جِلالُ مَشيبٍ نَزَل

جِلالُ مَشيبٍ نَزَل

وَأُنسُ شَبابٍ رَحَل

وَأُنسُ شَبابٍ رَحَل

The dignity of gray hair has descended;

The glory of gray hair has come down

and the delight of youth has departed.

And the intimacy of youth has departed

طَوى صاحِبٌ صاحِباً

طَوى صاحِبٌ صاحِباً

كَذاكَ اِختِلافُ الدُوَل

كَذاكَ اِختِلافُ الدُوَل

One companion has folded another away—

One friend has folded another friend

such is the alternation of fortunes.

Thus is the changing of fortunes

شَبابُ كَأَن لَم يَكُن

شَبابُ كَأَن لَم يَكُن

وَشَيبٌ كَأَن لَم يَزَل

وَشَيبٌ كَأَن لَم يَزَل

Youth—as though it had never been;

Youth is as if it had never been

and gray hair—as though it had always been.

And old age as if it had never ceased

كَأَنَّ حُسورَ الصِبا

كَأَنَّ حُسورَ الصِبا

عَن الشَيبِ حينَ اِشتَعَل

عَن الشَيبِ حينَ اِشتَعَل

As though youth's falling away

As if the temples of youth

from gray hair, when it blazed,

Had not blazed against white hair

زُها أَمَل مونِقٍ

زُها أَمَل مونِقٍ

أَطَلَّ عَلَيهِ أَجَل

أَطَلَّ عَلَيهِ أَجَل

were the splendor of a lovely hope

Its hopes a promising sapling

over which death loomed.

Which fate had cut down

أَعاذِلَتي أَقصِري

أَعاذِلَتي أَقصِري

كَفاك المَشيبُ العَذَل

كَفاك المَشيبُ العَذَل

O my reproacher, desist!

My reproaches, be brief

Gray hair has done your reproaching for you.

Gray hair and decline are enough

بَدا بَدَلاً بِالشَبا

بَدا بَدَلاً بِالشَبا

بِ لَيتَ الشَبابَ البَدَل

بِ لَيتَ الشَبابَ البَدَل

It appeared as a replacement for youth—

He has substituted for youth

would that youth were the replacement!

If only youth could substitute for him

جَلالٌ وَلكِنَّهُ

جَلالٌ وَلكِنَّهُ

تَحاماهُ حورُ المُقَل

تَحاماهُ حورُ المُقَل

Dignity—yet it

Majesty but it is

has been shunned by dark-eyed beauties.

Veiled by the bashfulness of the eyelids