إِذا بَلَغَ الإِنسانُ خَمسينَ حِجَّةً

فَلا يَمتَهِن ديناً بِرَدِّ سَلامِ

When a man reaches fifty pilgrimages

He should not compromise his faith by declining a greeting

لِيَشغَلَ بِذِكرِ اللَهِ عَن كُلِّ شاغِلٍ

فَذَلِكَ عِندَ اللُبِّ خَيرُ كَلامِ

Rather he should busy himself with remembering God over all else

For that, to the heart’s core, is the best discourse

وَمِن شِيَمِ الأَيّامِ وَهيَ كَثيرَةٌ

فَناءُ كَبيرٍ وَاِقتِبالُ غُلامِ

And of the traits of days, as many as they are

Is the passing of elders and the advent of youth

مَلامٌ لِنَفسي حُقَّ عِندي لِمِثلِها

وَكُنتُ حَقيقاً عِندَها بِمُلامِ

I blame my soul, it deserves it

And I was truly blameworthy to it

وَإِظلامُ عَينٍ بَعدَهُ ظُلمَةُ الثَرى

فَقُل في ظَلامٍ زيدَ فَوقَ ظَلامِ

And the blindness of an eye followed by the darkness of soil

Say: in darkness, darkness was added to darkness