أَتَتني تَجَنّى عَلَيَّ الذُنوبَ

أَتَتني تَجَنّى عَلَيَّ الذُنوبَ

وَمالِيَ ذَنبٌ سِوى الشَيبِ صارا

وَمالِيَ ذَنبٌ سِوى الشَيبِ صارا

She came to me, unjustly laying sins at my door,

She came to me, falsely accusing me of sins;

She reproached me, blaming me for sins,

though I had no sin save that my hair had turned gray.

yet I had no sin save that my hair had turned gray.

Yet I have no sin except for hoary hair.

وَما زادَني الشَيبُ إِلّا نَوى

وَما زادَني الشَيبُ إِلّا نَوى

وَإِلّا عَفافاً وَإِلّا وَقارا

وَإِلّا عَفافاً وَإِلّا وَقارا

Gray hair has added nothing to me but detachment,

And gray hair has brought me only separation,

And nothing has old age increased me in

and chastity, and dignity,

and only chastity, and only dignity,

Except wisdom, dignity, and self-control

وَإِلّا اِصطِباراً عَلى النائِبا

وَإِلّا اِصطِباراً عَلى النائِبا

تِ وَالمَرءُ يَمنَعُ مَن قَد أَجارا

تِ وَالمَرءُ يَمنَعُ مَن قَد أَجارا

and patient endurance in the face of misfor-

and only patient endurance in the face of calamities;

And patience for vicissitudes of fate.

-tunes; a man protects whomever he has sheltered.

and a man protects whoever he has sheltered.

A man is spared who others have spared.

فَلا تَعجَبي مِن مَشوقٍ صَحا

فَلا تَعجَبي مِن مَشوقٍ صَحا

وَعَمَّمَهُ الشَيبُ مِنهُ خِمارا

وَعَمَّمَهُ الشَيبُ مِنهُ خِمارا

So do not marvel at a yearning lover who came to his senses,

So do not marvel at a yearning lover grown sober,

So do not be surprised at a wakeful man

and whom gray hair swathed in a veil of its own.

whom gray hair has turbaned with a veil of itself.

Whose hair old age has covered in a cowl.