تقول لِي إنّما الستّون مقطعةٌ

تقول لِي إنّما الستّون مقطعةٌ

بين الرّجال ووصلِ الخُرَّد الغِيدِ

بين الرّجال ووصلِ الخُرَّد الغِيدِ

She tells me, “Sixty years are but a barrier

You tell me that sixty are but a few years

between men and union with bashful, graceful maidens.

Between men and the withering of smooth skin

وَما اِستوى يَفَنٌ ولّتْ نضارتُه

وَما اِستوى يَفَنٌ ولّتْ نضارتُه

في الغانياتِ بغضٍّ ناضرِ العودِ

في الغانياتِ بغضٍّ ناضرِ العودِ

And no aged man whose bloom has faded is equal,

And a youth's freshness is no match

where fair women are concerned, to a tender youth with a flourishing stem.”

For the passion of one gray at the temples

فقلتُ ما الشّيبُ إلّا لبسةٌ لُبستْ

فقلتُ ما الشّيبُ إلّا لبسةٌ لُبستْ

ما أثّرتْ بِيَ في بخلٍ ولا جودِ

ما أثّرتْ بِيَ في بخلٍ ولا جودِ

So I said, “Gray hair is only a garment donned;

So I said: what's gray hair but a cloak I wear?

it has not changed me in stinginess or generosity,

It hasn't marred me with stinginess or largesse,

ولا وفاءٍ ولا غدرٍ ولا كَلَفٍ

ولا وفاءٍ ولا غدرٍ ولا كَلَفٍ

ولا ملالٍ ولا إنجازِ موعودِ

ولا ملالٍ ولا إنجازِ موعودِ

nor in faithfulness, nor treachery, nor passionate love,

Loyalty or betrayal, pretense

nor weariness, nor fulfillment of a promise.

Or boredom, or unkept vows

إنّ الحِفاظَ وبيِضي فيه لامعةٌ

إنّ الحِفاظَ وبيِضي فيه لامعةٌ

خيرٌ من الغدرِ لو جرّبتِ في سودِي

خيرٌ من الغدرِ لو جرّبتِ في سودِي

Indeed, fidelity—with my white hairs gleaming in it—

Truly, my honor, though white threads it bears

is better than treachery, were you to find it in my black hairs.”

Is better than black treachery, you'd discover, if you but tried me.