نَزَلَ المشيبُ بِوَفدِهِ لا مَرحَبَا

نَزَلَ المشيبُ بِوَفدِهِ لا مَرحَبَا

ورَأَى الشَّبابُ مَكَاَنهُ فَتَجَّنبَا

ورَأَى الشَّبابُ مَكَاَنهُ فَتَجَّنبَا

Gray hair arrived with its retinue—no welcome!

Old age descended with its delegation, without welcome

And youth saw where it had settled and withdrew.

And youth saw its place, so avoided it

ضَيفٌ بَغيضٌ لا أَرَى لي عُصرَةً

ضَيفٌ بَغيضٌ لا أَرَى لي عُصرَةً

مِنهُ هَرَبتُ فَلم أَجِد لي مَهرَبَا

مِنهُ هَرَبتُ فَلم أَجِد لي مَهرَبَا

A loathsome guest: I see no refuge for myself.

An unwanted guest, I see no escape from it

From it I fled, but found no escape for myself.

I fled from it, but could find no refuge

بُدِّلتُ بِالعَيشِ اللَّذيذِ ونِعمَةِ ال

بُدِّلتُ بِالعَيشِ اللَّذيذِ ونِعمَةِ ال

عُمرَينِ هَمّاً شاهِداً ومُغَيَّبَا

عُمرَينِ هَمّاً شاهِداً ومُغَيَّبَا

I was given, in place of pleasant living and the bliss of the

I was replaced from a sweet life and the blessing of

two lifetimes, sorrow both present and hidden.

Two lives, with worry, loss, and banishment

ولَقَد يُصاحِبُني الشَّبابُ فَلم أَكُن

ولَقَد يُصاحِبُني الشَّبابُ فَلم أَكُن

آتي بهِ إلاَّ الفَعَالَ الأَصوَبَا

آتي بهِ إلاَّ الفَعَالَ الأَصوَبَا

And youth did indeed keep me company, and I never

And indeed youth used to accompany me, yet I

performed in its company any but the most upright deeds.

Did not come to it except with the rightest of deeds

ولَقَد حَفِظتُ مَكانَهُ ورَعَيتُهُ

ولَقَد حَفِظتُ مَكانَهُ ورَعَيتُهُ

وجَعلَتُهُ مِنِّي الأَحَبَّ الأَقربَا

وجَعلَتُهُ مِنِّي الأَحَبَّ الأَقربَا

And indeed, I preserved its place and cared for it,

And indeed I preserved its place and tended it

And made it the dearest and closest to me.

And made it the most beloved and closest to me