قَدَحَ المَشيبُ بِمَفرِقَيهِ زِنادَا

لا يَستَطيعُ لِنارِهِ إِخمادَا

The gray hair sparked fire with its flint,

A fire it cannot extinguish.

وَثَنَت مَليحَاتُ التَلَفُّتِ سَلْوَةً

عَن شَخصِه الألحاظَ والأَجيادَا

The glances of the fair ladies turned gently away

From his face, gaze, and neck.

ولَرُبَّما فَرَشَتْ لزائر لحظِهِ

وردَ الخدودِ مَحَبّةً وَوِدادا

And perhaps she laid for his visiting glance

The roses of her cheeks in affection and love.

إن صادقَتْهُ زمانَ صادَقَهُ الصّبا

فهيَ الَّتي عادَتْهُ لمّا عَادى

If time was true to him, youth was true to him,

For it was youth that returned him when he resisted.

أَتَرى بَياضَ الشَيبِ ماءً غاسلاً

في العارِضَينِ وَلِلشبابِ سَوادا

Do you see the whiteness of gray hair washing

Away the shame of the temples and giving youth darkness?

خانَتْ سعادُ وقد وَفَى لك لونُها

لو خانَ ما وَفّى مَلَكتَ سُعادا

Bliss betrayed you though its hue was true to you.

If what betrays were true, you'd have had bliss.

أَكثَرتَ مِن ذِكرِ الفَتاءِ وقَلَّما

تُعْطي لذي الذّكَرِ الفتاةُ قيادا

You spoke much of youth but rarely

Does the young woman give leadership to one who spoke of youth.