حالَ الزَّمانُ فَبَدلَ الآمالا

حالَ الزَّمانُ فَبَدلَ الآمالا

وكسا المشيبُ مَفارِقاً وقَذالا

وكسا المشيبُ مَفارِقاً وقَذالا

Time has changed, and so altered hopes.

The times have changed and hopes are lost,

And gray hair has clothed your hair-partings and your nape.

Grey hair covers the head that youth had crossed,

غَنِيتْ غَواني الحيِّ عنكَ ورُبَّما

غَنِيتْ غَواني الحيِّ عنكَ ورُبَّما

طَلعتْ عَليْك أَكِلَّةً وحِجالا

طَلعتْ عَليْك أَكِلَّةً وحِجالا

The beauties of the clan have no need of you, though many a time

My singing thrilled the living, maybe you,

They raised bed-curtains and bridal canopies over you.

But to you now it’s just an annoying call.

أَضْحَى عليكَ حَلالُهُنَّ مُحَرَّماً

أَضْحَى عليكَ حَلالُهُنَّ مُحَرَّماً

ولقد يكونُ حَرامُهُنَّ حَلالا

ولقد يكونُ حَرامُهُنَّ حَلالا

What is lawful with them has become forbidden to you,

What was unlawful becomes lawful to you,

And indeed, what is forbidden with them may be lawful.

What was lawful may now be against the law.

إنَّ الكواعِبَ إنْ رأَيْنكَ طاوِياً

إنَّ الكواعِبَ إنْ رأَيْنكَ طاوِياً

وصْلَ الشبابِ طَويْنَ عنكَ وِصالا

وصْلَ الشبابِ طَويْنَ عنكَ وِصالا

Indeed, if the budding-breasted maidens see you folding away

If the flirts see you bent down with age

Your bond with youth, they fold away their bond with you.

They turn away the union you once had.

وإذا دعَوْنَكَ عمَّهُنَّ فإنَّهُ

وإذا دعَوْنَكَ عمَّهُنَّ فإنَّهُ

نَسَبٌ يَزيدُكَ عِنْدَهُنَّ خَيالا

نَسَبٌ يَزيدُكَ عِنْدَهُنَّ خَيالا

And when they call you their uncle, it is indeed

And if their uncle calls you it’s but to gain

A kinship that makes you more of a phantom in their eyes.

A genealogy that builds castles in Spain.