أُنبِئتُI was told عَبدُʿAbd (servant) اللَهِAllah (God) أَصبَحَhas begun يُعوِلُto wail
أُنبِئتُ عَبدُ اللَهِ أَصبَحَ يُعوِلُ
إِنَّindeed الزَمانَtime بِأَهلِهِwith its people مُتَنَقِّلُmoving from state to state
إِنَّ الزَمانَ بِأَهلِهِ مُتَنَقِّلُ
I was told that ʿAbd Allah has begun to wail.
Indeed, time carries its people from state to state.
لَمّاwhen اِطَّلىbegan growing a beard المِسكينُthe poor fellow أَسبَلَshed عَبرَةًa tear
لَمّا اِطَّلى المِسكينُ أَسبَلَ عَبرَةً
وَالإِطِّلاءُand this beard-sprouting الإِلتِحاءُbeard-growing الأَوَّلُthe first
وَالإِطِّلاءُ الإِلتِحاءُ الأَوَّلُ
When the poor fellow began to grow a beard, he shed a tear;
and such sprouting is the first appearance of a beard.
مُستَعمِلٌemploying نَتفاًplucking لِيُرجِعَso that he may restore حُسنَهُhis beauty
مُستَعمِلٌ نَتفاً لِيُرجِعَ حُسنَهُ
بَعدَafter البِلىdecay وَالحُسنُand beauty لاnot يُستَعمَلُbe contrived
بَعدَ البِلى وَالحُسنُ لا يُستَعمَلُ
He resorts to plucking to restore his beauty
after it has faded—but beauty cannot be contrived.
نَتَفَhe plucked العَوارِضَthe cheek-whiskers غَضَّةًstill tender ماwhat عُذرُهُhis excuse
نَتَفَ العَوارِضَ غَضَّةً ما عُذرُهُ
فيfor نَتفِplucking شَعرِhair الخَدِّof the cheek حينَwhen يُسَنبِلُputs forth ears like grain
في نَتفِ شَعرِ الخَدِّ حينَ يُسَنبِلُ
He plucked his cheek-whiskers while still tender—what excuse has he
for plucking the hair of his cheek as it comes into ear?
Translation model: Sol 6.1