نَهى الجَهلَ شَيبُ الرَأسِ بَعدَ نِزاعِ

نَهى الجَهلَ شَيبُ الرَأسِ بَعدَ نِزاعِ

وَما كُلُّ ناهٍ ناصِحٍ بِمُطاعِ

وَما كُلُّ ناهٍ ناصِحٍ بِمُطاعِ

The head's gray hair checked folly after a struggle,

Gray hair forbade ignorance after dispute

and not every sincere admonisher is obeyed.

Yet not every forbider is an advisor to obey

رَأَت أُقحُوانَ الشَيبِ لاحَ وَآذَنَت

رَأَت أُقحُوانَ الشَيبِ لاحَ وَآذَنَت

مَلاحاتُ أَيّامِ الصِبا بِوَداعِ

مَلاحاتُ أَيّامِ الصِبا بِوَداعِ

She saw the chrysanthemums of gray hair gleam, and

The white hair appeared and bid farewell

the charms of youthful days announced farewell.

The flirtations of youth days with farewell

فَقالَت مَحاكَ الدَهرُ في صَبغَةِ الصِبا

فَقالَت مَحاكَ الدَهرُ في صَبغَةِ الصِبا

وَكُنتَ مِنَ الفِتيانِ خَيرَ مِتاعِ

وَكُنتَ مِنَ الفِتيانِ خَيرَ مِتاعِ

So she said, "Time has effaced your youthful coloring,

It said, time has fooled you in the dye of youth

and among young men you were the finest treasure."

And you were the best treasure of the young men

شُرَيرَ فَإِنَّ الدَهرَ هَدَّمَ قوَّتي

شُرَيرَ فَإِنَّ الدَهرَ هَدَّمَ قوَّتي

وَلَم يُغنِ عَنّي حيلَتي وَدِفاعي

وَلَم يُغنِ عَنّي حيلَتي وَدِفاعي

Shurayr, time has indeed demolished my strength,

Evil one, time has destroyed my strength

and neither my resourcefulness nor my resistance availed me.

And my cunning and defense did not avail me

وَشَيَّبَني في كُلِّ يَومٍ وَلَيلَةٍ

وَشَيَّبَني في كُلِّ يَومٍ وَلَيلَةٍ

تَنَظُّرُ داعي الحَتفِ أَوَّلَ داعِ

تَنَظُّرُ داعي الحَتفِ أَوَّلَ داعِ

And through every day and night, I have been turned gray by

It has grayed me every day and night

expecting death's herald to be the first to call.

Waiting for death's caller, the first caller

وَإِنَّ الجَديدَينِ الَّذينِ تَضَمَّنا

وَإِنَّ الجَديدَينِ الَّذينِ تَضَمَّنا

قِيادي بِأَحداثٍ إِلَيَّ سِراعِ

قِيادي بِأَحداثٍ إِلَيَّ سِراعِ

And the ever-renewing pair—day and night—who took

And the two new ones who undertook

my reins, with events speeding toward me,

Leading me to youths in haste

هُما أَنصَفاني قَبلُ إِذ أَنا ناشِئٌ

هُما أَنصَفاني قَبلُ إِذ أَنا ناشِئٌ

وَقَد صارَعاني بَعدُ أَيَّ صِراعِ

وَقَد صارَعاني بَعدُ أَيَّ صِراعِ

once treated me fairly, when I was growing up,

They were fair to me before when I was a lad

but later wrestled with me—what a struggle!

And fought me later, what a fight!

كَناقِضَةٍ أَمرارَها حينَ أَحكَمَت

كَناقِضَةٍ أَمرارَها حينَ أَحكَمَت

قُوى حَبلِ خَرقاءِ اليَدَينِ صَناعِ

قُوى حَبلِ خَرقاءِ اليَدَينِ صَناعِ

Like a woman undoing her twisted cords just when she had tightened

Like she-camels whose bitterness when they tightened

a rope's strands—clumsy-handed, yet skillful.

The ropes of their rough hands in their craft

وَغَيظاً عَلى الأَعداءِ لا يَجرَعونَهُ

وَغَيظاً عَلى الأَعداءِ لا يَجرَعونَهُ

وَكَيلاً لَهُم مِنهُ بِأَوفَرِ صاعِ

وَكَيلاً لَهُم مِنهُ بِأَوفَرِ صاعِ

And vexation upon the enemies, which they cannot swallow,

And anger at enemies which they don't taste

and meting it out to them with the fullest measure.

And plenty for them from it in amplest measure

وَإِخوانِ شَرٍّ قَد حَرَثتُ إِخائَهُم

وَإِخوانِ شَرٍّ قَد حَرَثتُ إِخائَهُم

فَكانوا لِغَرسِ الوِدِّ شَرَّ بِقاعِ

فَكانوا لِغَرسِ الوِدِّ شَرَّ بِقاعِ

And wicked companions whose fellowship I cultivated

And evil brethren whom I befriended

proved the worst ground for planting affection.

Were for planting affection the evilest place

قَدَحتُ زِنادَ الوَصلِ بَيني وَبَينَهُم

قَدَحتُ زِنادَ الوَصلِ بَيني وَبَينَهُم

فَأَذكَيتُ ناراً غَيرَ ذاتِ شُعاعِ

فَأَذكَيتُ ناراً غَيرَ ذاتِ شُعاعِ

I struck the flints of fellowship between me and them,

I sparked the flint of connection between me and them

so I kindled a fire without radiance.

So I kindled a fire without glow

وَلَمّا نَأَوا عَنّي بِوِدِّ نُفوسِهِم

وَلَمّا نَأَوا عَنّي بِوِدِّ نُفوسِهِم

غَلَبتُ حَنيني نَحوَهُم وَنِزاعي

غَلَبتُ حَنيني نَحوَهُم وَنِزاعي

And when they drew away from me with their souls' affection,

And when they shunned me with their souls' affection

I overcame my longing for them and my yearning.

I overcame my yearning and dispute toward them

وَمَكرُمَةٍ عِندَ السَماءِ مُنيفَةٍ

وَمَكرُمَةٍ عِندَ السَماءِ مُنيفَةٍ

تَناوَلَها مِنّي بِأَطوَلِ باعِ

تَناوَلَها مِنّي بِأَطوَلِ باعِ

And a noble deed, towering beside the sky—

And honor with heaven lasting

he attained it from me with the longest reach.

Which they took from me in longest extent

وَكَم مَلِكٍ قاسى العِقابَ مُمَنَّعٍ

وَكَم مَلِكٍ قاسى العِقابَ مُمَنَّعٍ

قَديرٍ عَلى قَبضِ النُفوسِ مُطاعِ

قَديرٍ عَلى قَبضِ النُفوسِ مُطاعِ

And many a king who endured punishment, impregnable,

And how many sovereigns suffering punishment ungranted

able to seize lives, and obeyed—

Able to seize souls obeyed

أَراهُ فَيُعديني مِنَ المَكرِ ما بِهِ

أَراهُ فَيُعديني مِنَ المَكرِ ما بِهِ

فَأُكرِمُ عَنهُ شَيمَتي وَطِباعي

فَأُكرِمُ عَنهُ شَيمَتي وَطِباعي

I see him, and the guile within him infects me,

I see him so he makes me taste some trickery

so I keep my character and nature above it.

So I honor my nature and manners over him

وَإِنّي لَأَستَوفي المَحامِدَ كُلَّها

وَإِنّي لَأَستَوفي المَحامِدَ كُلَّها

وَقَد بَقِيَت لي بَعدَهُنَّ مَساعِ

وَقَد بَقِيَت لي بَعدَهُنَّ مَساعِ

And I indeed attain every praiseworthy quality,

And I will fulfill all praises in full

and beyond them, endeavors still remain for me.

Yet some hopes remain for me after them

وَتَصدُقُكَ الأَنباءُ إِن كُنتَ سائِلاً

وَتَصدُقُكَ الأَنباءُ إِن كُنتَ سائِلاً

وَحَسبُكَ مِمّا لا تَرى بِسَماعِ

وَحَسبُكَ مِمّا لا تَرى بِسَماعِ

And reports will tell you the truth, if you ask,

And news will ascertain you if you ask

and for what you do not see, hearing is enough for you.

And it's enough what you hear of the unseen