إِن خَرِفَ الدَهرُ فَهوَ شَيخٌ

إِن خَرِفَ الدَهرُ فَهوَ شَيخٌ

يُحَقُّ بِالهَترِ وَالزَمانَه

يُحَقُّ بِالهَترِ وَالزَمانَه

If Time has grown senile, he is an old man

If time has turned grey, it is an old man

Deserving of senile babble and chronic infirmity.

Who deserves confusion and forgetfulness

أَضحى سَليماً بِغَيرِ داءٍ

أَضحى سَليماً بِغَيرِ داءٍ

لَم تَبدُ في شَخصِهِ ضَمانَه

لَم تَبدُ في شَخصِهِ ضَمانَه

He has become sound, without disease;

He has become healthy without illness

No infirmity has appeared in his person.

No guarantee has appeared in his persona

إِن قالَتِ الشُهبُ نَحنُ رَهطٌ

إِن قالَتِ الشُهبُ نَحنُ رَهطٌ

أَقدَمُ مِنهُ فَهُنَّ مانَه

أَقدَمُ مِنهُ فَهُنَّ مانَه

If the bright stars say, 'We are a band

If the stars say we are older company

Older than he,' then they are liars.

Then they are his guarantee

أَعجَمُ قَد بَيَّنَ الرَزايا

أَعجَمُ قَد بَيَّنَ الرَزايا

أَو جَعَلَ الشَرَّ تَرجُمانَه

أَو جَعَلَ الشَرَّ تَرجُمانَه

Mute, he has indeed made calamities plain,

A foreigner has made clear the secrets

Or made evil his interpreter.

Or made evil his interpreter

فَأَودِعنَ فاتِكاً حَصاةً

فَأَودِعنَ فاتِكاً حَصاةً

وَأودِعَن ناسِكاً جُمانَه

وَأودِعَن ناسِكاً جُمانَه

So entrust a killer with a pebble,

So entrust a libertine with pebbles

And entrust an ascetic with a pearl:

And entrust an ascetic with worry beads

كِلاهُما لَيسَ بِالمُؤَدّي

كِلاهُما لَيسَ بِالمُؤَدّي

إِلَيكَ في المودَعِ الأَمانَه

إِلَيكَ في المودَعِ الأَمانَه

Neither of them will discharge

Neither of them will deliver to you

The trust owed you concerning what is deposited.

The entrusted deposit of security