يُذمُّ من الشَّعَر الأبيضُ

يُذمُّ من الشَّعَر الأبيضُ

فمنظرُه أبداً يُبْغَضُ

فمنظرُه أبداً يُبْغَضُ

White hair is disparaged,

The whiteness of hair is blamed,

for its appearance is forever loathed.

Its sight is always hated.

ويُحمَد أسودُه فهْو لا

ويُحمَد أسودُه فهْو لا

يُملُّ بحالٍ ولا يرفض

يُملُّ بحالٍ ولا يرفض

And black hair is praised, for it is not

While its blackness is praised, it does not

found tiresome in any circumstance, nor rejected.

Bore at any time or get rejected.

وما ذاك إلا لأن الشباب

وما ذاك إلا لأن الشباب

بدا مقبل وغدا مُرِض

بدا مقبل وغدا مُرِض

And that is only because youth

That is just because youth

appeared approaching, then turned away (reading uncertain).

Arrived coming and left sick.

ولو صاحَب الشيبُ عصرَ الشباب

ولو صاحَب الشيبُ عصرَ الشباب

لكانت محبتُه تُمحَض

لكانت محبتُه تُمحَض

And had gray hair accompanied the years of youth,

Had old age accompanied the time of youth

love for it would have been given without reserve.

Its love would have been pure.

وزيُّ السوادِ لباسُ الحزين

وزيُّ السوادِ لباسُ الحزين

على ما يُمِضُّ وما يُرْمِض

على ما يُمِضُّ وما يُرْمِض

And black garb is the dress of the grieving,

The adornment of black is the dress of the grieved

over what stings and what scorches.

Over what passes and decays.

وزي البياض لباس السرور

وزي البياض لباس السرور

كذا العُرْفُ لكنْ هنا يُنْقَض

كذا العُرْفُ لكنْ هنا يُنْقَض

And white garb is the dress of joy;

And the adornment of white is the dress of joy

such is custom, but here it is overturned.

That’s the custom but it is refuted here.

إذا قبض الدهرُ عنك الشبابَ

إذا قبض الدهرُ عنك الشبابَ

فروحُك ذاك الذي يقبض

فروحُك ذاك الذي يقبض

When Time takes youth away from you,

When time takes your youth away from you

then it is your soul that it takes.

Then it is your soul that it seizes.