لِجامٌ لِلمَشيبِ ثَنى جِماحي

لِجامٌ لِلمَشيبِ ثَنى جِماحي

وَذَلَّلَني لِأَيّامٍ وَراضا

وَذَلَّلَني لِأَيّامٍ وَراضا

A bridle of gray hair curbed my unruliness

A bridle for my graying temples bent

And subdued me to the days and tamed me.

And made submissive my defiant days,

أُقُرُّ بِلُبسِهِ وَلقَد أَراني

أُقُرُّ بِلُبسِهِ وَلقَد أَراني

أُجاحِدُهُ إِباءً وَاِمتِعاضا

أُجاحِدُهُ إِباءً وَاِمتِعاضا

I admit to wearing it, though I have seen myself

I acquiesce in wearing it though I

Denying it out of defiance and resentment.

Reluctantly abhor and rue its ways.

تَعَوَّضتُ الوَقارَ مِنَ التَصابي

تَعَوَّضتُ الوَقارَ مِنَ التَصابي

لَشُدَّ عَلى المُعَوَّضِ ما اِستَعاضا

لَشُدَّ عَلى المُعَوَّضِ ما اِستَعاضا

I took dignity in exchange for youthful dalliance;

For dignity I made this compromise

How hard on the one compensated is what he received in exchange!

That I might tie and take the thing I hate.

لَوى عَنّي الخُدودَ مِنَ الغَواني

لَوى عَنّي الخُدودَ مِنَ الغَواني

وَقَطَّعَ دونِيَ الحَدَقَ المِراضا

وَقَطَّعَ دونِيَ الحَدَقَ المِراضا

It turned the beauties’ cheeks away from me

It turned my cheeks away from dimples and

And barred their languid eyes from me.

Before my eyes spread out a joyless state.

فَصارَ بَياضُهُ عِندي سَواداً

فَصارَ بَياضُهُ عِندي سَواداً

وَكانَ سَوادُهُ عِندي بَياضا

وَكانَ سَوادُهُ عِندي بَياضا

So its whiteness became blackness to me,

Its whiteness now seems blackness to my eyes,

Whereas its blackness had been whiteness to me.

Its blackness changed to whiteness in my sight.