إِذا بَلَغَ الإِنسانُ خَمسينَ حِجَّةً

إِذا بَلَغَ الإِنسانُ خَمسينَ حِجَّةً

فَلا يَمتَهِن ديناً بِرَدِّ سَلامِ

فَلا يَمتَهِن ديناً بِرَدِّ سَلامِ

When a person reaches fifty years,

When a man reaches fifty pilgrimages

Then let him not debase religion by returning a greeting.

He should not compromise his faith by declining a greeting

لِيَشغَلَ بِذِكرِ اللَهِ عَن كُلِّ شاغِلٍ

لِيَشغَلَ بِذِكرِ اللَهِ عَن كُلِّ شاغِلٍ

فَذَلِكَ عِندَ اللُبِّ خَيرُ كَلامِ

فَذَلِكَ عِندَ اللُبِّ خَيرُ كَلامِ

So that he may occupy himself with remembering God, away from every distraction;

Rather he should busy himself with remembering God over all else

For that, to the discerning mind, is the best speech.

For that, to the heart’s core, is the best discourse

وَمِن شِيَمِ الأَيّامِ وَهيَ كَثيرَةٌ

وَمِن شِيَمِ الأَيّامِ وَهيَ كَثيرَةٌ

فَناءُ كَبيرٍ وَاِقتِبالُ غُلامِ

فَناءُ كَبيرٍ وَاِقتِبالُ غُلامِ

And among the ways of the days—and they are many—

And of the traits of days, as many as they are

Are an old man's passing and a boy's coming of age.

Is the passing of elders and the advent of youth

مَلامٌ لِنَفسي حُقَّ عِندي لِمِثلِها

مَلامٌ لِنَفسي حُقَّ عِندي لِمِثلِها

وَكُنتُ حَقيقاً عِندَها بِمُلامِ

وَكُنتُ حَقيقاً عِندَها بِمُلامِ

Reproach for my soul was, in my view, warranted for one like it;

I blame my soul, it deserves it

And in its view I was worthy of reproach.

And I was truly blameworthy to it

وَإِظلامُ عَينٍ بَعدَهُ ظُلمَةُ الثَرى

وَإِظلامُ عَينٍ بَعدَهُ ظُلمَةُ الثَرى

فَقُل في ظَلامٍ زيدَ فَوقَ ظَلامِ

فَقُل في ظَلامٍ زيدَ فَوقَ ظَلامِ

And an eye's darkening, followed by the darkness of the earth—

And the blindness of an eye followed by the darkness of soil

So speak of darkness added upon darkness.

Say: in darkness, darkness was added to darkness