لَئِنif indeed أَيامناour days أَمسَتhave become طِوالاًlong
لَئِن أَيامنا أَمسَت طِوالاً
لَقَدindeed كُنّاwe used to نَعيشُlive بِهاthrough them قِصاراshort
لَقَد كُنّا نَعيشُ بِها قِصارا
Though our days have grown long,
Though our days have grown long
we did once live through them when they were short.
We lived them short, once upon a time
رأَيتُI saw الغانياتِthe beautiful women نفرنَthey shied away لَمّاwhen
رأَيتُ الغانياتِ نفرنَ لَمّا
رأينَthey saw الشيبَgray hair أَلبَسَنيclothed me عِذاراa fringe of cheek-hair
رأينَ الشيبَ أَلبَسَني عِذارا
I saw the beautiful women shy away when
When the singing girls saw me, they flocked
they saw gray hair clothe my cheeks.
But now that grey hair clothes me, they shun in scorn
وَماand what يُنكرنَdo they find strange مِنin قَمَرٍa moon مُنيرٍradiant
وَما يُنكرنَ مِن قَمَرٍ مُنيرٍ
بَعُيْدَshortly after شَبابِهits youth لقيَencountered السراراthe moon’s dark phase
بَعُيْدَ شَبابِه لقيَ السرارا
And what do they find strange in a radiant moon
Nor do they deny the shining moon
that, shortly after its youth, has reached its dark phase?
After the springtide of its youth, it suffered loss