وَفي الشَيبِ لي واعِظٌ لَو عَقِلتُ

قَرَعتُ عَلى العُمرِ سِنّي سَنينا

In my gray hair there is an admonisher, had I but understood,

I would have rapped on life's years with the knock of years.

تَراني وَقَد عارَضَ العارِضينَ

طوراً شَمالاً وَطوراً يَمينا

You see me contending with contenders,

Now left, now right.

أُقَلِّعُ أَوَّلَ فُرسانِهِ

وَلَكِنَّني أَتَخَشّى الكَمينا

I unhorse his first horsemen,

But still I fear the ambush.