تقضى مُزاح واِستفاق طَروبُ

تقضى مُزاح واِستفاق طَروبُ

وَأعقب مِن بعد المشيب مَشيبُ

وَأعقب مِن بعد المشيب مَشيبُ

Jesting is over, and the merry man has come to his senses.

Jesting has passed, and the merry-maker has sobered,

And gray hair has followed upon gray hair.

And grayness has ensued, following upon graying.

أَلا لَيسَ مِن داء المَشيب طَبيب

أَلا لَيسَ مِن داء المَشيب طَبيب

وَلَيسَ شَباب زال عَنكَ يَؤوب

وَلَيسَ شَباب زال عَنكَ يَؤوب

Ah, there is no physician for the malady of gray hair.

Alas, for the malady of hoariness there is no physician,

And youth that has left you does not return.

Nor does a youth that has departed from you ever return.

لَعَمري لَقَد بانَ الشَباب وَإِنَّني

لَعَمري لَقَد بانَ الشَباب وَإِنَّني

عَلَيهِ لَمَحزونُ الفُؤاد كَئيب

عَلَيهِ لَمَحزونُ الفُؤاد كَئيب

By my life, youth has indeed departed, and I

By my life, youth has truly parted, and indeed I

am truly grieved at heart for it, sorrowful.

Am aggrieved at heart and melancholic over its loss.

وَقلت لِضَيف الشَيب لَمّا أَلَمَّ بي

وَقلت لِضَيف الشَيب لَمّا أَلَمَّ بي

نَصيبُك مِني جفوة وَقُطوب

نَصيبُك مِني جفوة وَقُطوب

And I said to the guest—gray hair—when it came upon me:

And I said to the guest of grayness when he descended upon me:

Your share from me is coldness and frowns.

"Your share from me is but estrangement and a scowl;

حَرامٌ عَلَينا أَن تَنالك عِندَنا

حَرامٌ عَلَينا أَن تَنالك عِندَنا

كَرامَة بِرٍّ أَو يَمَسَّكَ طَيب

كَرامَة بِرٍّ أَو يَمَسَّكَ طَيب

We are forbidden to grant you, here with us,

"It is forbidden for us that you should receive at our abode

a kindly welcome, or to let perfume touch you.

"The honor of kindness, or that perfume should touch you."