مَضى الشَبابُ وَوَلّى ما اِنتَفَعَتُ بِهِ

مَضى الشَبابُ وَوَلّى ما اِنتَفَعَتُ بِهِ

وَلَيتَهُ فارِطٌ يُرجى تَلافيهِ

وَلَيتَهُ فارِطٌ يُرجى تَلافيهِ

Youth has passed and turned away; I gained no benefit from it.

Youth has passed and gone; I gained nothing from it.

Would it were but something gone that one might hope to retrieve!

And would that it were a loss one could hope to make good.

أَو لَيتَ لي عَمَلاً فيهِ أُسَرُّ بِهِ

أَو لَيتَ لي عَمَلاً فيهِ أُسَرُّ بِهِ

أَو لَيتَني لا جَرى لي ما جَرى فيهِ

أَو لَيتَني لا جَرى لي ما جَرى فيهِ

Or would that I had some deed from those years in which I might rejoice,

Or would that I had a deed from that time to rejoice in.

Or would that what befell me in them had not befallen me.

Or would that what befell me in it had never befallen me.

فَاليَومَ أَبكي عَلى ما فاتَني أَسَفاً

فَاليَومَ أَبكي عَلى ما فاتَني أَسَفاً

وَهَل يُفيدُ بُكائي حينَ أَبكيهِ

وَهَل يُفيدُ بُكائي حينَ أَبكيهِ

Today I weep in sorrow over what slipped away from me—

So today I weep in sorrow over what has passed me by.

But can my weeping avail when I weep for it?

And does my weeping help when I weep over it?

واحَسرَتاهُ لِعُمرٍ ضاعَ أَكثَرُهُ

واحَسرَتاهُ لِعُمرٍ ضاعَ أَكثَرُهُ

وَالوَيلُ إِن كانَ باقيهِ كَماضيهِ

وَالوَيلُ إِن كانَ باقيهِ كَماضيهِ

Alas for a lifetime, most of it squandered!

Alas for a life, most of which has been wasted!

And woe, if what remains of it should be like what has passed!

And woe if what remains of it is like its past!