مَيَّزتُ ساقط ما سرّحتُ من شَمَطي

مَيَّزتُ ساقط ما سرّحتُ من شَمَطي

فما تَساقط إلا سودُهُ فقطِ

فما تَساقط إلا سودُهُ فقطِ

I sorted what fell when I combed my graying hair;

I discerned the fallen from what I let loose of my whip,

only its black hairs fell out.

So nothing fell except its blackness alone.

فقلتُ لا شكَّ هذا زهوُ مرِتحلٍ

فقلتُ لا شكَّ هذا زهوُ مرِتحلٍ

وتلك غبطةُ ثاوٍ جدِّ مغتبِط

وتلك غبطةُ ثاوٍ جدِّ مغتبِط

So I said, 'No doubt, this is the pride of one departing,

So I said there is no doubt this is the vanity of a wanderer,

and that, the joy of one remaining, utterly delighted.'

And that is the bliss of an ardent one, truly blissful.

وكان ذلك أَوْفَى ما وُعِظتُ به

وكان ذلك أَوْفَى ما وُعِظتُ به

لو كنت أرجع عن غىٍّ غلط

لو كنت أرجع عن غىٍّ غلط

And that was the fullest admonition I had received—

And that was the best advice I was given,

if only I would turn back from wayward error.

If only I had desisted from a grave error.