يا من تعجّب من مَشيبي عاجلاً

يا من تعجّب من مَشيبي عاجلاً

نَكدُ الزمان يُشيب كلَّ أديبِ

نَكدُ الزمان يُشيب كلَّ أديبِ

O you who marvel at my graying so soon,

O you who are surprised at my premature grayness

the harshness of time turns every cultivated person gray.

The vicissitudes of time make every scholar gray

ما شِبْتُ من كِبَر ولا من لوعةٍ

ما شِبْتُ من كِبَر ولا من لوعةٍ

شبَّتْ لوشْك نوًى وفقِد حبيب

شبَّتْ لوشْك نوًى وفقِد حبيب

I have not turned gray from old age, nor from anguish

I did not gray from old age or from distress

kindled by imminent separation and the loss of a beloved,

But from prolonged grief and loss of a beloved

لكن لطول أسىً وفقدِ مكارمٍ

لكن لطول أسىً وفقدِ مكارمٍ

وصروفِ أحداثٍ وجوْر خطوب

وصروفِ أحداثٍ وجوْر خطوب

but from prolonged sorrow and the loss of noble virtues,

And from the decline of virtues

and the vicissitudes of events and the cruelty of calamities.

And the injustice of events and calamities

ولِع الزمانُ بهدم كلِّ مشيَّد

ولِع الزمانُ بهدم كلِّ مشيَّد

منّي وجرَّ عليّ كلَّ عجيب

منّي وجرَّ عليّ كلَّ عجيب

Time delights in demolishing every lofty edifice

And from time wantonly destroying all that was built

of mine, and has brought every strange ordeal upon me,

By me, heaping on me every strange thing

حتى كأنّ تَنّبهي وتأَدُّبي

حتى كأنّ تَنّبهي وتأَدُّبي

وتكّرمي عند الزمان ذنوبي

وتكّرمي عند الزمان ذنوبي

until it seems that my alertness and refinement

Until it was as if my wisdom and courtesy

and my generosity are my sins in Time's eyes.

Were sins in the eyes of time

لا طال دهرٌ ليس يَزْرا جاهلاً

لا طال دهرٌ ليس يَزْرا جاهلاً

ويُصيب بالمكروه كلَّ لبيب

ويُصيب بالمكروه كلَّ لبيب

May no age endure that does not scorn the ignorant

No era lasts that does not punish an ignorant one

yet afflicts every discerning person with harm.

And inflict harm on every sensible person