أَصبَحتُI have become أَلحىI reproach خَلَّتَيّاmy two traits
أَصبَحتُ أَلحى خَلَّتَيّا
هاتيكَthat one أُبغِضُهاI hate it وَتَيّاand this little one
هاتيكَ أُبغِضُها وَتَيّا
I have come to reproach my two traits:
that one I hate, and this little one.
وَدُعيتُand I was called شَيخاًan old man بَعدَafter ماthat
وَدُعيتُ شَيخاً بَعدَ ما
سُمّيتُI was named فيin زَمَنٍa time فُتَيّاa young lad
سُمّيتُ في زَمَنٍ فُتَيّا
And I was called an old man after
I had once been called a young lad.
وَكَفَيتُand I spared صَحبِيَmy companions إِلَّتَيّاmy two hatreds
وَكَفَيتُ صَحبِيَ إِلَّتَيّا
بَعدَafter اللُتَيّاthe little ordeal وَاللُتَيّاand the little ordeal
بَعدَ اللُتَيّا وَاللُتَيّا
And I spared my companions my two hatreds,
after one little ordeal and another.
سَقياًa blessing of rain لِأَيّامِfor the days of الشَبابِyouth
سَقياً لِأَيّامِ الشَبابِ
وَماand not حَسَرتُI wore out مُطيَتَيّاmy two mounts
وَما حَسَرتُ مُطيَتَيّا
May rain bless the days of youth,
when I had not yet worn out my two mounts—
أَيّامَdays when آمُلُI hope أَنthat أَمُسَّI touch
أَيّامَ آمُلُ أَن أَمُسَّ
الفَرقَدَينِthe two Farqad stars بِراحَتَيّاwith my two palms
الفَرقَدَينِ بِراحَتَيّا
days when I hoped to touch
the two Farqad stars with my two palms,
وَأَفيضُand I pour forth إِحسانيmy kindness عَلىupon
وَأَفيضُ إِحساني عَلى
جارَيَّmy two male neighbors ثَمَّthere وَجارَتَيّاand
جارَيَّ ثَمَّ وَجارَتَيّا
and pour my kindness upon
my two male neighbors there, and my two female neighbors.
فَالآنَso now تَعجِزُfalls short هِمَّتيmy resolve
فَالآنَ تَعجِزُ هِمَّتي
عَمّاof what يُنالُcan be attained بِخُطوَتَيّاwith my two steps
عَمّا يُنالُ بِخُطوَتَيّا
But now my resolve falls short
of what two steps of mine can reach.
أَوصىcounseled اِبنَتَيهِhis two daughters لَبيدٌLabid الthe
أَوصى اِبنَتَيهِ لَبيدٌ ال
ماضيdeparted وَلاand not أوصيI counsel اِبنَتَيّاmy two daughters
ماضي وَلا أوصي اِبنَتَيّا
Labid counseled his two daughters—he who
has passed on; I do not counsel my two daughters.
لَستُI am not المُفاخِرَone who boasts فيamong الرِجاthe men (word continues)
لَستُ المُفاخِرَ في الرِجا
لِcompletion of 'men' بِعَمَّتَيَّabout my two paternal aunts وَخالَتَيّاand my two maternal aunts
لِ بِعَمَّتَيَّ وَخالَتَيّا
I am not one to boast among
men about my two paternal aunts and my two maternal aunts.
لَكِنbut أُقِرُّI admit بِأَنَّنيthat I am
لَكِن أُقِرُّ بِأَنَّني
ضَرعٌa weakling أُمارِسُI struggle with دارَتَيّاmy two abodes
ضَرعٌ أُمارِسُ دارَتَيّا
But I admit that I am
a weakling, struggling with my two abodes.
وَاللَهُand God يَرحَمُنيhas mercy on me إِذاwhen
وَاللَهُ يَرحَمُني إِذا
أودِعتُI am laid أَضيَقَthe narrower of ساحَتَيّاmy two courtyards
أودِعتُ أَضيَقَ ساحَتَيّا
And may God have mercy on me when
I am laid in the narrower of my two courtyards.
لاdo not تَجعَلَنever make حاليmy state إِذاwhen
لا تَجعَلَن حالي إِذا
غُيِّبتُI am buried أَيأَسَthe more hopeless of حالَتَيّاmy two states
غُيِّبتُ أَيأَسَ حالَتَيّا
Do not make my state, when
I am buried, the more hopeless of my two states.