أَسِفتُ وَقَد نَضَت عَنّي اللَيالي

أَسِفتُ وَقَد نَضَت عَنّي اللَيالي

جَديداً مِن شَبابٍ مُستَعارِ

جَديداً مِن شَبابٍ مُستَعارِ

I grieved, the nights having stripped from me

I regret as the nights have passed me by

a fresh robe of borrowed youth.

Bringing me a fresh youth in borrowed time

فَكانَ يُقيمُ عِندي في زَمانِ ال

فَكانَ يُقيمُ عِندي في زَمانِ ال

صِبى لَونُ الشَبيبَةِ في عِذاري

صِبى لَونُ الشَبيبَةِ في عِذاري

And there used to dwell with me, in the days of

So there dwelled in me, in days gone by

youth, the hue of youth in my sideburns.

The hue of boyhood in my flushing prime

وَلَم أَكرَه بَياضَ الشَيبِ إِلّا

وَلَم أَكرَه بَياضَ الشَيبِ إِلّا

لِأَنَّ العَيبَ يَظهَرُ بِالنَهارِ

لِأَنَّ العَيبَ يَظهَرُ بِالنَهارِ

And I disliked the whiteness of gray hair only

And I disliked the whiteness of old age

because a flaw shows in daylight.

Only because defects appear in light of day