فَضحَ الشّيب شبابي فَاِفتَضَحْ

فَضحَ الشّيب شبابي فَاِفتَضَحْ

ونَكا قلبي به ثمّ جَرَحْ

ونَكا قلبي به ثمّ جَرَحْ

Gray hair shamed my youth, so it stood disgraced.

My youth has been exposed by gray hair, so it is disgraced

And hurt my heart with it, then wounded it.

And my heart is hurt by it, then wounded again

جدَّ لِي من بعد مزحٍ صبغُهُ

جدَّ لِي من بعد مزحٍ صبغُهُ

ورَكوبُ الجِدِّ من كان مَزَحْ

ورَكوبُ الجِدِّ من كان مَزَحْ

After jest, dyeing it became a new concern for me,

Seriousness has now come to me after jest,

And embracing earnestness, for one who once had jested.

And pursuing seriousness is for he who once jested

فَاِشتَفى منِّي عَدوِّي وَاِكتَفى

فَاِشتَفى منِّي عَدوِّي وَاِكتَفى

وَرَأى كلَّ الَّذي كانَ اِقتَرحْ

وَرَأى كلَّ الَّذي كانَ اِقتَرحْ

So my enemy sated his spite on me and was content,

So my enemy is healed of me and satisfied

And saw all that he had wished for.

And saw all that he had wished for

وَذنوبٌ كُنَّ لِي مغفورةً

وَذنوبٌ كُنَّ لِي مغفورةً

عاد فيها كلُّ من كان صَفحْ

عاد فيها كلُّ من كان صَفحْ

And sins that had been forgiven me—

And sins that were forgiven me

Everyone who had pardoned them brought them up again.

Return, for all who once forgave relapse

كُلّما ناديتُهُ نَحوي مضى

كُلّما ناديتُهُ نَحوي مضى

وَإِذا قلتُ دنا مِنِّي اِنتَزحْ

وَإِذا قلتُ دنا مِنِّي اِنتَزحْ

Whenever I called it toward me, it went away,

Whenever I call him toward me, he goes away

And when I said it had drawn near me, it withdrew.

And if I say come near me, he recoils

والّذي طيّر عنِّي غُمَمِي

والّذي طيّر عنِّي غُمَمِي

حين وافى حَلَّهُ بعدُ جَلَحْ

حين وافى حَلَّهُ بعدُ جَلَحْ

And what sent my sorrows flying

By Him who cleared my worries from me

Upon its arrival was later undone by baldness.

When the solution came after adversity

فَاِعجَبوا كُلّكُمُ مِنّي إذنْ

فَاِعجَبوا كُلّكُمُ مِنّي إذنْ

أَعشقُ اللّيلَ ولا أهوى الصُّبُحْ

أَعشقُ اللّيلَ ولا أهوى الصُّبُحْ

So marvel at me, all of you, then:

So you are all amazed at me

I love the night, and have no love for dawn.

That I love the night and do not desire the morning