لمdid not تترُكِleave السبعونَseventy فيin إقبالِهاits approach
لم تترُكِ السبعونَ في إقبالِها
مِنّيof me سوىexcept مالاَwhat has no عليهupon it مُعوَّلُreliance
مِنّي سوى مالاَ عليه مُعوَّلُ
As seventy bore down, it left
The age of seventy, as it approached, left nothing
of me nothing that could be relied upon.
of me but what could not be relied upon.
حَتّىuntil إذاwhen ماemphatic particle عامُهاits year عنّيpast me انقضَىelapsed
حَتّى إذا ما عامُها عنّي انقضَى
ووطِئتُand I set foot فِيin العامِthe year الذيthat يُستقبَلُis forthcoming
ووطِئتُ فِي العامِ الذي يُستقبَلُ
Then, when its year had passed away from me,
Until, when its year had passed me by,
I stepped into the year now coming in.
and I stepped into the year to come,
حَطَمتْit shattered قوَايَmy powers وأوهَنتُand weakened منof نَهضتيmy power to rise
حَطَمتْ قوَايَ وأوهَنتُ من نَهضتي
وكَذاand thus بمَنْwith whoever طلبَsought السّلامَةَsafety تَفعلُit acts
وكَذا بمَنْ طلبَ السّلامَةَ تَفعلُ
It shattered my powers and sapped my vigor;
it shattered my strength and weakened my power to rise;
thus does it deal with anyone who seeks to remain whole.
and so it treats whoever seeks safety.
كَمhow many قدindeed شهِدْتُI witnessed منof الحُروبِwars فلَيتنيso, if only I
كَم قد شهِدْتُ من الحُروبِ فلَيتني
فيin بعضِهاsome of them مِنfrom قبلِbefore نَكسِيmy decline أُقتلُI am killed
في بعضِها مِن قبلِ نَكسِي أُقتلُ
How many wars have I witnessed! Would that I
How many wars I have witnessed—if only I
had been slain in one of them, before my decline.
had been killed in one of them before my decline.
والقتلُand being slain أحسنُbetter بالفَتىfor a young man منfrom قبلِbefore أنthat
والقتلُ أحسنُ بالفَتى من قبلِ أن
يَبلَىhe wears out ويُفْنِيَهُand destroys him الزَّمانُtime وأجملُand more becoming
يَبلَى ويُفْنِيَهُ الزَّمانُ وأجملُ
Death is better for a young man, before
And being slain is better for a young man, before
he wears out and Time destroys him—and more seemly too.
he wears out and time destroys him—and more becoming.
وأبيكَand by your father ماnot أحجمتُI held back عنfrom خَوضِplunging into الرَّدىdeath
وأبيكَ ما أحجمتُ عن خَوضِ الرَّدى
فيin الحَربِwar يَشهدُbears witness لِيfor me بذاكto that المُنْصُلُthe sword
في الحَربِ يَشهدُ لِي بذاك المُنْصُلُ
By your father, I never shrank from plunging into death;
And by your father, I never shrank from plunging into death
in war, the sword itself bears witness to that.
in war; the sword bears witness to that for me.
وإذاand if قضاءُdecree اللّهِGod أخّرنيdelayed me إلىuntil
وإذا قضاءُ اللّهِ أخّرني إلى
أجَلِيmy life's end المؤقَّتِappointed لِيfor me فماذاthen what أَعْملُI do
أجَلِي المؤقَّتِ لِي فماذا أَعْملُ
But if God’s decree has deferred me until
And if God's decree has delayed me until
the term appointed for me, what can I do?
my end, appointed for me, then what can I do?
Sol 6.1