قد كان لِي غَلَسٌ لا فجرَ يمزِجُهُ

قد كان لِي غَلَسٌ لا فجرَ يمزِجُهُ

فالآن فجري بلا شيء من الغَلَسِ

فالآن فجري بلا شيء من الغَلَسِ

I once had predawn darkness unmingled with dawn;

I once had a youth no dawn would mix with,

now my dawn has no trace of that darkness.

But now my dawn is without any youth.

قالوا تَسلَّ فشيباتُ الفتى قَبَسٌ

قالوا تَسلَّ فشيباتُ الفتى قَبَسٌ

فقلت ذاك ولكنْ شرُّ ما قبسِ

فقلت ذاك ولكنْ شرُّ ما قبسِ

They said, 'Take comfort: a young man's gray hairs are a flame.'

They said gray hair makes a young man wise,

I said, 'True—but the worst flame ever taken.'

I said it does, but it's the worst of wise.

وزارنِي لم أردْ منه زيارتَهُ

وزارنِي لم أردْ منه زيارتَهُ

شيبٌ ولم يُغنِ أعواني ولا حرسي

شيبٌ ولم يُغنِ أعواني ولا حرسي

And I was visited—though I had not wanted its visit—

Old age visited me - I did not want its visit.

by gray hair; neither my helpers nor my guards availed me.

Gray hair that did not aid my helpers or guards.

يضيءُ بعد سوادٍ في مطالعِهِ

يضيءُ بعد سوادٍ في مطالعِهِ

لفاغرٍ من ردَى الأيّامِ مفترسِ

لفاغرٍ من ردَى الأيّامِ مفترسِ

It shines after blackness, where it rises,

It shines after the darkness at its rising,

for a gaping predator from the days' deadly ruin.

For one left open by the days, a vicious predator.

طَوى قَناتيَ وَاِغتالَت أَظافرهُ

طَوى قَناتيَ وَاِغتالَت أَظافرهُ

نَحضي وَردّ إِلى تَقويمِهِ شوسي

نَحضي وَردّ إِلى تَقويمِهِ شوسي

It bent my spear-shaft, and its claws treacherously ravaged

It bent my firmness and its claws ambushed me,

my flesh, and brought my haughtiness under its correction.

Pushing me back to straightening my bent frame.

وَصدّ عَنّي قُلوبَ البيضِ نافرةً

وَصدّ عَنّي قُلوبَ البيضِ نافرةً

وَساقَني اليومَ مِن نُطقٍ إِلى خرسِ

وَساقَني اليومَ مِن نُطقٍ إِلى خرسِ

And turned fair-skinned women's hearts away from me in aversion,

It repelled from me the hearts of the white ones,

and today drove me from speech to muteness.

And today it has led me from speech to muteness.

إِن كانَ شَيبي نقاءً قبلهُ دنسٌ

إِن كانَ شَيبي نقاءً قبلهُ دنسٌ

فَقَد رَضيت بذاكَ المَلبسِ الدنسِ

فَقَد رَضيت بذاكَ المَلبسِ الدنسِ

If my gray hair is purity preceded by defilement,

If my grayness was a purity after impurity,

then I am content with that soiled garment.

Then I would accept that impure attire.

فَغالَطوني وَقالوا الشيبُ مَطهرةٌ

فَغالَطوني وَقالوا الشيبُ مَطهرةٌ

وَما السوادُ بِهِ شَيءٌ مِنَ النجسِ

وَما السوادُ بِهِ شَيءٌ مِنَ النجسِ

So they argued falsely with me and said, 'Gray hair is a purifier.'

But they erred and said grayness is purity,

Yet blackness contains no trace of impurity.

And blackness has nothing of impurity.

وَالعمرُ في الشيبِ مُمتدٌّ كَما زَعَموا

وَالعمرُ في الشيبِ مُمتدٌّ كَما زَعَموا

لَكنّه لَم يَدَع شَيئاً سِوى النفسِ

لَكنّه لَم يَدَع شَيئاً سِوى النفسِ

And life with gray hair is prolonged, as they claimed,

And life in grayness extends, or so they claimed,

but it has left nothing except breath.

But it left nothing save the soul.