أَلا حَيِّ ضَيفَ الشَيبِ إِنَّ طُروقَهُ

أَلا حَيِّ ضَيفَ الشَيبِ إِنَّ طُروقَهُ

رَسولُ الرَدى قُدّامَهُ وَدَليلُهُ

رَسولُ الرَدى قُدّامَهُ وَدَليلُهُ

Lo, hail gray hair, that guest—for its visitation

Ah, greet the guest of gray hair; indeed, its arrival by night

is death’s herald, going before it and showing it the way.

Is death’s messenger, going before it, and its guide.

وَقَد كانَ يُبكيني لِشِعري نُزولُهُ

وَقَد كانَ يُبكيني لِشِعري نُزولُهُ

فَقَد صارَ يُبكيني لَعَمري رَحيلُهُ

فَقَد صارَ يُبكيني لَعَمري رَحيلُهُ

Its arrival once made me weep for my hair;

Its arrival once made me weep for my hair;

but now its departure makes me weep for my life.

Now, by my life, its departure makes me weep.