لأصبحتُ نهب الأسى والحزن

لأصبحتُ نهب الأسى والحزن

لجسم أقام وقلب ظعن

لجسم أقام وقلب ظعن

I would have become the spoil of sorrow and grief—

I would surely become prey to anguish and grief,

a body that stayed, and a heart that departed.

For a body that stayed and a heart that departed.

فيا ويحهم يزمعون الرحيل

فيا ويحهم يزمعون الرحيل

وما زوّدني سواء الشجن

وما زوّدني سواء الشجن

Ah, woe for them—they are resolved to depart,

So, alas for them—they intend to depart,

and have provisioned me with nothing but heartache.

And it has provisioned me with nothing but sorrow:

دموع تحدّر فوق الخدود

دموع تحدّر فوق الخدود

كصوب الغمام إذا ما هتن

كصوب الغمام إذا ما هتن

Tears stream down over the cheeks,

Tears streaming down over the cheeks,

like rain from the clouds when they pour.

Like rain from clouds when it pours;

وقلب يقلّب بين الضلوع

وقلب يقلّب بين الضلوع

بعيد القرار فقيد السكن

بعيد القرار فقيد السكن

And a heart keeps turning within the ribs,

And a heart tossed about between the ribs,

far from repose, bereft of rest.

Far from rest, bereft of peace.

وأصبحت والرأس مرعى المشيب

وأصبحت والرأس مرعى المشيب

قليل السرور كثير الحزن

قليل السرور كثير الحزن

I came to be, my head a pasture for gray hair,

And I have become, my head a pasture for gray hair,

with little joy and abundant sorrow.

Scant in joy and abundant in grief.

لعمري لئن شبت قبل الأوان

لعمري لئن شبت قبل الأوان

لقد شاب حظي وشاب الزمن

لقد شاب حظي وشاب الزمن

By my life, if I have gone gray before my time,

By my life, if I have gone gray before my time,

then surely my fortune had grayed, and time itself grown old.

My fortune has indeed gone gray, and time has gone gray.

كأن الشعور عراها البياض

كأن الشعور عراها البياض

سهام الردى أو خيوط الكفن

سهام الردى أو خيوط الكفن

The hairs that whiteness has overtaken seem to be

As though the hairs, overtaken by whiteness,

death’s arrows—or threads of the shroud.

Were arrows of death or threads of the shroud.

وأنكى عدوك في النائبات

وأنكى عدوك في النائبات

عدو تقاصر عنه الجنن

عدو تقاصر عنه الجنن

The cruelest of your enemies amid afflictions

And your most harmful enemy amid calamities

is a foe against whom all shields fall short.

Is an enemy against whom shields fall short.

وإن الشباب إذا ما انقضى

وإن الشباب إذا ما انقضى

لكالحلم أقلع عنه الوسن

لكالحلم أقلع عنه الوسن

And youth, once it has passed away,

And indeed, when youth has passed,

is like a dream when slumber lifts from it.

It is surely like a dream from which slumber has withdrawn.