أخي رأيت الشيب موتاً وإن بكى

أخي رأيت الشيب موتاً وإن بكى

له منبت حي ففي إثره يقفو

له منبت حي ففي إثره يقفو

My brother, I have seen gray hair as death, though tears are shed

My brother, I saw gray hair as death, though it weeps

For it by a living root, which follows in its wake.

It has a living root, so after it youth grows

إذا شاب شعر صح مذ شاب موته

إذا شاب شعر صح مذ شاب موته

وإن قصارى ما بقي بعده يقفو

وإن قصارى ما بقي بعده يقفو

When hair turns gray, its death is certain from the moment it grays.

When the hair turns youthful, it is healthy since its death has youth

And the ultimate fate of what remains is to follow after it.

And the most that remains after it grows youth

ألا إن موت الشعر نصفٌ وما بقي

ألا إن موت الشعر نصفٌ وما بقي

وما ولي من القوة الضعف

وما ولي من القوة الضعف

Take heed: the death of hair is half; and what remains

Indeed, the death of hair is half, and what remains

And what follows strength is weakness.

Is not like the strength, it is weakness

إذا مات نصف المرء والنصف بعده

إذا مات نصف المرء والنصف بعده

لعمر أبي لم يبق من نصفه النصف

لعمر أبي لم يبق من نصفه النصف

When half a man has died, and the other half follows it,

When half of a man dies, and after it the other half

By my father's life, not even half of his half remains.

By my father's life, half of his half does not remain

وهل عاش نصف بعد علم علمته

وهل عاش نصف بعد علم علمته

وإن عاش هل عيش على عقبه يصفو

وإن عاش هل عيش على عقبه يصفو

And has a half lived on, after the knowledge I have gained?

Did half live after the knowledge I knew?

And if it lives, can life in its wake be unclouded?

And if it lived, is life after it pure?

حقيق على نفسي أنعى لأنه

حقيق على نفسي أنعى لأنه

تجمع عندي كل ما كان بي يحفو

تجمع عندي كل ما كان بي يحفو

It is fitting that I mourn my own soul, for

It is true of myself, I mourn it because

All that once showed me kindness has gathered around me.

In me has gathered all that was under my care

وقد أسأرت عندي الليالي بقيةً

وقد أسأرت عندي الليالي بقيةً

مواعظ لي منها ومني لها صنف

مواعظ لي منها ومني لها صنف

And the nights have left me a remnant:

And the remaining nights have been sleepless with me

Lessons from them for me, and a kind of lesson from me for them.

Lessons for me from it, and from me, types for it

إذا مات نسلي والذي هو ناسلي

إذا مات نسلي والذي هو ناسلي

وتربي فإني حرف عطفٍ بهم عطف

وتربي فإني حرف عطفٍ بهم عطف

When my offspring dies, and he who begot me,

When my progeny dies, and the one who procreates me

And my peer, then I am a conjunction joined to them.

And raises me, I am but a conjunction with them, conjoined

وهل نافع اسمٍ إذا من أخيره

وهل نافع اسمٍ إذا من أخيره

وأوله من كل فعلٍ مضى حرف

وأوله من كل فعلٍ مضى حرف

And is a noun of any use, when from its end

Is a name beneficial when the best of it

And its beginning, a letter from every verb has gone?

And its first are but letters from every deed gone by?

إذا الحرف كان والد المرء وابنه

إذا الحرف كان والد المرء وابنه

وأترابه فالعيش في من بقى حتف

وأترابه فالعيش في من بقى حتف

When the letter is a man's father and his son,

When a letter is a man's parent and child

And his peers, then life for whoever remains is death.

And his peers, then life among who remains is misfortune

ألا إن دنيانا يداول كفها

ألا إن دنيانا يداول كفها

علينا كؤوساً كلها بيننا وكف

علينا كؤوساً كلها بيننا وكف

Take heed: the hand of our world passes round

Indeed, our world passes its cups between us

Cups to us, all of them affliction among us.

All of them, while we alternate holding and pouring

وما هي إلا روضةٌ حلها الحيا

وما هي إلا روضةٌ حلها الحيا

ومنيتها إلا الشقائق والسهف

ومنيتها إلا الشقائق والسهف

And it is only a garden upon which rain has alighted,

It is but a meadow inhabited by life

And its doom is only poppies and parching thirst.

Its perdition is but the anemones and pods

فيا لهف نفسي ما أقاسي من الأذى

فيا لهف نفسي ما أقاسي من الأذى

لديها مدى ما عشت لو نفعت لهف

لديها مدى ما عشت لو نفعت لهف

So, alas for my soul—what harm I endure

So oh longing of my soul, what suffering from harm

In its presence, for as long as I live—if only anguish availed!

It has with it, however long I live, even if useful, longing