وَلَئِن كَبِرتُ لَقَد عُمِرتُ كَأَنَّني

وَلَئِن كَبِرتُ لَقَد عُمِرتُ كَأَنَّني

غُصنٌ تُفَيِّئُهُ الرِياحُ رَطيبُ

غُصنٌ تُفَيِّئُهُ الرِياحُ رَطيبُ

Though I have grown old, I have lived long indeed—as though I were

And though I have grown old, I have lived long, as though I were

a tender branch the winds bend to and fro.

a supple branch swayed by the winds.

وَكَذاكَ حَقّاً مَن يُعَمِّر يُبلِهِ

وَكَذاكَ حَقّاً مَن يُعَمِّر يُبلِهِ

كَرُّ الزَمانِ عَلَيهِ وَالتَقليبُ

كَرُّ الزَمانِ عَلَيهِ وَالتَقليبُ

And so it is: truly, whoever lives long is worn away

And so, truly, whoever lives long is worn down

by time’s repeated assaults and reversals.

by time's repeated passage over him and its vicissitudes,

حَتّى يَعودَ مِنَ البَلاءِ كَأَنَّهُ

حَتّى يَعودَ مِنَ البَلاءِ كَأَنَّهُ

في الكَفِّ أَفوَقُ ناصِلٌ مَعصوبُ

في الكَفِّ أَفوَقُ ناصِلٌ مَعصوبُ

Until, from affliction, he becomes as though he were

until, through wear, he becomes as though he were

in the hand, a bound arrow—nock-broken and headless—

in the hand, a broken-nocked, headless arrow bound with sinew,

مَرِطُ القَذاذِ فَلَيسَ فيهِ مَصنَعٌ

مَرِطُ القَذاذِ فَلَيسَ فيهِ مَصنَعٌ

لا الريشُ يَنفَعُهُ وَلا التَعقيبُ

لا الريشُ يَنفَعُهُ وَلا التَعقيبُ

its fletching stripped away, beyond all repair;

stripped of its fletching, beyond repair;

neither feathers help it nor rebinding.

neither feathers nor sinew-binding can help it.

وَلَقَد بُليتُ وَكُلُّ صاحِبِ جِدَّةٍ

وَلَقَد بُليتُ وَكُلُّ صاحِبِ جِدَّةٍ

لِبِلىً يَعودُ وَذاكُمُ التَتبيبُ

لِبِلىً يَعودُ وَذاكُمُ التَتبيبُ

I too have worn away, and all that possesses freshness

And I have indeed been worn out; and all that is fresh

returns to decay—and that is utter ruin.

comes to decay—and that is ruin.