إنْ شِبْتُ منْ قَبْل أَتْرابي فلا عَجَبٌ

إنْ شِبْتُ منْ قَبْل أَتْرابي فلا عَجَبٌ

فَمِثْلُ ذَا لِبَني الأَيّام قَدْ وقَعَا

فَمِثْلُ ذَا لِبَني الأَيّام قَدْ وقَعَا

If I have turned gray before my peers, it is no wonder.

If I turned away from my peers before, there's no wonder,

For such a thing has befallen the children of the days.

For the like of this has befallen the sons of time.

رَأَى الشَّبابُ صَنِيعي لا يُوفِقُهُ

رَأَى الشَّبابُ صَنِيعي لا يُوفِقُهُ

فَفَرَّ إذْ لَمْ أَجِبْ دِاعِيه حينَ دَعا

فَفَرَّ إذْ لَمْ أَجِبْ دِاعِيه حينَ دَعا

Youth saw that my conduct did not suit it.

Youth saw my ways did not agree with him,

So it fled, since I did not answer its caller when he called.

So he fled when I did not respond when he called.

وَأَقْبَل الشَّيْبُ مَسْرُوراً بِطَلْعَتِهِ

وَأَقْبَل الشَّيْبُ مَسْرُوراً بِطَلْعَتِهِ

كالصُّبْح بَعْدَ ظَلامِ اللّيل قَدْ صَدَعَا

كالصُّبْح بَعْدَ ظَلامِ اللّيل قَدْ صَدَعَا

And gray hair came, delighted with its appearance,

And old age came happily in his appearance,

Like dawn breaking after the darkness of night.

Like the dawn after the darkness of night has cleared away.