نَتَفتُ السَوادَ مِن العارِضينَ

نَتَفتُ السَوادَ مِن العارِضينَ

عِندَ الشَبيبَةِ نَتفاً عَنيفا

عِندَ الشَبيبَةِ نَتفاً عَنيفا

I plucked the black hairs from both sides of my beard,

I plucked the blackness from my temples

In my youth, plucking them fiercely.

In youth with forceful plucking

فَلَمّا كَبِرتُ نَتَفتُ البَياضَ

فَلَمّا كَبِرتُ نَتَفتُ البَياضَ

وَقَد صارَ بَعدَ الجَنى الغَضِّ ليفا

وَقَد صارَ بَعدَ الجَنى الغَضِّ ليفا

Then, when I grew old, I plucked the white hairs,

Then when I grew old I plucked the whiteness

And what was once tender fruit had become palm fiber.

After passion's heat, pliantly

فَلَو عَلِمَ الناسُ بِالحالَتَينِ

فَلَو عَلِمَ الناسُ بِالحالَتَينِ

لَما لَقَّبوني إِلّا النَتيفا

لَما لَقَّبوني إِلّا النَتيفا

So if people knew of both these states,

If people knew of both these states

They would nickname me only 'the Plucked One.'

They'd give me the name of "Plucker" solely