إذا سالَ وادي الشيب في مفرقِ الفتى

إذا سالَ وادي الشيب في مفرقِ الفتى

وقنعَ منهُ عمةَ المتلثمِ

وقنعَ منهُ عمةَ المتلثمِ

When the valley of gray hair flows through a young man’s parting,

When the valley of gray hair flows through a young man's parting,

and from it wraps him in the turban of a face-veiled man,

And he is veiled in it as in a face-veiled man's turban,

فيا قبح ما تحكي المراةُ لعينه

فيا قبح ما تحكي المراةُ لعينه

ويا بعدهُ من كل عيشٍ ومنعم

ويا بعدهُ من كل عيشٍ ومنعم

what ugliness the mirror reveals to his eye!

Then how ugly is what the mirror shows his eye,

And how far removed he is from every pleasant life and comfort!

And how far he is from all ease of life and pleasure!