لو كانَ صدَّ مغاضِباً ومُعَاتِبَا

لو كانَ صدَّ مغاضِباً ومُعَاتِبَا

أعتبتُه ووضعتُ خَدّيَ تَائِبَا

أعتبتُه ووضعتُ خَدّيَ تَائِبَا

Had he turned away in anger and reproach,

Had he been angry and reproachful

I would have appeased him and laid down my cheek, repentant.

I would have apologized and turned repentant

لكِنْ رأى تلكَ النَّضارَةَ قد ذَوَتْ

لكِنْ رأى تلكَ النَّضارَةَ قد ذَوَتْ

لَمَّا غَدا ماءُ الشَّبيبةِ نَاضِبَا

لَمَّا غَدا ماءُ الشَّبيبةِ نَاضِبَا

But he saw that freshness had already withered

But he saw that liveliness had faded

when the water of youth ran dry.

When the water of youth was depleted

وتعاقُبُ الأيّامِ أعقَب لِمَّتي

وتعاقُبُ الأيّامِ أعقَب لِمَّتي

من حالِكٍ جَثْلٍ شَكِيراً شَائِبَا

من حالِكٍ جَثْلٍ شَكِيراً شَائِبَا

And the succession of days transformed my locks

And the succession of days followed for me

from jet-black, thick hair to short, gray growth.

From your condition, bowed and white-haired

ورأى النُّهى بعد الغَوايةِ صَاحبي

ورأى النُّهى بعد الغَوايةِ صَاحبي

فثَنى العِنَانَ يُريغُ غَيري صَاحِبَا

فثَنى العِنَانَ يُريغُ غَيري صَاحِبَا

And he saw reason, after folly, become my companion,

And he saw after being led astray, my companion

so he turned the rein, seeking someone else as a companion.

Pulls the reins, roaming with others as friends

وأبيهِ ما ظَلَم المشيبُ وإِنَّهُ

وأبيهِ ما ظَلَم المشيبُ وإِنَّهُ

أمَلي فقلتُ عَساه عنِّيَ راغِبَا

أمَلي فقلتُ عَساه عنِّيَ راغِبَا

By his father, gray hair did no wrong; and he is indeed

And I wished that he would be gracious to me

my hope, so I said, 'Perhaps he is turning away from me.'

So I said, perhaps he will be willing to return to me

أنا كالدُّجَى لما انتهَى نَشَرَتْ لَهُ

أنا كالدُّجَى لما انتهَى نَشَرَتْ لَهُ

أيدي الصّباحِ من الضّياءِ ذوائِبَا

أيدي الصّباحِ من الضّياءِ ذوائِبَا

I am like night's darkness, for which, when it ended, were unfurled

I am like the darkness when the dawn has spread

by morning's hands tresses of light.

The hands of morning, with beams of light probing

خمسونَ من عُمري مضتْ لم أَتَّعِظْ

خمسونَ من عُمري مضتْ لم أَتَّعِظْ

فيها كأنِي كُنتُ عنها غَائِبَا

فيها كأنِي كُنتُ عنها غَائِبَا

Fifty years of my life passed; I took no heed

Fifty years of my life have passed, without gaining wisdom

during them, as though I had been absent from them.

As if I had been absent from them

لم أنْتَفعْ بتجَارِبِي فيها عَلى

لم أنْتَفعْ بتجَارِبِي فيها عَلى

أنّي لقيتُ من الزّمانِ عَجائِبَا

أنّي لقيتُ من الزّمانِ عَجائِبَا

I did not benefit from my experiences in them, although

I did not benefit from my experiences in them

I had encountered marvels from time.

Despite having met the wonders of time

وأتَتْ عليَّ بمصرَ عَشْرٌ بعدَها

وأتَتْ عليَّ بمصرَ عَشْرٌ بعدَها

كانت عِظَاتٍ كلُّها وتَجارِبَا

كانت عِظَاتٍ كلُّها وتَجارِبَا

And afterward ten years passed over me in Egypt;

And there came upon me in Egypt ten years after them

they were all lessons and experiences.

Which were all lessons and experiences

شاهدتُ من لَعِبِ الزمانِ بأهلِهِ

شاهدتُ من لَعِبِ الزمانِ بأهلِهِ

وتَقلُّبِ الدُّنيا الرّقُوبِ عَجائِبَا

وتَقلُّبِ الدُّنيا الرّقُوبِ عَجائِبَا

I witnessed, in time's sport with its people

I witnessed the wonders

and the turns of the child-bereft world, marvels.

Of how time plays with people and turns the world upside down