أَنِسْتُ بأيّامِ الشَّبابِ وظِلَّها

أَنِسْتُ بأيّامِ الشَّبابِ وظِلَّها

وآنستُ دَهراً في جوارِ الجَوارِيا

وآنستُ دَهراً في جوارِ الجَوارِيا

I delighted in the days of youth and their pleasures,

I found delight in the days of youth and their shade,

and for an age found companionship among young maidens.

and for an age felt at ease in the company of maidens.

فلما رأيْتُ الشَّيْبَ يبسِمُ ضاحِكاً

فلما رأيْتُ الشَّيْبَ يبسِمُ ضاحِكاً

بكيتُ فأخْجلْتُ العُيونَ الجَوارِيا

بكيتُ فأخْجلْتُ العُيونَ الجَوارِيا

Then, when I saw gray hair smiling with laughter,

But when I saw gray hair smiling and laughing,

I wept, putting streaming eyes to shame.

I wept, and so put flowing springs to shame.

وقلتُ غدا زَنْدي بشيبي كابياً

وقلتُ غدا زَنْدي بشيبي كابياً

وكنتُ أراهُ يقدَحُ الثّلجَ وَارِيا

وكنتُ أراهُ يقدَحُ الثّلجَ وَارِيا

I said: Tomorrow my fire-stick, with my grayness, will lie quenched,

And I said: my fire-stick has grown sparkless with my graying,

though once I saw it kindle even snow into flame.

though once I saw it blaze, striking sparks from snow.

فظُنَّ ريا بالدُّموعِ سَفَحتُها

فظُنَّ ريا بالدُّموعِ سَفَحتُها

وما بدُموعٍ قد قراها الجوىَ رِيا

وما بدُموعٍ قد قراها الجوىَ رِيا

So imagine there is quenching in the tears I have shed—

So it was thought quenched by the tears I shed,

yet in my tears, which consuming passion has served forth, there is no quenching.

yet in tears gathered by burning heartache there is no quenching.