونthe backs of غمامclouds
كالرعد قعقع في متون غمام
And for my slaying ravening lions, whose growling
And for my killing of ferocious lions, we put them down
Was like thunder rumbling in the backs of clouds.
Like thunder crashing against the sides of clouds,
تلقىthey meet إذاwhen لاقيتهاI encounter them أسداa lion لهhe has
تلقى إذا لاقيتها أسدا له
بأسmight يبيحlays open بهwith it حمىthe protected domain of الآجامthe thickets
بأس يبيح به حمى الآجام
When I encounter them, they meet a lion possessed of
It would find, if it met them, a lion having
Might with which he breaches the thickets' sanctuary.
Might to ravage the protected sanctuaries,
لوif أنthat عينthe eye of أبيAbu (father of) زبيدZubayd عاينتwitnessed
لو أن عين أبي زبيد عاينت
فتكاتهhis deadly assaults لأقرhe would have admitted بالإحجامto shrinking back
فتكاته لأقر بالإحجام
Had the eye of Abu Zubayd witnessed
If the eye of Abi Zubayd saw
His deadly assaults, he would have admitted to shrinking back.
My killings, he would refrain out of awe,
فحملتso I took up منfrom بعدafter الثمانينeighty العصاthe staff
فحملت من بعد الثمانين العصا
متيقناbeing certain إنذارهاits warning لحماميof my death
متيقنا إنذارها لحمامي
So, past eighty, I took up the staff,
Then after eighty, I took up the staff
Certain that it was warning me of my death.
Sure that it warns of my expiration.
Sol 6.1