أَلا مَضى عَصرُ الصِبا فَاِنقَضى

أَلا مَضى عَصرُ الصِبا فَاِنقَضى

وَحَبَّذا عَصرُ شَبابٍ مَضى

وَحَبَّذا عَصرُ شَبابٍ مَضى

Ah, the age of youth has passed and ended.

Alas, the days of youth have passed away and vanished,

And how lovely was that bygone age of youth!

And the days of prime youthfulness have gone.

بِتُّ بِهِ تَحتَ ظِلالِ المُنى

بِتُّ بِهِ تَحتَ ظِلالِ المُنى

مُجتَنِباً مِنهُ ثِمارَ الرِضا

مُجتَنِباً مِنهُ ثِمارَ الرِضا

I spent the night in it beneath the shades of hope,

I spent it in the shadows of wishes,

Avoiding the fruits of contentment it bore.

Avoiding the fruits of acceptance.

ثُمَّ مَضى أَحسِبُهُ كَوكَباً

ثُمَّ مَضى أَحسِبُهُ كَوكَباً

مُنكَدِراً أَو بارِقاً مومِضا

مُنكَدِراً أَو بارِقاً مومِضا

Then it passed—I thought it a star,

Then it went away - I reckon it as a

Falling, or a flashing bolt of lightning.

Turbulent star or a flashing lightning.

فَما تَصَدّى يَنتَحي مُقبِلاً

فَما تَصَدّى يَنتَحي مُقبِلاً

حَتّى تَوَلّى يَنثَني مُعرِضا

حَتّى تَوَلّى يَنثَني مُعرِضا

So scarcely had it come forward, drawing near,

It did not stop to rest, approaching,

Before it withdrew, turning away.

Until it turned away, bending off.

وَمَرَّ لايَلوي وَما ضَرَّ مَن

وَمَرَّ لايَلوي وَما ضَرَّ مَن

أَعرَضَ لَو سَلَّمَ أَو عَرَّضا

أَعرَضَ لَو سَلَّمَ أَو عَرَّضا

And it passed without looking back; what harm would it have done him

And it passed without twisting or harming whoever

Who turned away, had he offered a greeting or a hint?

Turned away from it or exposed himself to it.

وَإِنَّما ضاءَ بِلَيلِ الصِبا

وَإِنَّما ضاءَ بِلَيلِ الصِبا

صُبحُ مَشيبٍ ساءَني أَن أَضا

صُبحُ مَشيبٍ ساءَني أَن أَضا

And in the night of youth there shone only

And only the night of youth shone

The dawn of gray hair; its shining grieved me.

With the dawn of old age that saddened me.

لاحَ فَفي عَينَيَّ نورُ الهُدى

لاحَ فَفي عَينَيَّ نورُ الهُدى

مِنهُ وَفي قَلبي نارُ الغَضا

مِنهُ وَفي قَلبي نارُ الغَضا

It appeared—so in my eyes is the light of guidance

The light of guidance shone in my eyes,

From it, and in my heart the fire of ghada wood.

And in my heart the fire of sorrow.

وَاِبيَضَّ مِن فَودي بِهِ أَسوَدٌ

وَاِبيَضَّ مِن فَودي بِهِ أَسوَدٌ

كُنتُ أَرى اللَيلَ بِهِ أَبيَضا

كُنتُ أَرى اللَيلَ بِهِ أَبيَضا

And through it, black hair at my temple turned white—

And from my cheek blackened what was white,

Hair through which I once saw the night as white.

I used to see the night white because of it.