إِن أخلَقَت هَذِي اللَّيَالِي خِلقَتِي

إِن أخلَقَت هَذِي اللَّيَالِي خِلقَتِي

فَخَلِيقَتِي جَلَّت عَنِ الإخلاَقِ

فَخَلِيقَتِي جَلَّت عَنِ الإخلاَقِ

If these nights have worn away my outward form,

If these nights have shaped my character

my disposition stands beyond being worn away.

Then my character has strayed far from virtue

إِن أنظُرِ الزُّلُفَاتِ يَوماً أنثَنِي

إِن أنظُرِ الزُّلُفَاتِ يَوماً أنثَنِي

لِتَألُّمِي بِتَثَلُّمِي ومِحَاقِيد

لِتَألُّمِي بِتَثَلُّمِي ومِحَاقِيد

If one day I look into mirrors, I turn away,

If I were to look back one day and bend down

pained by my erosion and my waning.

To reminisce and lament over my bygone youth

ولأن بَلَغتُ مِنَ المَشِيبِ عُتِيَّهُ

ولأن بَلَغتُ مِنَ المَشِيبِ عُتِيَّهُ

لَم أنزَجِر وَدَقَاقَةَ الأعنَاقِ

لَم أنزَجِر وَدَقَاقَةَ الأعنَاقِ

And now that I have reached the utmost of gray-haired age,

Now that I have reached the zenith of old age

I have not desisted, despite the crusher of necks.

I do not flinch from the trembling of my neck

يَا حَسرَةً ذَهبَت جُفَاءً شِرَّتِى

يَا حَسرَةً ذَهبَت جُفَاءً شِرَّتِى

وعَوَائِقِى وبَوَائِقِى بَوَاقِ

وعَوَائِقِى وبَوَائِقِى بَوَاقِ

Oh, what regret! My ardor has gone like discarded foam,

Oh what a pity, my roughness and harshness are gone

while my hindrances and my misdeeds remain.

Along with my obstacles, solutions, and concord

أفَلَم أكُن قَد آنَ لِىب رُجعَى إِلَى

أفَلَم أكُن قَد آنَ لِىب رُجعَى إِلَى

حَقٍّ يُرَوِّضُ تَشَزُّرِى وإِبَاقِى

حَقٍّ يُرَوِّضُ تَشَزُّرِى وإِبَاقِى

Had the time not already come for me to return to

Was it not time that I return to

what is right, to tame my glaring defiance and my flight,

A truth that tames my arrogance, defiance and pretense

وَتشُدقِى وَتَعمُّقِى وَتَفَيهُقِى

وَتشُدقِى وَتَعمُّقِى وَتَفَيهُقِى

وخُشُونَتِى ومُلُوحَتِآ وَزُعَاقِى

وخُشُونَتِى ومُلُوحَتِآ وَزُعَاقِى

my bombast, my affected profundity, and my pompous speech,

My affectation, delusion, absurdity

my harshness, my saltiness, and my bitter brininess,

My recklessness, salinity, and discord

وبِطَالَتِى وإِطَالَتِى في كُلِّ مَا

وبِطَالَتِى وإِطَالَتِى في كُلِّ مَا

لاَ يَنبَغِى وتَوَافُقِى وشِقَاقِى

لاَ يَنبَغِى وتَوَافُقِى وشِقَاقِى

my idleness and my dwelling at length on all that

My idleness, procrastination in all that

is unseemly, my agreement and my discord?

I should not indulge in, my concord and discord

نَفسٌ تُسَوِّفُ بِالخِلاَفِ خَلِيقَةً

نَفسٌ تُسَوِّفُ بِالخِلاَفِ خَلِيقَةً

مَا وَافَقَت في الدَّهرِ قَدرَ فُوَاقِ

مَا وَافَقَت في الدَّهرِ قَدرَ فُوَاقِ

A soul that procrastinates, defiant by nature,

A soul that defers righteousness

has never agreed, in all its days, for even an instant.

Unlike any other in its destined accord

أخِلاَعَةٌ لاَ تُرتَضَى وبَشَاعَةٌ

أخِلاَعَةٌ لاَ تُرتَضَى وبَشَاعَةٌ

وإشَاعَةُ الأَعرَاقِ في الأَعرَاقِ

وإشَاعَةُ الأَعرَاقِ في الأَعرَاقِ

Is it unacceptable wantonness and ugliness,

An abomination that cannot be condoned, an ugliness

and publicizing ancestries among the clans,

That spreads anxiety among all tribes

وإضَاعُةُ الأَعمَالِ وَهَىَ بِضَاعَةٌ

وإضَاعُةُ الأَعمَالِ وَهَىَ بِضَاعَةٌ

لاَ تُشتَرَى بِكَواسِدِ الأَسوَاقِ

لاَ تُشتَرَى بِكَواسِدِ الأَسوَاقِ

and squandering deeds, though they are merchandise

And the squandering of deeds, which are merchandise

that cannot be bought with the markets' unsold wares?

That cannot be traded in lavish markets

يَا لَيتَ شِعرِى مَا المَصِيرُ إِذَا عَرَا

يَا لَيتَ شِعرِى مَا المَصِيرُ إِذَا عَرَا

عَرَقُ الجَبِينِ لَدَى لُحُوقِ حَلاَقِى

عَرَقُ الجَبِينِ لَدَى لُحُوقِ حَلاَقِى

Oh, if only I knew my fate when there comes

Oh how I wish I knew what fate awaits

the sweat of the brow, as my doom overtakes me.

When my temple perspires by the barber's blade

أَم كَيفَ حَالِى إِذ اُكُونُ بِحُفرَةٍ

أَم كَيفَ حَالِى إِذ اُكُونُ بِحُفرَةٍ

مَهجُورَةٍ بِقَوَاتِمِ الأَعمَاقِ

مَهجُورَةٍ بِقَوَاتِمِ الأَعمَاقِ

Or how shall I fare when I lie in a pit,

Or how I will be when in a forgotten

deserted in the murk of the depths?

Ditch, at the mercy of the depths

ولقد أَطَارَ القَلبَ عَن سَكَنَاتِهِ

ولقد أَطَارَ القَلبَ عَن سَكَنَاتِهِ

فَرَقاً تَطَايُرُ طَائِرِ الأورَاقِ

فَرَقاً تَطَايُرُ طَائِرِ الأورَاقِ

And indeed, the heart has been sent flying from its repose,

My heart has fluttered away from its dwelling

in terror, by the fluttering of the bird of pages.

Frightened like a bird with fluttering wings