صَديقٌ أَفادَتني الحَداثَةُ وُدَّهُ

فَأَصبَحتُ سَهلاً في يَدَيَّ قِيادُهُ

A friend whose affection modernity made easy for me to steer

He leans with me as if his heart were my heart's peer

يَميلُ مَعي حَتّى كَأَنَّ فُوادَهُ

نَجِيُّ فُؤادي أَو مُرادي مُرادُهُ

Or my will his will, and my desire his desire

But when time dyed the hair on his head grey

فَلَمّا أَحالَ الدَهرُ صِبغَةَ رَأسِهِ

وَأَحنا عَلَيهِ حالِ في اِعتِقادُهُ

And bent his faith under its sway

Never did I reckon, until this day

وَما كُنتُ قَبلَ اليَومِ أَحسِبُ أَنَّهُ

إِذا شابَ رَأسُ المَرءِ شابَ وِدادُهُ

That when a man's hair turns grey, his love turns away