صَديقٌ أَفادَتني الحَداثَةُ وُدَّهُ

صَديقٌ أَفادَتني الحَداثَةُ وُدَّهُ

فَأَصبَحتُ سَهلاً في يَدَيَّ قِيادُهُ

فَأَصبَحتُ سَهلاً في يَدَيَّ قِيادُهُ

A friend whose affection youth had granted me,

A friend whose affection modernity made easy for me to steer

and I came to hold his reins easily in my hands.

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

يَميلُ مَعي حَتّى كَأَنَّ فُوادَهُ

يَميلُ مَعي حَتّى كَأَنَّ فُوادَهُ

نَجِيُّ فُؤادي أَو مُرادي مُرادُهُ

نَجِيُّ فُؤادي أَو مُرادي مُرادُهُ

He inclines with me, as though his heart

Or my will his will, and my desire his desire

were my heart's confidant, or my desire his desire.

But when time dyed the hair on his head grey

فَلَمّا أَحالَ الدَهرُ صِبغَةَ رَأسِهِ

فَلَمّا أَحالَ الدَهرُ صِبغَةَ رَأسِهِ

وَأَحنا عَلَيهِ حالِ في اِعتِقادُهُ

وَأَحنا عَلَيهِ حالِ في اِعتِقادُهُ

But when time changed the color of his head

And bent his faith under its sway

and bowed him down, his regard for me changed.

Never did I reckon, until this day

وَما كُنتُ قَبلَ اليَومِ أَحسِبُ أَنَّهُ

وَما كُنتُ قَبلَ اليَومِ أَحسِبُ أَنَّهُ

إِذا شابَ رَأسُ المَرءِ شابَ وِدادُهُ

إِذا شابَ رَأسُ المَرءِ شابَ وِدادُهُ

Before today, I had never thought that

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

when a man's head grows gray, his affection grows gray too.