أَتَفرَحُdo you rejoice? أَنthat تَرىyou see حُسنَthe beauty of الخِضابِhair dye
أَتَفرَحُ أَن تَرى حُسنَ الخِضابِ
وَقَدand already وارَيتَyou have buried بَعضَكَpart of yourself فيin التُرابِthe earth
وَقَد وارَيتَ بَعضَكَ في التُرابِ
Do you rejoice to behold the beauty of the dye,
Do you rejoice to see the beauty of hair dye,
when you have already buried part of yourself in the dust?
when you have already buried part of yourself in the earth?
أَلَمdid you not تَعلَمknow وَفرطُand an excess of الجَهلِignorance أَولىmore befitting
أَلَم تَعلَم وَفرطُ الجَهلِ أَولى
بِمِثلِكَfor one like you أَنَّهُthat it is كَفَنُthe shroud of الشَبابِyouth
بِمِثلِكَ أَنَّهُ كَفَنُ الشَبابِ
Have you not learned—though utter ignorance better suits
Did you not know—and utter ignorance better befits
one such as you—that dye is youth’s shroud?
one like you—that it is the shroud of youth?
لَقَدindeed أَلزَمتَyou have imposed upon لهزمَتَيكَboth sides of your jaw هَوناًdisgrace
لَقَد أَلزَمتَ لهزمَتَيكَ هَوناً
وَذُلاًand humiliation لَمdid not يَكُنbe لَكfor you فيin الحِسابِthe reckoning
وَذُلاً لَم يَكُن لَك في الحِسابِ
You have laid abasement upon both your jowls,
You have indeed brought disgrace upon both sides of your jaw,
and humiliation you had never reckoned on.
and humiliation you had not reckoned with.
أَحينَwas it when رَمىstruck سَوادَthe blackness of الرَأسِthe head شيبٌgray hair
أَحينَ رَمى سَوادَ الرَأسِ شيبٌ
فَغَيَّرَهُand thus changed it فَزِعتَyou sought refuge إِلىto الخِضابِhair dye
فَغَيَّرَهُ فَزِعتَ إِلى الخِضابِ
Was it when grayness struck the blackness of your head
Was it when gray hair struck the blackness of your head
and changed it that you fled in panic to the dye?
and changed it that you sought refuge in hair dye?
فَكُنتَso you were كَمَنlike one who أَطَلَّlooked out عَلىupon عَذابٍtorment
فَكُنتَ كَمَن أَطَلَّ عَلى عَذابٍ
فَفَرَّand so fled مِنَfrom العَذابِthe torment إِلىto العَذابِthe torment
فَفَرَّ مِنَ العَذابِ إِلى العَذابِ
Then you became like one who came upon a torment
So you were like one who looked out upon torment,
and fled from torment into torment.
then fled from torment to torment.
تَهَيَّprepare yourself لِنُقلَةٍfor a departure لاno بُدَّescape مِنهاfrom it
تَهَيَّ لِنُقلَةٍ لا بُدَّ مِنها
فَقَدfor already أَثبَتَّyou have set firmly رِجلَكَyour foot فيin الرِكابِthe stirrup
فَقَد أَثبَتَّ رِجلَكَ في الرِكابِ
Prepare yourself for a departure that must come,
Prepare yourself for a departure there is no escaping,
for you have already set your foot in the stirrup.
for you have already set your foot firmly in the stirrup.
