صدّتْ أسَيماءُ عن شيبي فقلتُ لها

صدّتْ أسَيماءُ عن شيبي فقلتُ لها

لا تنفُرِي فبياضُ الشَيب معهودُ

لا تنفُرِي فبياضُ الشَيب معهودُ

Usayma turned away from my gray hair, so I said to her:

My grey hair repelled Asmaa, so I said to her:

Do not recoil, for the whiteness of gray hair is familiar.

"Do not shy away, for greyness of hair is familiar.

عمرُ الشّبابِ قصيرٌ لا بقاءَ له

عمرُ الشّبابِ قصيرٌ لا بقاءَ له

والعمرُ في الشّيبِ يا أسماءُ ممدودُ

والعمرُ في الشّيبِ يا أسماءُ ممدودُ

The span of youth is short; it does not last.

The age of youth is short, it has no permanence,

And life in gray-haired age, O Asma, is prolonged.

While age in grey hair, O Asmaa, is extended.

قالتْ طُرِدتَ عن اللذّاتِ قاطبةً

قالتْ طُرِدتَ عن اللذّاتِ قاطبةً

فقلتُ إنّي عن الفحشاءِ مطرودُ

فقلتُ إنّي عن الفحشاءِ مطرودُ

She said, "You have been banished from all pleasures."

She said: "You are barred from all pleasures,"

So I said, "I am indeed banished from indecency."

So I said: "I am barred from vulgarity."

ما صَدّني شيبُ رأسي عن تُقىً وعُلاً

ما صَدّني شيبُ رأسي عن تُقىً وعُلاً

لكنّنِي عن قذى الأخلاقِ مصدودُ

لكنّنِي عن قذى الأخلاقِ مصدودُ

The gray hair of my head has not kept me from piety and nobility,

My grey hair did not bar me from piety and excellence,

But I am barred from moral filth.

But I am barred from the filth of morals.

لولا بياضُ الضّحى ما نِيلَ مُفتَقَدٌ

لولا بياضُ الضّحى ما نِيلَ مُفتَقَدٌ

ولم يَبِنْ مطلبٌ يبقى ومَقصودُ

ولم يَبِنْ مطلبٌ يبقى ومَقصودُ

Were it not for the whiteness of midmorning, nothing missing would be found,

Without the whiteness of dawn, nothing sought is attained,

Nor would an enduring aim or sought-for goal become clear.

No goal remains, and no purpose is fulfilled.

ما عادل الصُّبحَ ليلٌ لا ضياءَ بهِ

ما عادل الصُّبحَ ليلٌ لا ضياءَ بهِ

وَلا اِستَوتْ في اللّيالي البيضُ والسُّودُ

وَلا اِستَوتْ في اللّيالي البيضُ والسُّودُ

No night with no light in it has equaled the dawn,

No night equals the dawn, it has no illumination,

Nor, among nights, are the white and the black equal.

Nor are the whites and blacks of nights alike."