يا عَذولَيَّ قَد غَضَضتُ جِماحي

يا عَذولَيَّ قَد غَضَضتُ جِماحي

فَاِذهَبا حَيثُ شِئتُما بِزِمامي

فَاِذهَبا حَيثُ شِئتُما بِزِمامي

O my two reproachers, I have curbed my unruliness;

O my two companions, I have folded my wings,

so take my rein wherever you both wish.

So go wherever you wish, holding my reins.

بَعدَ لَوثي عِمامَةَ الشَيبِ اِختا

بَعدَ لَوثي عِمامَةَ الشَيبِ اِختا

لُ بِبُردَي بِطالَةٍ وَعُرامِ

لُ بِبُردَي بِطالَةٍ وَعُرامِ

After winding the turban of gray hair, am I to swagger

After soiling my turban with the whiteness of old age,

in the two cloaks of idle pleasure and unruliness?

I was clothed in the garb of idleness and nakedness.

خُفِّضَت نَزوَةُ الشَبابِ وَحالَ ال

خُفِّضَت نَزوَةُ الشَبابِ وَحالَ ال

هَمُّ بَينَ الحَشا وَبَينَ الغَرامِ

هَمُّ بَينَ الحَشا وَبَينَ الغَرامِ

Youth's surge has been subdued, and there stands

The passion of youth has faded, and anxiety

care between the heart and passion.

Has come between companionship and love.

غالَطوني عَنِ المَشيبِ وَقالوا

غالَطوني عَنِ المَشيبِ وَقالوا

لا تُرَع إِنَّهُ جَلاءُ الحُسامِ

لا تُرَع إِنَّهُ جَلاءُ الحُسامِ

They tried to mislead me about gray hair, and said:

They chide me about old age, and say,

“Do not be alarmed: it is the burnishing of the sword.”

“Do not graze, for it is the bareness of swords.”

أَيُّها الصُبحُ زُل ذَميماً فَما أَظ

أَيُّها الصُبحُ زُل ذَميماً فَما أَظ

لَمَ يَومي مِن بَعدِ ذاكَ الظَلامِ

لَمَ يَومي مِن بَعدِ ذاكَ الظَلامِ

O dawn, vanish in disgrace! How dark

O morning, stay gloomy, for after that darkness

my day has become after that darkness!

My day has known no brighter morn.

أَرمَضَت شَمسُكَ المُنيرَةُ فَودي

أَرمَضَت شَمسُكَ المُنيرَةُ فَودي

يَ فَمَن لي بِظِلِّ ذاكَ الغَمامَ

يَ فَمَن لي بِظِلِّ ذاكَ الغَمامَ

Your radiant sun has scorched my temples;

Your brilliant sun has blinded me,

who, then, can give me the shade of that cloud?

So who will give me the shade of that cloud?

قُلتُ ما أَمنُ مَن عَلى الرَأسِ مِنهُ

قُلتُ ما أَمنُ مَن عَلى الرَأسِ مِنهُ

صارِمُ الجَدِّ في يَدِ الأَيّامِ

صارِمُ الجَدِّ في يَدِ الأَيّامِ

I said: What safety has one above whose head

I said, no one is safe whose head is threatened

fate's keen sword is held in the hand of days?

By the sharp sword in the hands of fate.

إِنَّ ذَنبي إِلى الغَواني بِشَيبي

إِنَّ ذَنبي إِلى الغَواني بِشَيبي

ذَنبُ ذِئبِ الغَضا إِلى الآرامِ

ذَنبُ ذِئبِ الغَضا إِلى الآرامِ

Indeed, my offense against lovely women, because of my gray hair,

My sin to the maidens for my white hair

is the offense of the wolf of the ghada thickets against gazelles.

Is like the sin of a wolf with mange toward sheep.

كُنَّ يَبكينَ قَبلَهُ مِن وَداعي

كُنَّ يَبكينَ قَبلَهُ مِن وَداعي

فَبُكاهُنَّ بَعدَهُ مِن سَلامي

فَبُكاهُنَّ بَعدَهُ مِن سَلامي

Before it, they used to weep at my farewell;

They wept when I bade them farewell,

but after it, their weeping is at my greeting.

But their tears at my greeting were more copious.