إذا ما جَلاَ اللّيلَ النهارُ بنُورِهِ

إذا ما جَلاَ اللّيلَ النهارُ بنُورِهِ

تعقَّبَهُ ليلٌ أَحمُّ ركُودُ

تعقَّبَهُ ليلٌ أَحمُّ ركُودُ

Whenever day dispels night with its light,

When the night departs and the day breaks with its light

a pitch-black, still night follows it.

It is followed by a night darker and more still

فما لي أرى لَيلَ الشبابِ إذا جَلا

فما لي أرى لَيلَ الشبابِ إذا جَلا

وجاء نهارُ المشيبِ لَيس يَعودُ

وجاء نهارُ المشيبِ لَيس يَعودُ

Why, then, do I see that, once the night of youth has passed

Why then do I see the night of youth when it passes

and the day of gray hair has come, it never returns?

The day of old age comes and does not return

نَظَرتْ بياضَ مفارقي فاسترجَعتْ

نَظَرتْ بياضَ مفارقي فاسترجَعتْ

أسفاً وقالت أين ذَاك الأَسْوَدُ

أسفاً وقالت أين ذَاك الأَسْوَدُ

She saw the whiteness of my hair-partings, then said, 'To God we belong and to Him we return,'

She looked upon the whiteness of my temples and took back

in sorrow, and said, 'Where is that black hair?'

Sorrowfully, "Where is that blackness?"

قلتُ اضمحلَّ فأطرقَتْ وتنفَّستْ

قلتُ اضمحلَّ فأطرقَتْ وتنفَّستْ

نفساً تُصعِّدهُ حشاً تَتَوقَّدُ

نفساً تُصعِّدهُ حشاً تَتَوقَّدُ

I said, 'It has vanished.' Then she lowered her head and breathed

I said, "It faded," and she bowed her head and sighed

a sigh sent upward by a heart aflame.

A sigh that stirred up burning embers

قالت فَهَلْ من مَوْعِدٍ للقائِنا

قالت فَهَلْ من مَوْعِدٍ للقائِنا

فأرى نذيرَ البَينِ قُلتُ الموعدُ

فأرى نذيرَ البَينِ قُلتُ الموعدُ

She said, 'Is there, then, an appointed time for our meeting?

She said, "Is there any chance of us meeting again

For I see the harbinger of parting.' I said, 'The appointed time.'

That I may see the harbinger of separation?" I said, "The appointed time."