لا تَطلُبَن أَثَراً بِعَين

لا تَطلُبَن أَثَراً بِعَين

فَالشَيبُ إِحدى المَيتَتَين

فَالشَيبُ إِحدى المَيتَتَين

Never ask that an eye leave its mark—

Do not seek a trace with your eye;

for gray hair is one of the two deaths.

for gray hair is one of the two deaths.

أَبدى مَقابِحَ كُلِّ شَين

أَبدى مَقابِحَ كُلِّ شَين

وَمَحا مَحاسِنَ كُلِّ زَين

وَمَحا مَحاسِنَ كُلِّ زَين

It lays bare the ugliness of every flaw

It has exposed the ugliness of every blemish

and erases the beauty of every grace.

and erased the charms of every beauty.

فَإِذا رَأَتكَ الغانِيا

فَإِذا رَأَتكَ الغانِيا

تُ رَأَينَ مِنكَ غُرابَ بَين

تُ رَأَينَ مِنكَ غُرابَ بَين

When lovely women see you,

So when the beautiful women see you,

they see in you the crow of parting.

they see in you a raven of parting.

وَلَرُبَّما نافَسنَ في

وَلَرُبَّما نافَسنَ في

كَ وَكُنَّ طَوعاً لِليَدَين

كَ وَكُنَّ طَوعاً لِليَدَين

Yet often they once competed for

And how often they once vied for

you, and were pliant in your hands,

you, and were pliant in your hands,

أَيّامَ عَمَّمَكَ الشَبا

أَيّامَ عَمَّمَكَ الشَبا

بُ وَأَنتَ سَهلُ العارِضَين

بُ وَأَنتَ سَهلُ العارِضَين

in days when youth wrapped you in its turban

in the days when youth crowned you with a turban,

and both your cheeks were smooth.

and your two cheeks were smooth,

حَتّى إِذا نَزَلَ المَشي

حَتّى إِذا نَزَلَ المَشي

بُ وَصِرتَ بَينَ عِمامَتَين

بُ وَصِرتَ بَينَ عِمامَتَين

Until, when grayness descended

until, when gray hair descended,

and you stood between two turbans—

and you stood between two turbans—

سَوداءَ حالِكَةٍ وَبَي

سَوداءَ حالِكَةٍ وَبَي

ضاءِ المَناشِرِ كَاللُجَين

ضاءِ المَناشِرِ كَاللُجَين

one pitch-black, and the other—

one black and pitch-dark, the other white,

white wherever it spread, like silver—

its outspread folds like silver—

مَزَجَ الصُدودُ وِصالَهُن

مَزَجَ الصُدودُ وِصالَهُن

نَ فَكُنَّ أَمراً بَينَ بَين

نَ فَكُنَّ أَمراً بَينَ بَين

their coldness mingled with their intimacy,

rebuff mingled with their intimacy,

and they became something in between.

so they became something in between.

وَصَبرنَ ما صَبر السَوا

وَصَبرنَ ما صَبر السَوا

دُ عَلى مُصانَعَةٍ وَمَين

دُ عَلى مُصانَعَةٍ وَمَين

They endured while the blackness

And they endured as long as the blackness endured,

endured—through pretense and lies—

with dissembling and lies,

حَتّى إِذا شَمِلَ المَشي

حَتّى إِذا شَمِلَ المَشي

بُ فَجازَ قُطرَ الجانِبَين

بُ فَجازَ قُطرَ الجانِبَين

until grayness spread all over

until, when gray hair spread everywhere,

and crossed the breadth of both sides.

and crossed the expanse of both sides,

قَفَّين شَرَّ قَفِيَّةٍ

قَفَّين شَرَّ قَفِيَّةٍ

وَأَخَذنَ مِنكَ الأَطيَبَين

وَأَخَذنَ مِنكَ الأَطيَبَين

Then they turned away in the worst of turnings

they turned their backs in the worst of ways,

and took from you the two sweetest things.

and took from you the two sweetest things.

فَاِقنَ الحَياءَ وَسَلِّ نَف

فَاِقنَ الحَياءَ وَسَلِّ نَف

سَكَ أَو فَنادِ الفَرقَدَين

سَكَ أَو فَنادِ الفَرقَدَين

So keep your modesty and console

So hold fast to modesty and console

yourself—or call out to the two Farqads.

yourself—or call to the two Farqad stars.

وَلَئِن أَصابَتكَ الخُطو

وَلَئِن أَصابَتكَ الخُطو

بُ بِكُلِّ مَكروهٍ وَشين

بُ بِكُلِّ مَكروهٍ وَشين

And though calamities strike

And though calamities have struck you

you with every affliction and disgrace,

with every ill and blemish,

فَلَقَد أَمِنتَ بِأَن يُصي

فَلَقَد أَمِنتَ بِأَن يُصي

بَكَ ناظِرٌ أَبَداً بِعَين

بَكَ ناظِرٌ أَبَداً بِعَين

you are at least safe from ever being struck—

yet surely you are safe from being struck

by any beholder’s evil eye.

ever by an onlooker's evil eye.