أَبدَت أَسىً أَن رَأَتني مُخلِسَ القُصَبِ

أَبدَت أَسىً أَن رَأَتني مُخلِسَ القُصَبِ

وَآلَ ما كانَ مِن عُجبٍ إِلى عَجَبِ

وَآلَ ما كانَ مِن عُجبٍ إِلى عَجَبِ

She showed sorrow at seeing me with gray-streaked locks,

She showed sorrow when she saw me free of youth,

And what had been pride turned into astonishment.

And turned from wonder to wonder.

سِتٌّ وَعِشرونَ تَدعوني فَأَتبَعُها

سِتٌّ وَعِشرونَ تَدعوني فَأَتبَعُها

إِلى المَشيبِ وَلَم تَظلِم وَلَم تَحُبِ

إِلى المَشيبِ وَلَم تَظلِم وَلَم تَحُبِ

Twenty-six years summon me, and I follow them

Twenty six she calls me, yet I follow her,

Toward gray hair; they have neither wronged me nor sinned.

To gray hair, wronging and loving not.

يَومي مِنَ الدَهرِ مِثلُ الدَهرِ مُشتَهِرٌ

يَومي مِنَ الدَهرِ مِثلُ الدَهرِ مُشتَهِرٌ

عَزماً وَحَزماً وَساعي مِنهُ كَالحِقَبِ

عَزماً وَحَزماً وَساعي مِنهُ كَالحِقَبِ

My day within time is like time itself, renowned

My day from fate is like fate, intent

For resolve and prudence; my hours within it are like ages.

On resolve, determination, striving like epochs.

فَأَصغِري أَنَّ شَيباً لاحَ بي حَدَثاً

فَأَصغِري أَنَّ شَيباً لاحَ بي حَدَثاً

وَأَكبِري أَنَّني في المَهدِ لَم أَشِبِ

وَأَكبِري أَنَّني في المَهدِ لَم أَشِبِ

So think it a small thing that gray hair appeared on me while young,

Consider me small that grayness shines on my youth,

And marvel that I did not turn gray in the cradle.

And great that in the cradle I was not gray.

وَلا يُؤَرِّقكِ أَيماضُ القَتيرِ بِهِ

وَلا يُؤَرِّقكِ أَيماضُ القَتيرِ بِهِ

فَإِنَّ ذاكَ اِبتِسامُ الرَأيِ وَالأَدَبِ

فَإِنَّ ذاكَ اِبتِسامُ الرَأيِ وَالأَدَبِ

And do not let the gleam of white hairs upon him keep you awake;

Let not the blinking of dimness trouble you,

For that is the smile of judgment and learning.

For that is the smile of reason and propriety.

رَأَت تَشَنُّنَهُ فَاِهتاجَ هائِجُها

رَأَت تَشَنُّنَهُ فَاِهتاجَ هائِجُها

وَقالَ لاعِجُها لِلعَبرَةِ اِنسَكِبي

وَقالَ لاعِجُها لِلعَبرَةِ اِنسَكِبي

She saw his shriveling, and her distress flared;

She saw his harshness so her passions were aroused,

And her burning anguish said to the tear, 'Pour forth.'

And she said to her unrest, spill your tears.

لا تُنكِري مِنهُ تَخديداً تَجَلَّلَهُ

لا تُنكِري مِنهُ تَخديداً تَجَلَّلَهُ

فَالسَيفُ لا يُزدَرى إِن كانَ ذا شُطَبِ

فَالسَيفُ لا يُزدَرى إِن كانَ ذا شُطَبِ

Do not fault him for the furrows that have mantled him;

Do not deny his sternness though it is concealed,

For a sword is not despised if it bears grooves.

For the sword is not despised if it has sheaths.

لا يَطرُدُ الهَمَّ إِلّا الهَمُّ مِن رَجُلٍ

لا يَطرُدُ الهَمَّ إِلّا الهَمُّ مِن رَجُلٍ

مُقَلقِلٍ لِبَناتِ القَفرَةِ النُعُبِ

مُقَلقِلٍ لِبَناتِ القَفرَةِ النُعُبِ

Nothing drives worry away but the resolve of a man

Only care from a man dispels care,

Who keeps the swift daughters of the wilderness moving;

Who shakes the sturdy she-camels' humps.

ماضٍ إِذا الكُرَبُ اِلتَفَّت رَأَيتَ لَهُ

ماضٍ إِذا الكُرَبُ اِلتَفَّت رَأَيتَ لَهُ

بِوَخدِهِنَّ اِستِطالاتٍ عَلى النُوَبِ

بِوَخدِهِنَّ اِستِطالاتٍ عَلى النُوَبِ

Resolute—when afflictions gather, you see him

When distresses turn, you see him resist them

Gain the upper hand over calamities through their swift strides.

With his cheeks' towers against the assaults.

سَتُصِبحُ العيسُ بي وَاللَيلُ عِندَ فَتىً

سَتُصِبحُ العيسُ بي وَاللَيلُ عِندَ فَتىً

كَثيرِ ذِكرِ الرِضا في ساعَةِ الغَضَبِ

كَثيرِ ذِكرِ الرِضا في ساعَةِ الغَضَبِ

By dawn, the pale camels and the night will be with me beside a young man

Dawn will spend the night for a man

Who often remembers goodwill in the hour of anger.

Often mentioning consent in times of anger.

صَدَفتُ عَنهُ فَلَم تَصدِف مَوَدَّتُهُ

صَدَفتُ عَنهُ فَلَم تَصدِف مَوَدَّتُهُ

عَنّي وَعاوَدَهُ ظَنّي فَلَم يَخِبِ

عَنّي وَعاوَدَهُ ظَنّي فَلَم يَخِبِ

I turned away from him, but his affection did not turn

I turned from him but his affection turned not

Away from me; my hope returned to him and did not fail.

From me, and my hopes resumed unfailing.

كَالغَيثِ إِن جِئتَهُ وافاكَ رَيِّقُهُ

كَالغَيثِ إِن جِئتَهُ وافاكَ رَيِّقُهُ

وَإِن تَحَمَّلتَ عَنهُ كانَ في الطَلَبِ

وَإِن تَحَمَّلتَ عَنهُ كانَ في الطَلَبِ

Like rain: if you come to him, its first shower greets you;

Like rain, if you meet it its drizzle comforts you,

And if you depart from him, he follows in pursuit.

And if you leave it, it seeks you.

خَلائِقَ الحَسَنِ اِستَوفي البَقاءَ فَقَد

خَلائِقَ الحَسَنِ اِستَوفي البَقاءَ فَقَد

أَصبَحتِ قُرَّةَ عَينِ المَجدِ وَالحَسَبِ

أَصبَحتِ قُرَّةَ عَينِ المَجدِ وَالحَسَبِ

O virtues of al-Hasan, enjoy lasting life to the full, for

Of praiseworthy traits he fulfilled permanence so he

You have become the delight of the eye of glory and ancestral honor.

Became the apple of glory and nobility's eye.

كَأَنَّما هُوَ مِن أَخلاقِهِ أَبَداً

كَأَنَّما هُوَ مِن أَخلاقِهِ أَبَداً

وَإِن ثَوى وَحدَهُ في جَحفَلٍ لَجِبِ

وَإِن ثَوى وَحدَهُ في جَحفَلٍ لَجِبِ

It is as though, through his virtues, he were always—

It is as if it were of his traits forever

Even when he dwells alone—amid a vast, clamorous army.

Though he dwelled alone in a formidable desert.

صيغَت لَهُ شَيمَةٌ غَرّاءُ مِن ذَهَبٍ

صيغَت لَهُ شَيمَةٌ غَرّاءُ مِن ذَهَبٍ

لَكِنَّها أَهلَكُ الأَشياءِ لِلذَهَبِ

لَكِنَّها أَهلَكُ الأَشياءِ لِلذَهَبِ

A radiant disposition was cast for him from gold,

A splendid nature was fashioned for him of gold

Yet of all things, it is the most destructive to gold.

But it destroyed people for gold.

لَمّا رَأى أَدَباً في غَيرِ ذي كَرَمٍ

لَمّا رَأى أَدَباً في غَيرِ ذي كَرَمٍ

قَد ضاعَ أَو كَرَماً في غَيرِ ذي أَدَبِ

قَد ضاعَ أَو كَرَماً في غَيرِ ذي أَدَبِ

When he saw that learning in one without generosity

When he saw propriety in one lacking nobility

Had gone to waste, or generosity in one without learning,

Lost or nobility in one lacking propriety,

سَما إِلى السورَةِ العَلياءِ فَاِجتَمَعا

سَما إِلى السورَةِ العَلياءِ فَاِجتَمَعا

في فِعلِهِ كَاِجتِماعِ النَورِ وَالعُشُبِ

في فِعلِهِ كَاِجتِماعِ النَورِ وَالعُشُبِ

He rose to the loftiest rank, and the two came together

He reached for the highest company, and they gathered

In his deeds, like the mingling of blossoms and grass.

In his deed like the joining of light and herbage.

بَلَوتُ مِنكَ وَأَيّامي مُذَمَّمَةٌ

بَلَوتُ مِنكَ وَأَيّامي مُذَمَّمَةٌ

مَوَدَّةً وُجِدَت أَحلى مِنَ النَشَبِ

مَوَدَّةً وُجِدَت أَحلى مِنَ النَشَبِ

I found in you, while my days were wretched,

I have tested your affection while my days are blemished,

An affection that proved sweeter than wealth,

Affection was found sweeter than drink.

مِن غَيرِ ما سَبَبٍ ماضٍ كَفى سَبَباً

مِن غَيرِ ما سَبَبٍ ماضٍ كَفى سَبَباً

لِلحُرِّ أَن يَعتَفي حُرّاً بِلا سَبَبِ

لِلحُرِّ أَن يَعتَفي حُرّاً بِلا سَبَبِ

Without any prior bond; it is reason enough

With no past reason, it sufficed as reason

For a noble man to seek a noble man's bounty without a bond.

For the noble that a noble acknowledge with no reason.