باحَت بِبَلواه جُفونه

باحَت بِبَلواه جُفونه

وَجرت بأدمعه شُؤونُه

وَجرت بأدمعه شُؤونُه

His eyelids spoke of his affliction,

His eyelids divulged his affliction,

And his tear ducts flowed with his tears.

And his tear ducts flowed with his tears,

لَمّا رأى شيباً عَلا

لَمّا رأى شيباً عَلا

هُ وَلَم يَحُن في الغَدِّ حينه

هُ وَلَم يَحُن في الغَدِّ حينه

When he saw gray hair rise over

When he saw grey hair rising upon

Him, though its time was not due even on the morrow,

Him, though his time had not yet come,

فعلا عَلى فقد الشبا

فعلا عَلى فقد الشبا

ب وَفقد من يَهوى أَنينه

ب وَفقد من يَهوى أَنينه

Then rose, for the loss of youth

So his groaning rose for the loss of youth

And the loss of the one he loved, his lament.

And the loss of the one he loves.

ما كانَ أَنجَحَ سَعيَه

ما كانَ أَنجَحَ سَعيَه

وَشَبابه فيهِ معينه

وَشَبابه فيهِ معينه

How successful his striving had been,

How successful was his endeavor

While his youth was his helper in it!

When his youth was his helper therein!

وَاللَهوُ يُحسِن بِالفَتى

وَاللَهوُ يُحسِن بِالفَتى

ما لَم يَكُن شيبٌ يَشينه

ما لَم يَكُن شيبٌ يَشينه

And merriment sits well with a young man,

For amusement befits the young man,

So long as no gray hair mars him.

So long as grey hair does not mar him.