وَفي الشَيبِ لي واعِظٌ لَو عَقِلتُ

وَفي الشَيبِ لي واعِظٌ لَو عَقِلتُ

قَرَعتُ عَلى العُمرِ سِنّي سَنينا

قَرَعتُ عَلى العُمرِ سِنّي سَنينا

And in gray hair I have an admonisher; had I been wise,

In my gray hair there is an admonisher, had I but understood,

I would have gnashed my teeth over my life for years.

I would have rapped on life's years with the knock of years.

تَراني وَقَد عارَضَ العارِضينَ

تَراني وَقَد عارَضَ العارِضينَ

طوراً شَمالاً وَطوراً يَمينا

طوراً شَمالاً وَطوراً يَمينا

You see me—as it assails both sides of my beard,

You see me contending with contenders,

now on the left and now on the right—

Now left, now right.

أُقَلِّعُ أَوَّلَ فُرسانِهِ

أُقَلِّعُ أَوَّلَ فُرسانِهِ

وَلَكِنَّني أَتَخَشّى الكَمينا

وَلَكِنَّني أَتَخَشّى الكَمينا

plucking out the first of its horsemen;

I unhorse his first horsemen,

yet I fear the ambush.

But still I fear the ambush.