أَمسىhas become المَشيبُgray hair مِنَfor الشَبابِyouth بَديلاًa substitute
أَمسى المَشيبُ مِنَ الشَبابِ بَديلاً
ضَيفاًa guest أَقامَsettled in فَماand so does not يُريدُwish رَحيلاًdeparture
ضَيفاً أَقامَ فَما يُريدُ رَحيلاً
Gray hair has become a substitute for youth,
Old age replaced youth as a guest
A guest who has settled in and does not wish to leave.
Who stayed and did not wish to leave
وَالشَيبُand gray hair إِذwhen طَرَدَdrove out السَوادَthe blackness بَياضُهُits whiteness
وَالشَيبُ إِذ طَرَدَ السَوادَ بَياضُهُ
كَالصُبحِlike dawn أَحدَثَbrought about لِلظَلامِfor the darkness أُفولاa fading away
كَالصُبحِ أَحدَثَ لِلظَلامِ أُفولا
And gray hair, when its whiteness drove out the black,
When white hair banished blackness
Was like dawn, which made the darkness fade.
Like dawn ending the night's darkness
إِنَّindeed الغَوانيbeautiful women طالَماso often قَتَّلنَناthey repeatedly slew us
إِنَّ الغَواني طالَما قَتَّلنَنا
بِعُيونِهُنَّwith their eyes وَلاand do not يَدينpay blood money for قَتيلاa slain man
بِعُيونِهُنَّ وَلا يَدين قَتيلا
Indeed, beautiful women have so often slain us
Flirtatious eyes have long killed me
With their eyes, yet pay no blood money for the slain.
With no remorse for their slain
مِنfrom among كُلِّevery آنِسَةٍcharming maiden كَأَنَّas though حِجالَهاher curtained chambers
مِن كُلِّ آنِسَةٍ كَأَنَّ حِجالَها
ضُمِّنَّwere made to contain أَحوَرَa dark-eyed gazelle فيin الكِناسِthe covert كَحيلاkohl-rimmed
ضُمِّنَّ أَحوَرَ في الكِناسِ كَحيلا
Each a charming maiden, as though her curtained chambers
Each charming beloved's glance
Held a dark-eyed, kohl-rimmed gazelle in its covert.
Was like an arrow shot from hiding
أَردَينَthey slew عُروَةَʿUrwah وَالمُرَقِّشَand al-Muraqqish قَبلَهُbefore him
أَردَينَ عُروَةَ وَالمُرَقِّشَ قَبلَهُ
كُلٌّeach أُصيبَwas stricken وَماand did not أَطاقَhave the power for ذُهولاforgetting
كُلٌّ أُصيبَ وَما أَطاقَ ذُهولا
They slew ʿUrwah, and al-Muraqqish before him;
They left Orwa and Al-Murqish before
Each was stricken and could not forget.
Both were struck and could not endure
وَلَقَدand indeed تَرَكنَthey left أَباAbu ذُؤَيبٍDhuʾayb هائِماًdistraught with love
وَلَقَد تَرَكنَ أَبا ذُؤَيبٍ هائِماً
وَلَقَدand indeed تَبَلنَthey made lovesick كُثَيِّراًKuthayyir وَجَميلاand Jamil
وَلَقَد تَبَلنَ كُثَيِّراً وَجَميلا
And indeed they left Abu Dhuʾayb distraught with love,
They left Abi Dhu'aib distraught
And indeed they made Kuthayyir and Jamil lovesick.
And exhausted Kuthayyir and Jameel
وَتَرَكنَand they left لابنِfor Ibn أَبيAbi رَبيعَةَRabiʿah مَنطِقاًwords
وَتَرَكنَ لابنِ أَبي رَبيعَةَ مَنطِقاً
فيهِنَّabout them أَصبَحَbecame سائِراًwidely circulating مَحمولاcarried along
فيهِنَّ أَصبَحَ سائِراً مَحمولا
And they left Ibn Abi Rabiʿah words
And left Ibn Abi Rabiah's rhetoric
About them that became widely circulated and passed along.
Through which he went about enchanted
إِلّاif not أَكُنI am مِمَّنamong those whom قَتَلنَthey slew فَإِنَّنيthen indeed I
إِلّا أَكُن مِمَّن قَتَلنَ فَإِنَّني
مِمَّنamong those whose تَرَكنَthey left فُؤادَهُhis heart مَخبولاmaddened
مِمَّن تَرَكنَ فُؤادَهُ مَخبولا
If I am not among those they slew, then surely I
But I am not of those they killed
Am among those whose hearts they left maddened.
For they left my heart confused
لَوif كانَhad been جَدُّكُمُyour grandfather شُرَيكٌShurayk والِداًa father
لَو كانَ جَدُّكُمُ شُرَيكٌ والِداً
لِلَّناسِto humankind لَمwould not تَلِدِgive birth to النِساءُwomen بَخيلاa miser
لِلَّناسِ لَم تَلِدِ النِساءُ بَخيلا
If your grandfather Shurayk had been father
If your ancestor was the father
To humankind, women would have borne no miser.
Of all people, women would not bear the stingy