أَيُّ عَيشٍ أَو غِذاءٍ أَو سِنَه

أَيُّ عَيشٍ أَو غِذاءٍ أَو سِنَه

لِاِبنِ إِحدى وَثَمانينَ سَنَه

لِاِبنِ إِحدى وَثَمانينَ سَنَه

What life, or nourishment, or slumber is there

What food, life, or age

for a man of eighty-one years?

For a son in his eighty-first year

قَلَّصَ الشَيبُ بِهِ ظِلَّ اِمرِئٍ

قَلَّصَ الشَيبُ بِهِ ظِلَّ اِمرِئٍ

طالَما جَرَّ صِباهُ رَسَنَه

طالَما جَرَّ صِباهُ رَسَنَه

Gray hair has shrunk in him the shadow of a man

Gray hair has shrunk the shadow of a man

whose youth so often dragged his halter.

Whose youth long dragged its skirts

تارَةً تَسطو بِهِ سَيِّئَةٌ

تارَةً تَسطو بِهِ سَيِّئَةٌ

تُسخِنُ العَينَ وَأُخرى حَسَنَه

تُسخِنُ العَينَ وَأُخرى حَسَنَه

At times misfortune assails him,

At times an ugly act overtakes him

burning the eye; at others, good fortune.

That heats the eye, at others, a good one