مُسوَدُّ فَودِكَ بِالمبيضِّ مُشتعِل

مُسوَدُّ فَودِكَ بِالمبيضِّ مُشتعِل

وَأَنتَ بِالهزل وَقتَ الجدِّ مُشتغِلُ

وَأَنتَ بِالهزل وَقتَ الجدِّ مُشتغِلُ

The black hair at your temple is ablaze with white,

Your youth is kindled by the camphor white,

while you busy yourself with jest when earnestness is due.

Yet you while time with idle jest and slight.

أَما اتَّعظتَ بِفِعلٍ كُله خَطأٌ

أَما اتَّعظتَ بِفِعلٍ كُله خَطأٌ

أَلا اِمتَعَظتَ لقَولٍ كُلّه خَطَلُ

أَلا اِمتَعَظتَ لقَولٍ كُلّه خَطَلُ

Have you not taken heed of conduct that is all error?

Have you not learned that every deed and word

Have you not been vexed by speech that is all folly?

Brings sorrow, failure, evil in its train?

ناهَزتَ ستِّينَ عاماً ما اِنتَهَزت إِلى

ناهَزتَ ستِّينَ عاماً ما اِنتَهَزت إِلى

رُجعاكَ مِن فُرصَةٍ يُمحى بِها الزَلَلُ

رُجعاكَ مِن فُرصَةٍ يُمحى بِها الزَلَلُ

You have neared sixty years, yet have not seized, for

You've passed threescore; opportunity

your return, a chance by which your missteps might be erased.

No more is yours mistakes of youth to right.

زَلَّت بِكَ القدمُ الخَسرى وَزالَ بِها

زَلَّت بِكَ القدمُ الخَسرى وَزالَ بِها

عَنِ الهُدى قَدَم بِالضدِّ يَتَّصِلُ

عَنِ الهُدى قَدَم بِالضدِّ يَتَّصِلُ

Your ill-fated foot has slipped, and with it has strayed

Your erring foot has led you far astray,

from guidance a foot that cleaves to its opposite.

From virtue's path it turns you left and right.

فَأَنتَ تُسرِعُ قُدماً في الضَلال وَما

فَأَنتَ تُسرِعُ قُدماً في الضَلال وَما

يَرُدُّك الوازِعانِ الخَوفُ وَالخَجَلُ

يَرُدُّك الوازِعانِ الخَوفُ وَالخَجَلُ

So you rush onward in error, nor

Headlong you hasten on through sin's dark night,

do the two restraints, fear and shame, turn you back.

Restraining fear and shame have lost their might.

قَسَت قُلوبٌ فَلا ذِكرى تُلَيِّنُها

قَسَت قُلوبٌ فَلا ذِكرى تُلَيِّنُها

جَفَّت جُفونٌ فَما للحُزنِ تَنهَمِلُ

جَفَّت جُفونٌ فَما للحُزنِ تَنهَمِلُ

Hearts have hardened, so no reminder softens them;

Hard grown are hearts that warning cannot move,

eyelids have dried, so they no longer stream with sorrow.

And eyes are dry on which tears have no bite.

إِنَّ السَلامَةَ في تَركِ الأَنامِ هُمُ

إِنَّ السَلامَةَ في تَركِ الأَنامِ هُمُ

كَالسُمِّ كُل أَديمٍ حَلَّ يِنتَغِلُ

كَالسُمِّ كُل أَديمٍ حَلَّ يِنتَغِلُ

Indeed, safety lies in shunning humankind; they are

Men's fellowship is poison; your soul's health

like poison: every skin in which it lodges rots.

Demands you dwell remote from human blight.

يَصِحُّ دينُكَ إِذ ما كُنتَ منفرِداً

يَصِحُّ دينُكَ إِذ ما كُنتَ منفرِداً

عَنهُم وَإِن تَرَهُم دَبَّت لَهُ العِلَلُ

عَنهُم وَإِن تَرَهُم دَبَّت لَهُ العِلَلُ

Your faith stays sound whenever you are apart

Though single, safe your faith, mix with mankind,

from them; but if you see them, ailments creep into it.

And doubts and evil on your soul alight.

وَا رَحمَتا لِفُؤادي كَم أَعنِّفُهُ

وَا رَحمَتا لِفُؤادي كَم أَعنِّفُهُ

فَلَيسَ يَردعُهُ قَولٌ وَلا عَمَلُ

فَلَيسَ يَردعُهُ قَولٌ وَلا عَمَلُ

Oh, how I pity my heart! How often I rebuke it!

Pity my heart! How chide it though I may,

Yet neither word nor deed restrains it.

It hears no counsel, heeds not what is right.

مَرَّت عَلَيهِ دُهورٌ لا يَصيخُ إِلى

مَرَّت عَلَيهِ دُهورٌ لا يَصيخُ إِلى

داعي الهُدى وَلَهُ نَحوَ الصَبا مَيَلُ

داعي الهُدى وَلَهُ نَحوَ الصَبا مَيَلُ

Ages have passed over it, yet it gives no ear to

Long years have passed; it turns from wisdom's voice

the caller to guidance, while it inclines toward youthful desire.

And leans toward the follies of its flight.