فَأَهلاً وَسَهلاً بَضَيفٍ نَزَل

وَاِستَودَعَ اللَهُ إِلفاً رَحَل

Welcome, welcome to a guest who's arrived

So welcome and greetings to a guest who has alighted,

May God protect a companion who's departed

And I entrust to God's care a companion who has departed.

تَوَلّى الشَبابُ كَأَنَّ لَم يَكُن

وَحَلَّ المَشيبُ كَأَنَّ لَم يَزَل

Youth has passed as though it had never been

Youth has turned away as though it never was,

While old age remains as though it had always been

And hoariness has settled in as though it had always been.

فَأَمّا المَشيبُ كَصُبحٍ بَدا

وَأَمّا الشَبابُ كَبَدرٍ أَفَل

And so old age appeared like the break of dawn

For white hair is like a dawn that has appeared,

While youth faded like the waning moon

While youth is like a full moon that has set.

سَقى اللَهُ ذاكَ وَهَذا مَعاً

فَنِعمَ المُوَلّي وَنِعمَ البَدَل

May God water them both, together

May God water both the former and the latter together,

Excellent is He who transforms, excellent the exchange

For how excellent is the one leaving, and how excellent the replacement.