بيَّضَ كلٌّ وَلا بيَاضَ مَعي

بيَّضَ كلٌّ وَلا بيَاضَ مَعي

إلّا بَياضَ المَشيبِ والبَشَرَه

إلّا بَياضَ المَشيبِ والبَشَرَه

Everyone dressed in white, but I have no whiteness

All have whitened, but no whitening with me,

All have offered white bounty, yet I possess no whiteness,

except the whiteness of gray hair and skin.

Save the whitening of gray hair and forehead.

Save for the whiteness of my grey hair and my skin.

فغِبتُ عن مجلِس العَزاءِ عَلى

فغِبتُ عن مجلِس العَزاءِ عَلى

رَغْمِي وإن كان مِقْوَلِي حَضَرَه

رَغْمِي وإن كان مِقْوَلِي حَضَرَه

So I was absent from the mourning gathering, against

So I was absent from the condolence gathering

So I absented myself from the gathering of condolence,

my will, though my tongue had attended it.

Against my will, though my words were present there.

Against my will, even though my poetic tongue was present.

يا أَهلَ هُودٍ إذا الوَرَى حُسِبُوا

يا أَهلَ هُودٍ إذا الوَرَى حُسِبُوا

مِن صَدَفِ البحرِ كنتمُ دُرَرَه

مِن صَدَفِ البحرِ كنتمُ دُرَرَه

O house of Hud, if mankind were reckoned

O people of Hud, if the roses are counted

O people of Hud, if all of mankind were to be reckoned

among the shells of the sea, you would be its pearls.

You were pearls from the shell of the sea.

As the shells of the sea, then you would be its pearls.

يا كُرماءَ الزَّمانِ لستُ أَرى

يا كُرماءَ الزَّمانِ لستُ أَرى

حُجولَه غيرَكم ولا غُرَرَه

حُجولَه غيرَكم ولا غُرَرَه

O generous ones of the age, I see none

O generous ones of time, I see none

O noble ones of the age, I do not see within Time

but you as its white leg-markings and forehead blazes.

As foals but you, or as precious pearls.

Any white-marked fetlocks or bright-blazed brows other than yours.