إِذا ما دَعَوتَ الشَيخَ شَيخاً هَجَوتَهُ

إِذا ما دَعَوتَ الشَيخَ شَيخاً هَجَوتَهُ

وَحَسبُكَ مَدحاً لِلفَتى قَولُ يا فَتى

وَحَسبُكَ مَدحاً لِلفَتى قَولُ يا فَتى

If you call an old man “old man,” you have lampooned him;

When you call an old man 'old man,' you insult him.

and praise enough for a young man is to say, “O young man!”

And to praise a young man, you need only say, 'O young man.'

أُشَبِّهُ أَيّامَ الشَبابِ الَّتي مَضَت

أُشَبِّهُ أَيّامَ الشَبابِ الَّتي مَضَت

وَأَيّامَنا في الشَيبِ بِالفَقرِ وَالغِنى

وَأَيّامَنا في الشَيبِ بِالفَقرِ وَالغِنى

I liken the days of youth that have passed

I liken the days of youth that have passed

and these gray-haired days of ours—to poverty and wealth.

and our days of gray hair to poverty and wealth.