قالواthey said نهتهrestrained him الأربَعونthe age of forty عنfrom الصِّباyouthful folly
قالوا نهته الأربَعون عن الصِّبا
وأخوand one touched by المشيبِgray hair يجورُstrays ثُمَّتَthen يَهتديfinds his way
وأخو المشيبِ يجورُ ثُمَّتَ يَهتدي
They said the age of forty had restrained him from youthful folly.
They said that forty had diverted him from his youth
And one touched by gray hair strays, then finds his way.
And the brother of old age oppresses, then finds guidance
كمhow often ضلَّhe strayed فيin ليلِthe night of الشَّبابِyouth فدَلَّهُthen guided him
كم ضلَّ في ليلِ الشَّبابِ فدَلَّهُ
وَضَحُthe brightness of المشيبِgray hair علىonto الطَّريقِthe path الأقْصَدِthe most direct
وَضَحُ المشيبِ على الطَّريقِ الأقْصَدِ
How often he strayed in the night of youth, till he was guided
How much he strayed in the night of youth and it led him astray
By the brightness of gray hair to the straightest path.
The clarity of old age upon the most direct path
وإذاand when عَددْتُI count سنيّmy years ثمthen نقصتُهاI subtract from them
وإذا عَددْتُ سنيّ ثم نقصتُها
زَمَنَthe time of الهُمومِsorrows فتلكthen that is ساعةُthe hour of مَولِديmy birth
زَمَنَ الهُمومِ فتلك ساعةُ مَولِدي
And when I count my years, then subtract from them
And when I counted my years and subtracted
The time of sorrows, what remains is the hour of my birth.
The time of worries, that is the hour of my birth
Sol 6.1