يا من يُشب الشيبَ عالج سواي

يا من يُشب الشيبَ عالج سواي

واللَه مالي مطمع في صباي

واللَه مالي مطمع في صباي

O you who rejuvenate the gray-haired, treat someone other than me.

O one whose hair is turned white by treating youth,

By God, I have no desire for my youth.

By Allah, I have no hope in my youth,

أنا الذي لم استرح ساعةً

أنا الذي لم استرح ساعةً

قبل مشيبي وتلاشي قواي

قبل مشيبي وتلاشي قواي

I am the one who never rested even an hour

I am the one who never rested an hour

Before my hair turned gray and my strength faded.

Before my hair turned white and my strength faded,

تروعني ذكر الصبا عندما

تروعني ذكر الصبا عندما

أذكر ما عانيتهُ من هواي

أذكر ما عانيتهُ من هواي

The mention of youth terrifies me whenever

The memory of youth startles me whenever

I recall what I endured from my passion.

I remember what I suffered from my passion,

تروعني ذكرى الصبا إنها

تروعني ذكرى الصبا إنها

ذكرى عذابي وتدجي هداي

ذكرى عذابي وتدجي هداي

The memory of youth terrifies me; it is

The memory of youth startles me, it is

The memory of my torment, and it darkens my guidance.

The memory of my torment and misguidance,

ما عشت إلا بعد موت المُنى

ما عشت إلا بعد موت المُنى

وكنت ميتاً وقت عاشت مناي

وكنت ميتاً وقت عاشت مناي

I lived only after hopes had died,

I did not live except after the death of desire

And I was dead while my hopes lived.

And I was dead when my wishes were alive,

ما عشت إلا بعد أن أخمدت

ما عشت إلا بعد أن أخمدت

نيران قلبي وتراخت خطاي

نيران قلبي وتراخت خطاي

I lived only after they had been quenched—

I did not live except after the fires

The fires of my heart—and my steps had slackened.

Of my heart cooled down and my sins slackened,

ما عشت إلا بعد أن أجفلت

ما عشت إلا بعد أن أجفلت

عن جانبي ليلى وعافت حماي

عن جانبي ليلى وعافت حماي

I lived only after she had fled in fright

I did not live except after Layla turned away

From my side—Layla—and spurned my shelter.

From me and abandoned my love,

ولى الصبا لا عادني عهده

ولى الصبا لا عادني عهده

فكل أهوالي أراها وراي

فكل أهوالي أراها وراي

Youth has passed; may its time never return to me,

Youth does not know me anymore

For I see all my terrors behind me.

So all its horrors I see behind me,

ان ورائي من بلايا الهوى

ان ورائي من بلايا الهوى

ما لم يمت فيه شهيدٌ سواي

ما لم يمت فيه شهيدٌ سواي

Indeed, behind me lie calamities of passion

Behind me are, of the agonies of passion,

In which no martyr but me has died.

What no martyr except me has died from,

لا تغرني بالليل ليل الصبا

لا تغرني بالليل ليل الصبا

فإنني ضيعت فيه كراي

فإنني ضيعت فيه كراي

Do not beguile me with the night—the night of youth—

Do not tempt me with the night of youth

For I squandered my sleep in it.

For I wasted in it my rationality,

قطعته اسري إلى حاجة

قطعته اسري إلى حاجة

حتى تجلى الصبح ينعى سُراي

حتى تجلى الصبح ينعى سُراي

I traversed it, traveling by night toward a goal,

I spent it pursuing a mirage

Until dawn appeared, announcing my night journey’s death.

Until dawn broke heralding the loss of my shelter,

حباحبٌ افنيت في أثره

حباحبٌ افنيت في أثره

قلبي وسالت خلفه مقلتاي

قلبي وسالت خلفه مقلتاي

A firefly, in whose wake I exhausted

An illusion I wasted after

My heart, and both my eyes streamed behind it.

My heart and shed for it my tears,

لا نوره نور ولا ناره

لا نوره نور ولا ناره

كظل نار شبها في حشاي

كظل نار شبها في حشاي

Its light is no light, nor is its fire

Its light not light, its fire

Like the shadow of a fire it kindled in my breast.

Like the shadow of fire in my imagination,

رجعت عنه بعد جهد السرى

رجعت عنه بعد جهد السرى

ولم أنل شيئاً وهذي يداي

ولم أنل شيئاً وهذي يداي

I turned back from it after the toil of night travel,

I turned away from it after the toil of journey

And gained nothing—and here are my hands.

And gained nothing, here are my hands,