كَبِرتَyou have grown old فَأَصبَحتَand so you have become لِلراشِدينَfor the discerning
كَبِرتَ فَأَصبَحتَ لِلراشِدينَ
كَبُرتٍlike an expert guide يُعَدُّis reckoned لِهَديٍfor guidance دَليلاa guide
كَبُرتٍ يُعَدُّ لِهَديٍ دَليلا
You have grown old, and have become for the discerning
like an expert guide, reckoned a guide to right conduct.
كَبُرتَyou have grown great فَماand not زالَceased هَذاthis الزَمانُage
كَبُرتَ فَما زالَ هَذا الزَمانُ
كَبَرتٍlike an axe يَجُذُّcuts away قَليلاًa little قَليلاa little
كَبَرتٍ يَجُذُّ قَليلاً قَليلا
You have grown great, and this age continues,
like an axe, to cut away little by little.
وَسَيفُand the sword المَنِيَّةِof death أَمضىthe sharpest of السُيوفِthe swords
وَسَيفُ المَنِيَّةِ أَمضى السُيوفِ
وَماand not سَمِعتُheard (vocalized as 'I heard') مِنهُfrom it أُذنٌan ear صَليلاa clang
وَما سَمِعتُ مِنهُ أُذنٌ صَليلا
And death’s sword is the sharpest of swords,
yet no ear has heard a clang from it.