1. قالَ لي عِندَ مُلتَقى الرَكبِ عَمروٌ

    قُوِّمَ العودُ بَعدَنا فَاِنصاتا

    At the caravan's meeting place, Amr said to me:

    The branch has been straightened since we left, and has yielded.

  2. أَينَ ذاكَ الصَبا وَأَينَ التَصابي

    سَبَقا الطالِبَ المُجِدِّ وَفاتا

    Where is that youthful passion, and where that playing at youth?

    Both have outstripped the earnest seeker and escaped.

  3. مَن قَضى عُقبَةَ الثَلاثينَ يَغدو

    راجِعاً يَطلُبُ الصِبا هَيهاتا

    Can one who has crossed the pass of thirty go

    back in search of youth? Impossible!

  4. لَم تَزَل وَالمَشيبُ غَيرُ قَريبٍ

    ناعِياً لِلشَبابِ حَتّى ماتا

    You never ceased, while gray hair was still far off,

    proclaiming youth's death until it died.

  5. كُنتَ تَبكي الأَحياءَ فَاِستَكثِرِ اليَو

    مَ مِنَ الدَمعِ وَاِندُبِ الأَمواتا

    You used to weep for the living; so today shed more

    tears, and mourn the dead.