تقاسَمَ اللّيلُ والإصباحُ بينهما

تقاسَمَ اللّيلُ والإصباحُ بينهما

عمري فمن حاصدٍ طوراً ومن زَرِعِ

عمري فمن حاصدٍ طوراً ومن زَرِعِ

Night and dawn apportioned between themselves

Night and daybreak divided between them

My lifetime—one at times reaping, the other sowing.

my life—one at times a reaper, the other a sower.

أعطى نَهاري وليلي جُلَّ صُنعِهِما

أعطى نَهاري وليلي جُلَّ صُنعِهِما

فنسجُ أيدي الدُّجى ثمّ الضّحى خِلَعِي

فنسجُ أيدي الدُّجى ثمّ الضّحى خِلَعِي

My day and my night bestowed the fullness of their craft,

My day and my night bestowed most of their handiwork;

And the hands of darkness, then of dawn, wove my robes.

so my robes are woven by the hands of darkness, then of morning light.

لِلّيلِ سودِي وللصّبحِ المنيرِ إذا

لِلّيلِ سودِي وللصّبحِ المنيرِ إذا

جَلاهُ شيبي فلُومِي فيه أوْ فَدَعِي

جَلاهُ شيبي فلُومِي فيه أوْ فَدَعِي

To night belong my black locks; to radiant dawn—when

My black robes belong to night, my white to radiant dawn, when

My gray hair brings it forth. Blame me for that, then, or leave me be.

my gray hair reveals it—so blame me for it, or let it be.

فَنَوبةُ اللّيل قد ولَّتْ كما نَزَلتْ

فَنَوبةُ اللّيل قد ولَّتْ كما نَزَلتْ

ونوبةُ الصّبحِ من هذا المشيبِ معي

ونوبةُ الصّبحِ من هذا المشيبِ معي

Night’s turn has passed, just as it came,

For night's turn has passed, just as it came,

But dawn’s turn, in this gray hair, remains with me.

and dawn's turn, brought by this gray hair, is with me.