قُل لِمَشيبي إِذ بَدا

قُل لِمَشيبي إِذ بَدا

وَاِبيَضَّ مِنّي المَفرِقُ

وَاِبيَضَّ مِنّي المَفرِقُ

Say to my gray hair when it appeared,

Say to my gray hairs when they appear

and the parting of my hair turned white:

And the parting of my head turns white,

ناطِقَةٍ لَكِنَّها

ناطِقَةٍ لَكِنَّها

كاسِفَةٌ لا تَنطِقُ

كاسِفَةٌ لا تَنطِقُ

Speaking, yet it

Though eloquent, they cannot speak;

is downcast and does not speak.

Though bashful, they cannot hide their plight.

إِنَّ الشَبابَ خانَني

إِنَّ الشَبابَ خانَني

فَالرَأسُ مِنّي أَبلَقُ

فَالرَأسُ مِنّي أَبلَقُ

Indeed, youth has betrayed me,

Youth has betrayed me. My head is bare.

so my head is black and white.

Where is the raven of blackest hue

أَينَ غُرابٍ أَسوَدٌ

أَينَ غُرابٍ أَسوَدٌ

أَطَرتَهُ يا عَقعَقُ

أَطَرتَهُ يا عَقعَقُ

Where is the black raven

Whose wings I sheltered, screaming cuckoo?

you sent flying, O magpie?