تَذكُرُ إِذ أَنتَ قَضيبٌ رَطيب

تَذكُرُ إِذ أَنتَ قَضيبٌ رَطيب

عَلَيهِ لِلحُسنِ رِداءٌ قَشيب

عَلَيهِ لِلحُسنِ رِداءٌ قَشيب

You remember when you were a tender, supple bough,

You remember when you were a supple bough,

clothed in beauty’s fresh new robe;

Upon it lay beauty's fresh robe.

خالَطَ ماءَ الحُسنِ في وَجهِهِ

خالَطَ ماءَ الحُسنِ في وَجهِهِ

ماءَ شَبابٍ لَم يَرُقهُ المَشيب

ماءَ شَبابٍ لَم يَرُقهُ المَشيب

the radiance of beauty mingled in your face

In his face, beauty's water mingled

with the freshness of youth, yet unclouded by gray;

With youth's water, which gray hair had not spilled.

إِذا مَشى يَخطُرُ في بُردِهِ

إِذا مَشى يَخطُرُ في بُردِهِ

غايَرَ فيهِ الشَكلُ حُسناً رَطيب

غايَرَ فيهِ الشَكلُ حُسناً رَطيب

when you walked, swaying proudly in your mantle,

When he walked, swaying in his mantle,

your figure ever-changing in fresh loveliness.

His form within it rivaled a supple bough in beauty.

كُنتَ قَضيبَ البانِ لَم يُقتَضَب

كُنتَ قَضيبَ البانِ لَم يُقتَضَب

وَأَنتَ مِن بَعدُ قَضيبٌ قَضيب

وَأَنتَ مِن بَعدُ قَضيبٌ قَضيب

You were an uncut bough of the ben tree;

You were a bough of the bān tree, uncut;

afterward, you are a bough indeed—but a bare one.

And afterward you are a severed bough.

فَاللَهوُ مُغَبَّرٌ مَقاديمُهُ

فَاللَهوُ مُغَبَّرٌ مَقاديمُهُ

مُعَفَّرَ الوَجهِ حَريبٌ سَليب

مُعَفَّرَ الوَجهِ حَريبٌ سَليب

Now pleasure’s vanguard is covered in dust,

For merriment's brow is dust-covered,

its face begrimed, defeated and despoiled.

Its face dust-smeared, despoiled and stripped bare.

خُذ بِنَصيبٍ مِن سُرورِ الصِبا

خُذ بِنَصيبٍ مِن سُرورِ الصِبا

فَما لِشَيخٍ مِن سُرورٍ نَصيب

فَما لِشَيخٍ مِن سُرورٍ نَصيب

Take your share of the joys of youth,

Take a share of the joy of youth,

for an old man has no share of joy.

For an old man has no share of joy.