تحاكَمْنَا إِلى نُوَبِ الليالي

تحاكَمْنَا إِلى نُوَبِ الليالي

على رغمِ الصِّبَا أنا والمشيبُ

على رغمِ الصِّبَا أنا والمشيبُ

We brought our dispute before the vicissitudes of the nights,

We appealed to the turns of nights,

despite youth—I and gray hair.

Despite my youth and grey hairs, me and old age.

فقد شهِدتْ له بالزور بِيضٌ

فقد شهِدتْ له بالزور بِيضٌ

طوالِعُ في عِذاري لا تغيبُ

طوالِعُ في عِذاري لا تغيبُ

For white hairs bore false witness in its favor,

For it has falsely testified for him, dawns

rising in my sideburns, never setting.

Rising in my chastity that do not set.

وقام بنُصرتِي والذَبِّ عَنِّي

وقام بنُصرتِي والذَبِّ عَنِّي

سِنِيَّ وعهدُ مولديَ القريبُ

سِنِيَّ وعهدُ مولديَ القريبُ

And in my support and defense stood

And my oldness and my recent birth have undertaken my support and defense,

my years and the recent date of my birth.

And I have returned while an injustice was imposed upon me,

وعدتُ وقد قضَيْنَ عليَّ جَوراً

وعدتُ وقد قضَيْنَ عليَّ جَوراً

لِشيبي والصِّبَا غَضٌّ قشِيبُ

لِشيبي والصِّبَا غَضٌّ قشِيبُ

And I returned, after they had ruled unjustly against me,

For my greyness and fresh youth, a wrathful young man.

in favor of my gray hair, though youth was tender and fresh.

And whoever returns to the judges regarding what undressed him,

ومن يرجِعْ إِلى الحُكَّامِ فيما

ومن يرجِعْ إِلى الحُكَّامِ فيما

عراهُ فهو يغنَمُ أو يَخِيبُ

عراهُ فهو يغنَمُ أو يَخِيبُ

And whoever turns to judges concerning what

Either profits or loses.

has befallen him either gains or is disappointed.