قُوِّستُ إِذا شَعَرتُ شَيبِيَ أَسهُمٌ

قُوِّستُ إِذا شَعَرتُ شَيبِيَ أَسهُمٌ

تَرمي فَيَنجَحُ رَميُها وَمَرامُها

تَرمي فَيَنجَحُ رَميُها وَمَرامُها

I was bent like a bow when I realized: my gray hairs are arrows

When I felt the grayness of my hair like arrows,

That shoot, succeeding in both their shooting and their aim.

It shoots and its shooting succeeds, as it intends.

فَعَجِبتُ لِلدُنيا رَمَتني اليَومَ عَن

فَعَجِبتُ لِلدُنيا رَمَتني اليَومَ عَن

نَفسي وَمِنّي قَوسُها وَسِهامُها

نَفسي وَمِنّي قَوسُها وَسِهامُها

So I marveled at the world: today it shot at me from

So I marveled how today the world turned me from myself,

My own self; its bow and arrows come from me.

Though its bow and arrows come from me.