أَلا ثَلِّ مِن عَرشِ الشَبابِ وَثَلِّما

أَلا ثَلِّ مِن عَرشِ الشَبابِ وَثَلِّما

لِشَيبٍ تَصَدّى هَدَّ رُكني وَهَدَّما

لِشَيبٍ تَصَدّى هَدَّ رُكني وَهَدَّما

Ah, youth's throne has been toppled and breached

Alas, let me weep for my past youth

by gray hair that rose against me, shattered my pillar and demolished it.

And lament what old age has demolished and destroyed

فَصِرتُ وَقَد أَعطَيتُ شَيبي مَقادَتي

فَصِرتُ وَقَد أَعطَيتُ شَيبي مَقادَتي

أَرى صَبوَتي أَحلى وَشَيبي أَحلَما

أَرى صَبوَتي أَحلى وَشَيبي أَحلَما

So now, having handed my reins to my gray hair,

Now that I have surrendered to gray hair

I find my youthful passion sweeter, and my gray hair wiser.

My youth seems sweeter, my old age wiser

وَكُلُّ اِمرِىءٍ طاشَت بِهِ غِرَّةُ الصِبا

وَكُلُّ اِمرِىءٍ طاشَت بِهِ غِرَّةُ الصِبا

إِذا ما تَحَلّى بِالمَشيبِ تَحَلَّما

إِذا ما تَحَلّى بِالمَشيبِ تَحَلَّما

And every person whom youth's heedlessness led astray,

Every man is reckless in his prime

when adorned with gray hair, grows wiser.

But becomes composed when time turns his hair gray

فَها أَنا أَلقى كُلَّ لَيلٍ بِلَيلَةٍ

فَها أَنا أَلقى كُلَّ لَيلٍ بِلَيلَةٍ

مِنَ الهَمِّ يَستَجري مِنَ الدَمعِ أَنجُما

مِنَ الهَمِّ يَستَجري مِنَ الدَمعِ أَنجُما

So here I am, meeting each night with a night

And so here I am, spending every night

of sorrow that draws forth stars from my tears.

With worries that flow into a river of tears

وَأَركَبُ أَردافَ الرُبى مُتَأَسِّفاً

وَأَركَبُ أَردافَ الرُبى مُتَأَسِّفاً

فَأَنشَقُ أَنفاسَ الصَبا مُتَنَسِّما

فَأَنشَقُ أَنفاسَ الصَبا مُتَنَسِّما

And I mount the haunches of the hills, grieving,

I ride the steed of sadness, sighing

then inhale the east wind's breaths, taking in the breeze.

As youth’s breath escapes from my nostrils

وَأَرشُفُ نَثرَ الطَلِّ مِن كُلِّ وَردَةٍ

وَأَرشُفُ نَثرَ الطَلِّ مِن كُلِّ وَردَةٍ

مَكانَ بَياضِ الثَغرِ مِن حُوَّةِ اللَمى

مَكانَ بَياضِ الثَغرِ مِن حُوَّةِ اللَمى

And I sip the scattered dew from every rose,

I sip the nectar from every rose

in place of white teeth amid the lips' dusky hue.

Where red lips once grew, now muted and pale