الشيب أحلم والشبيبة أظرفُ

الشيب أحلم والشبيبة أظرفُ

والرشد أسلم والغواية أترفُ

والرشد أسلم والغواية أترفُ

Gray hair is wiser, and youth more charming;

The gray hair is wise while youth is rash

Sound judgment is safer, and waywardness more luxurious.

Prudence is peace while temptation is lavish

ذهب الشباب فبان ما لا يرتجى

ذهب الشباب فبان ما لا يرتجى

وأتى المشيب فجاء ما لا يصرف

وأتى المشيب فجاء ما لا يصرف

Youth has gone, departed beyond hope of return;

Youth has passed revealing what was unexpected

And gray age has come—what cannot be repelled has arrived.

And gray hair came bringing what cannot be averted

وكلاهما لا بد منه لمن نجا

وكلاهما لا بد منه لمن نجا

من أن يعاجله ردى مستسلف

من أن يعاجله ردى مستسلف

Both are inevitable for anyone who escapes

Both are inevitable for he who survived

Being overtaken by death that takes its due in advance.

The onslaught of time demanding a toll

والمرء أما من مخاوف دهره

والمرء أما من مخاوف دهره

فحرىً وأما بالمنى فمسوِّف

فحرىً وأما بالمنى فمسوِّف

A man, as for the terrors of his time,

Man is anxious of the blows of fate

Is liable to face them; as for hopes, he puts them off.

Yet slack regarding what he wishes to attain

ولربما عدلت عليك صروفه

ولربما عدلت عليك صروفه

فأصابك المأمول والمتخوف

فأصابك المأمول والمتخوف

And sometimes time's turns deal fairly with you,

Fate may show you favor

So what you hope for and what you fear both befall you.

Granting what you wished and feared

أصبحت أنظر في الأمور فأجتوي

أصبحت أنظر في الأمور فأجتوي

منها عيوب عواقب تتكشف

منها عيوب عواقب تتكشف

I now examine affairs and find repugnant

I look upon things and I ponder

The flaws in their consequences that come to light.

Flaws and consequences are laid bare

والشيب أغراني بذاك ولم يزل

والشيب أغراني بذاك ولم يزل

يغري الغوي برشده ويعنِّف

يغري الغوي برشده ويعنِّف

Gray hair has urged me to this, and has never ceased

Gray hair seduced me with this while persisting

To urge the wayward toward sound judgment and rebuke him.

To seduce the reckless with its reason and rebukes

عجباً لذمي ما يزيد هدايتي

عجباً لذمي ما يزيد هدايتي

غضباً لآخر كان بي يتعسف

غضباً لآخر كان بي يتعسف

How strange that I blame what increases my guidance,

How strange my flaws increase my guidance

In anger on behalf of another that used to treat me harshly.

And anger when another was unjust with me

سقت الشباب سجال غيث وكف

سقت الشباب سجال غيث وكف

يروينه وسجال دمع ذُرَّف

يروينه وسجال دمع ذُرَّف

May youth be watered by bucketfuls of pouring rain,

I wasted my youth a rain shower and palms

Quenching its thirst, and by bucketfuls of streaming tears.

Quenching and a shower of tears poured forth

وأظل أزماناً خلت ومعاهداً

وأظل أزماناً خلت ومعاهداً

ورقٌ تظلُّ غصونه تتعطّف

ورقٌ تظلُّ غصونه تتعطّف

And may bygone days and familiar haunts be shaded

I remain times now past and covenants

By foliage whose branches keep bending gently.

Like foliage whose branches droop

أيام ينسيني الخطوب وذكرها

أيام ينسيني الخطوب وذكرها

شرخُ الشبيبة والصبا والقرقف

شرخُ الشبيبة والصبا والقرقف

Days when I was made to forget calamities and their memory

Days that make me forget adversity and the memory

By youth's first bloom, youthful passion, and wine.

Of youth, prime and first blush