لَيسَ عَلى الشَيبِ لِلغَواني

وَإِن تَجَمَّلنَ مِن قَرارِ

The nights are not to blame for the follies of youth,

Though now they adorn with dignified composure.

كَأَنَّما البيضُ مِن لِداتي

ضَرائِرُ البيضِ مِن عِذاري

My white locks seem as if shed by my cheeks,

While in fact, they are the white flowers of my temples.

إِن خَيَّمَت هَذِهِ بِأَرضي

تَحَمَّلَت تِلكَ عَن دِياري

When one campsite departs from my land,

Another is pitched for me in my home.

أَرَينَ في رَأسِيَ اللَيالي

شَرَّ ضِياءٍ لِشَرِّ نارِ

Have I not seen in the nights of my life,

The evilest of lights for the evilest of fires?

يُبدي الخَفِيّاتِ مِن عُيوبي

وَيُظهِرُ السِرَّ مِن عَواري

It reveals the hidden faults in me,

And exposes my innermost secrets.

أَعدو بِهِ اليَومَ لِلغَواني

أَعدى مِنَ الذِئبِ لِلضَواري

Today it makes me more hostile to youth,

Than a wolf is to sheep.

وَكُنَّ طَربى إِلى طُروقي

إِذ لَيلُ رَأسي بِلا دَراري

My nights were once filled with joy,

Before my hair lost its darkness.

فَمُذ أَضاءَ المَشيبُ فودي

تَوَرَّعَ الزَورُ عَن مَزاري

But since my hair turned white,

Vain talk has become rare for me.

مِثلُ الخَيالاتِ زُرنَ لَيلاً

وَزُلنَ مَع طالِعِ النَهارِ

My thoughts used to frolic at night,

And disappear at dawn.