وشائِمةٍ برقاً بفودَيَّ راعَهَا

وشائِمةٍ برقاً بفودَيَّ راعَهَا

وما كلُّ برقٍ لاحَ يُؤذِنُ بالخِصبِ

وما كلُّ برقٍ لاحَ يُؤذِنُ بالخِصبِ

And a woman watching lightning at my temples was startled by it—

With lightning flashes has she reproached me, after my locks turned hoary,

yet not every lightning-flash that gleams heralds abundance.

Yet not every lightning flash portends fertility's downpour.

رأت شَعَراتٍ أخلَقَتْ بعدَ جِدَّةٍ

رأت شَعَراتٍ أخلَقَتْ بعدَ جِدَّةٍ

ونفساً سَلَتْ بعد الغَواِيةِ في الحُبِّ

ونفساً سَلَتْ بعد الغَواِيةِ في الحُبِّ

She saw hairs grown threadbare after their freshness,

When my hairs betrayed some silver strands,

and a soul that had ceased to pine after its folly in love.

And my soul grew calm after youthful passion's pangs,

فقالَت نهاك الشيبُ عن مَرَحِ الصِّبَا

فقالَت نهاك الشيبُ عن مَرَحِ الصِّبَا

ورَدَّاكَ بعد الجَوْنِ دهرُكَ بالعَصْبِ

ورَدَّاكَ بعد الجَوْنِ دهرُكَ بالعَصْبِ

So she said: Gray hair has restrained you from the exuberance of youth,

She said: "Old age has barred you from frolicking as a lad,

and your years have robed you in striped cloth after blackness.

And after your prime, fate has confined you with debility."

فقلتُ نعَم أصبحتُ طَوعَ عَواذِلي

فقلتُ نعَم أصبحتُ طَوعَ عَواذِلي

وأصبحتُ لا أصبُو لِلَهْوٍ ولا أُصبي

وأصبحتُ لا أصبُو لِلَهْوٍ ولا أُصبي

So I said: Yes, I have become obedient to my reproachers,

I replied: "Yes, I have become compliant to my censors,

and now I neither yearn for amusement nor stir desire.

And ceased aspiring to foolishness or to folly."

ولا عجبٌ لَيلٌ تبلَّجَ فجرُهُ

ولا عجبٌ لَيلٌ تبلَّجَ فجرُهُ

وحِلمٌ رمَى شيطانَ جهليَ بالشُّهْبِ

وحِلمٌ رمَى شيطانَ جهليَ بالشُّهْبِ

And no wonder: a night’s dawn has broken,

Small wonder that his dawn dispelled the night that donned him,

and sober judgment has pelted the devil of my folly with shooting stars,

And my dream flung the devil of ignorance with shooting stars.

وهمٌّ وَرَى بين الجوانِحِ زَنْدُهُ

وهمٌّ وَرَى بين الجوانِحِ زَنْدُهُ

أضَاءَ له في مَفرِقي لامِعُ اللَّهْبِ

أضَاءَ له في مَفرِقي لامِعُ اللَّهْبِ

and worry’s fire-stick has sparked between the ribs;

An anxiety glimpsed its spark between my vitals,

a gleaming flame shone for it at the parting of my hair.

Illuminating for it in my forehead the flaming blaze.

أَما تَرى الشَّيبَ قد رَدَّاكَ بعد دُجَى

أَما تَرى الشَّيبَ قد رَدَّاكَ بعد دُجَى

فَودَيْكَ واهاً لِذَاك اللّيلِ بالعَصَبِ

فَودَيْكَ واهاً لِذَاك اللّيلِ بالعَصَبِ

Do you not see that gray hair has robed you, after the darkness

Do you not see how hoariness has confined you after your night of darkness subsided,

of your temples—ah, for that night!—in striped cloth?

And its flashes reproached you - alas for that night of infirmity!

وأسمَعَتْكَ اللَّيالي في مواعظِها

وأسمَعَتْكَ اللَّيالي في مواعظِها

أنَّ ابنَ سبعين من وِردٍ على قُرُبِ

أنَّ ابنَ سبعين من وِردٍ على قُرُبِ

And the nights have made you hear, in their admonitions,

And the nights have let you hear in their admonitions,

that a man of seventy is close to the watering-place.

That he in his seventies belongs to the parade ground of the bier.

أعرضْتُ عن صبَوَاتٍ كنتُ ذا شَغفٍ

أعرضْتُ عن صبَوَاتٍ كنتُ ذا شَغفٍ

بها وجانبتُ ما يُدني من الرِّيبِ

بها وجانبتُ ما يُدني من الرِّيبِ

I turned away from youthful passions, once full of ardor

I have turned away from passions I was ardently attached to,

for them, and shunned whatever draws one toward suspicion.

And avoided what would bring me disgrace or shame.

وسرتُ طوعَ النُّهى تُرضَى أنَاتِيَ في

وسرتُ طوعَ النُّهى تُرضَى أنَاتِيَ في

سَيري ومَرِّيَ في شَدَّي وفي خَبَبي

سَيري ومَرِّيَ في شَدَّي وفي خَبَبي

And I went obedient to reason; my deliberateness finds favor in

I have proceeded compliantly with prohibition's behests, well-pleased with my pace in my travels and my steps in my paths.

my walking, as does my swiftness in my running and my trotting.