وكم معانٍ وألفاظٍ مهذبةٍ

وكم معانٍ وألفاظٍ مهذبةٍ

أرسلتها فِقَراً تختال في غُررِ

أرسلتها فِقَراً تختال في غُررِ

And how many meanings and polished words

And how much meaning and refined words

I sent forth as passages, strutting in radiant splendor!

I sent in my poverty swaggering in pride

وصاحبُ الشيب ما لم تَبْلَ جِدَّتُهُ

وصاحبُ الشيب ما لم تَبْلَ جِدَّتُهُ

من صَبْغه شيبَه في عزِّ منتصِرِ

من صَبْغه شيبَه في عزِّ منتصِرِ

And the gray-haired man, so long as his freshness has not faded,

And the old man whose forehead grayness

Enjoys a victor's honor through dyeing his gray hair.

Has not yet dyed with the dye of gray in mighty pride

رأى مَظالم شيبٍ في مَسائحه

رأى مَظالم شيبٍ في مَسائحه

لم يجنِها السن لكنْ رؤية العِبر

لم يجنِها السن لكنْ رؤية العِبر

He saw gray hair's injustices upon his temples,

He saw the injustices of grayness on his temples

Which age had not inflicted, but witnessing life's lessons had.

Not brought by age, but seeing life's lessons

يضج منها أديم فيه رونقُهُ

يضج منها أديم فيه رونقُهُ

ريانُ ليس عليه آية الكِبر

ريانُ ليس عليه آية الكِبر

His skin cries out against them, its luster still intact,

It clamors in his skin that still has luster

Fresh and full, with no sign of old age upon it.

Youthful, no sign of old age upon it

واستنجد الفكر محتالاً فأنجدَهُ

واستنجد الفكر محتالاً فأنجدَهُ

بصبغة نُشرتْ ليلاً على الشَعر

بصبغة نُشرتْ ليلاً على الشَعر

And he sought thought's aid, devising a stratagem; it aided him

And the mind sought help with cunning, so helped him

With a dye spread at night over his hair.

With a dye spread by night on hair

ولا جُناحَ على حام حقيقتَهُ

ولا جُناحَ على حام حقيقتَهُ

لا ظلم في دَفْع ظلمٍ عند ذي بصر

لا ظلم في دَفْع ظلمٍ عند ذي بصر

And no blame rests on one who guards his honor;

No blame upon one who hides the truth

To one with insight, there is no injustice in repelling injustice.

No injustice in preventing injustice, for the discerning

وإنما الظلم منعُ الشيب لِمّتهُ

وإنما الظلم منعُ الشيب لِمّتهُ

عند انقضاء الشباب اللدن والوطر

عند انقضاء الشباب اللدن والوطر

And the only injustice is barring gray hair from his locks

Rather injustice is preventing grayness, out of spite

When tender youth and desire have come to an end.

When youth's wantonness and virility have passed