يَكادُ المَشيبُ يُنادي الغَويَّ

يَكادُ المَشيبُ يُنادي الغَويَّ

وَيحَكَ أَتعَبتَّني بِالمِقَصّ

وَيحَكَ أَتعَبتَّني بِالمِقَصّ

Gray hair almost calls out to the wayward one:

Gray hair almost calls out to the misguided man:

“Woe to you! You have worn me out with the scissors.

Woe to you! You have wearied me with the scissors.

وَتَزعَمُ أَنَّكَ فيما فَعَلتَ

وَتَزعَمُ أَنَّكَ فيما فَعَلتَ

عَلى أَثَرٍ مِن رَشيدٍ تَقَصّ

عَلى أَثَرٍ مِن رَشيدٍ تَقَصّ

And you claim that, in what you have done,

And you claim that, in what you have done,

you trace the footsteps of someone rightly guided.

you follow in a right-minded man's footsteps.

وَهَل تِلكَ مِن شِيَمِ الراشِدينَ

وَهَل تِلكَ مِن شِيَمِ الراشِدينَ

وَما زادَ في كُلِّ حالٍ نَقَص

وَما زادَ في كُلِّ حالٍ نَقَص

Is that truly among the traits of the rightly guided?

And are those among the traits of the right-minded?

Whatever increases must, in every state, diminish.

And whatever increases decreases, in every case.

وَيا ناظِراً في فُصولِ الخِضابِ

وَيا ناظِراً في فُصولِ الخِضابِ

شَغَلَكَ عَن لِمَمٍ أَو عُقَص

شَغَلَكَ عَن لِمَمٍ أَو عُقَص

O you who pore over the chapters of hair dye,

And you who study the chapters on hair-dyeing,

it has distracted you from flowing locks or braided coils.

it has distracted you from locks or braids.

إِذا سَرَّ الناسُ عَنكَ الأُمورَ

إِذا سَرَّ الناسُ عَنكَ الأُمورَ

فَلا تَكُ عَن أَمرِهِم ذا تَقَص

فَلا تَكُ عَن أَمرِهِم ذا تَقَص

If people keep their affairs secret from you,

If people conceal matters from you,

do not pry into their concerns.”

then do not pry into their affairs.