كبرت وفي خمس وخمسين مكبر

كبرت وفي خمس وخمسين مكبر

وشبت فألحاظ المهَا منك نُفَّرُ

وشبت فألحاظ المهَا منك نُفَّرُ

You have grown old, and fifty-five is an age for growing old.

I've grown old at fifty-five, no longer desirous,

And you have gone gray, so the oryxes' glances flee from you.

Youth has departed, the glances of girls now shun me.

إذا ما رأتك البيض صَدَّتْ وربما

إذا ما رأتك البيض صَدَّتْ وربما

غدوتَ وطَرفُ البيض نحوك أصور

غدوتَ وطَرفُ البيض نحوك أصور

When the fair women see you, they turn away, yet often

When the fair ones see me, they turn aside,

You went forth with the fair women's gaze inclined toward you.

Though once I arose, and their glances followed me.

وما ظلمتْك الغانياتُ بصدّها

وما ظلمتْك الغانياتُ بصدّها

وإن كان من أحكامها ما يُجوَّر

وإن كان من أحكامها ما يُجوَّر

And the beauties have not wronged you by turning away,

The singers have not wronged me by their disdain,

Though some of their judgments are deemed unjust.

Though their laws may ordain what I think distorted.

أعِرْ طرفك المرآة وانظر فإنْ نبا

أعِرْ طرفك المرآة وانظر فإنْ نبا

بعينيْك عنك الشيبُ فالبِيض أعذر

بعينيْك عنك الشيبُ فالبِيض أعذر

Lend your gaze to the mirror and look; if gray hair turns

Lift your eyes to the mirror, and if the white

Your eyes away from you, the fair women have greater excuse.

In your hair tells you that youth has deserted;

إذا شَنِئَت عينُ الفتى وجهَ نفسه

إذا شَنِئَت عينُ الفتى وجهَ نفسه

فعينُ سواه بالشناءة أجدر

فعينُ سواه بالشناءة أجدر

If a young man's eye loathes his own face,

The eyes that once admired their own pretty face,

Then another's eye is more justified in loathing it.

Should welcome disdain from all others with modesty.