ما تَخَضَّبَت لِاِختِيالِ مُريداً

ما تَخَضَّبَت لِاِختِيالِ مُريداً

أَن أُعيدَ الشَبابُ بِالتَخضيبِ

أَن أُعيدَ الشَبابُ بِالتَخضيبِ

I did not dye my hair to strut in pride, intending

I did not dye my hair out of vanity, seeking

to bring youth back through dyeing;

To restore youth through dyeing.

غَيرَ أَنّي أَرى الشَيبُ نَذيرا

غَيرَ أَنّي أَرى الشَيبُ نَذيرا

وَنَعياً لِلمَوتِ عَمّا قَريبِ

وَنَعياً لِلمَوتِ عَمّا قَريبِ

yet I see gray hair as a warning,

Rather, I see grey hair as a warning,

and an announcement of death soon to come.

And a herald of death soon to come.

وَلِكَوني أَعافَ شَيباً بِزَوجي

وَلِكَوني أَعافَ شَيباً بِزَوجي

وَهيَ بِالطَبعِ لا تُحِبُّ مَشيبي

وَهيَ بِالطَبعِ لا تُحِبُّ مَشيبي

And because I cannot abide gray hair in my wife,

And because I dislike grey hair on my wife,

while she, naturally, does not like my gray hair,

And she naturally dislikes my greying hair.

وَبَديهي ما اِرتاحَ لِلمَوتِ إِن

وَبَديهي ما اِرتاحَ لِلمَوتِ إِن

سانٌ وَلا وُدُّ نَفرَةٍ مِن حَبيبِ

سانٌ وَلا وُدُّ نَفرَةٍ مِن حَبيبِ

it is self-evident that no hu—

And plainly, death brings no comfort to any hu-

—man welcomes death or desires estrangement from a beloved.

man, nor is a beloved’s aversion welcome.