خَرَجَتْ أَقْبَحَ المَخَارجِ مِنْهُ

خَرَجَتْ أَقْبَحَ المَخَارجِ مِنْهُ

لِحْيَةٌ قُوبِلَتْ بِغَيْرِ الجَمِيْلِ

لِحْيَةٌ قُوبِلَتْ بِغَيْرِ الجَمِيْلِ

It sprouted from him in the ugliest fashion—

a beard treated with anything but kindness.

لَمْ يَدَعْهَا تَطُولُ حَتَّى عَلاَهَا

لَمْ يَدَعْهَا تَطُولُ حَتَّى عَلاَهَا

وَضَحُ الشَّيْبِ فِي الزَّمَانِ الطَّوِيْلِ

وَضَحُ الشَّيْبِ فِي الزَّمَانِ الطَّوِيْلِ

He never let it grow long until it was covered

by gray hair’s whiteness as the long years passed.

مَلَّ مِنْ حَلْقِهَا فَشَابَتْ وَلَكِنْ

مَلَّ مِنْ حَلْقِهَا فَشَابَتْ وَلَكِنْ

شَيْبُهَا كَانَ كَامِنَاً فِي الأُصُولِ

شَيْبُهَا كَانَ كَامِنَاً فِي الأُصُولِ

He tired of shaving it, so it turned gray; yet

its grayness had been hidden in the roots.

فَرَأَيْنَاهُ بِالْعَشِيِّ غُلاَمَاً

فَرَأَيْنَاهُ بِالْعَشِيِّ غُلاَمَاً

وَغَدَوْنَا نَعُدُّهُ فِي الكُهُولِ

وَغَدَوْنَا نَعُدُّهُ فِي الكُهُولِ

So we saw him in the evening as a youth,

and by morning we counted him among the middle-aged.

لَمْ يَكُنْ بَيْنَ مُرْدَةٍ وَمَشِيْبٍ

لَمْ يَكُنْ بَيْنَ مُرْدَةٍ وَمَشِيْبٍ

فَاصِلٌ وَالأُمُورُ ذَاتُ فُصُولِ

فَاصِلٌ وَالأُمُورُ ذَاتُ فُصُولِ

There was no interval between beardlessness and gray hair,

though things have their distinct stages.