طربتُ بعهدِ الصبا بعد ما

سقيتُ بنارِ الأسى والحرب

I was delighted by the covenant of youth after

I was given to drink the fire of sorrow and war.

وحمَّر ذهني بياضُ المشيب

فها أنا فيهِ الشفا والطرب

And my mind was reddened by the whiteness of old age,

So here I am, in it is healing and delight.

ولولا الهنَا بزمانِ الرَّئيس

أمين العلا هدَّ حالِي العطب

And were it not for being content in the time of the president,

Amin Al-Aula, who corrected my faulty state,

ومقدمه من حمى المَرْجِ قد

شفاني من هرجِ مرج الكرب

And his arrival from the sanctuary of Al-Marj who

Healed me from the chaos of the sea of anguish,

يُوَقِّرِني ودّه لا جفا

ويرْوي الصدى بره لا نضَب

He honors me with his affection, not aloofness,

And satisfies my echo with his integrity, never waning.

دعانِي شيخاً رضا سيِّدي

فهذَّبني غيظه المقتضب

My master called me a venerable old man,

So he disciplined me, curbing my rage.

فأحسنَ لي في الوفا والجفا

وشيَّخني في الرِّضا والغضب

He did well by me in allegiance and estrangement,

And made me wise in acceptance and anger.