عادَيتُ مِرآتي فَآذَنتُها

عادَيتُ مِرآتي فَآذَنتُها

بِالهَجرِ ماكانَت وَما كُنتُ

بِالهَجرِ ماكانَت وَما كُنتُ

I turned against my mirror and gave it notice

Beloved, our mirrors argued long

of abandonment, as long as it exists and I live.

About the way ahead, and what was past;

كانَت تُريني العُمرَ مُستَقبَلاً

كانَت تُريني العُمرَ مُستَقبَلاً

وَهي تُريني الفَوتَ مُذ شِبتُ

وَهي تُريني الفَوتَ مُذ شِبتُ

It used to show me life ahead;

She showed my youth, potential-filled and strong,

now it shows me death, since I turned gray.

Now only loss and failure can she cast.

واعُمُرا نَوحاً لِفِقدانِهِ

واعُمُرا نَوحاً لِفِقدانِهِ

سِيّانِ عَندي شِبتُ أَم مُتُّ

سِيّانِ عَندي شِبتُ أَم مُتُّ

Alas for life—a lament for its loss!

Grief flows within me; all the same it seems -

To me, growing gray or dying is all the same.

Whether my youth, or age, or what's between.