هذا الصغيرُ الذي وافَى على كِبَري

هذا الصغيرُ الذي وافَى على كِبَري

أقَرَّ عيني ولكنْ زادَ في فِكَرِي

أقَرَّ عيني ولكنْ زادَ في فِكَرِي

This little one who arrived in my old age

This little one who has come to me in my old age

Gladdened my eye, yet added to my cares.

Has delighted my eyes, but increased my worries

وافى وقد أبقتِ الأيامُ في جَسَدي

وافى وقد أبقتِ الأيامُ في جَسَدي

ثَلْماً كثلمِ الليالي دارةَ القمرِ

ثَلْماً كثلمِ الليالي دارةَ القمرِ

He arrived when the days had already left in my body

He came while time had left wounds in my body

A notch like the one nights cut into the moon’s disc.

Like the wounds of nights orbiting the moon

والشيبُ أردفَ مسودَّاً بمشتعِلٍ

والشيبُ أردفَ مسودَّاً بمشتعِلٍ

والدهرُ أعقبَ منصاتاً بمنأطِرِ

والدهرُ أعقبَ منصاتاً بمنأطِرِ

And grayness followed black hair with blazing white,

And grey hair followed, igniting embers

And time replaced an upright figure with a bent one.

While fate followed platforms with steps

سبعٌ وخمسونَ لو مرَّتْ على حَجَرٍ

سبعٌ وخمسونَ لو مرَّتْ على حَجَرٍ

لبانَ تأثيرُها في صفحةِ الحَجَرِ

لبانَ تأثيرُها في صفحةِ الحَجَرِ

Fifty-seven years—had they passed over a stone,

Fifty seven years, if they'd passed on a stone

Their effect would surely have shown on the face of the stone.

Their effect would show on the stone's surface

فزادَ حِرصي على الدُّنْيا وجدَّدَ لي

فزادَ حِرصي على الدُّنْيا وجدَّدَ لي

ضَنّاً بمالي وإِشفاقاً على عُمُري

ضَنّاً بمالي وإِشفاقاً على عُمُري

So he increased my attachment to this world and renewed in me

So my greed for life grew, and it renewed for me

Reluctance to part with my wealth, and concern for my life.

Stinginess with my money and care for my lifespan

أحنُو عليهِ وأخشى أنْ يعاجلَنِي

أحنُو عليهِ وأخشى أنْ يعاجلَنِي

يومي ولم أَقْضِ من ترشيحهِ وطري

يومي ولم أَقْضِ من ترشيحهِ وطري

I care for him tenderly, and fear being overtaken too soon by

I fret over it, fearing my day will overtake me

My day of death, before I have fulfilled my wish in raising him.

Before I finish grooming him for his path

وأشتهي أن أراهُ وهو مقتبِلٌ

وأشتهي أن أراهُ وهو مقتبِلٌ

غضّ الشبابِ خضيب الوجه بالشَّعَرِ

غضّ الشبابِ خضيب الوجه بالشَّعَرِ

And I long to see him entering

And I desire to see him as a youth

Tender youth, his face tinted with hair,

His face fresh with the grey hair of youth

أحيَى مآثرَ آبائي وأَشْبَهَهُمْ

أحيَى مآثرَ آبائي وأَشْبَهَهُمْ

في مجدهِمْ واقتفَى في هَدْيهم أثري

في مجدهِمْ واقتفَى في هَدْيهم أثري

Having revived my forefathers’ noble deeds and resembled them

Reviving the glories of my forefathers and resembling them

In their glory, and followed my footsteps in their way of life.

In their glory, following their guiding light