الجَهلُ بَعدَ الأَربَعينَ قَبيحُ

الجَهلُ بَعدَ الأَربَعينَ قَبيحُ

فَزَعِ الفُؤادَ وَإِن ثَناهُ جُموحُ

فَزَعِ الفُؤادَ وَإِن ثَناهُ جُموحُ

Folly after forty is ugly.

Ignorance after forty is ugly

So restrain the heart, even if unruliness turns it aside.

So restrain your heart even if it is stubborn

وَبِعِ السَفاهَةَ بِالوَقارِ وَبِالنُهى

وَبِعِ السَفاهَةَ بِالوَقارِ وَبِالنُهى

ثَمَنٌ لَعَمرُكَ إِن فَعَلتَ رَبيحُ

ثَمَنٌ لَعَمرُكَ إِن فَعَلتَ رَبيحُ

And sell foolishness for dignity and reason—

And sell foolishness through dignity and prohibition

A profitable price, by your life, if you do so.

It will be profitable for you if you do so, by your life

فَلَقَد حَدا بِكَ حادِيانِ إِلى البِلى

فَلَقَد حَدا بِكَ حادِيانِ إِلى البِلى

وَدَعاكَ داعٍ لِلرَحيلِ فَصيحُ

وَدَعاكَ داعٍ لِلرَحيلِ فَصيحُ

For two drivers have indeed urged you onward toward decay,

For the guide to destruction has led you

And an eloquent caller has summoned you to depart.

And the caller to departure has called loudly