لِلضَيفِ أَن يُقرى وَيُعرَفَ حَقُّهُ

لِلضَيفِ أَن يُقرى وَيُعرَفَ حَقُّهُ

وَالشَيبُ ضَيفُكَ فَاِقرِهِ بِخِضابِ

وَالشَيبُ ضَيفُكَ فَاِقرِهِ بِخِضابِ

A guest is entitled to hospitality and to have his due acknowledged.

A guest deserves hospitality and respect

And gray hair is your guest, so entertain it with dye.

And gray hair is your guest, so host it with dye

وافى بِأَكذَب شاهِدٍ وَلَرُبَّما

وافى بِأَكذَب شاهِدٍ وَلَرُبَّما

وافى المَشيبُ بِشاهِدٍ كَذّابِ

وافى المَشيبُ بِشاهِدٍ كَذّابِ

It has come with the falsest witness—and often indeed

It often corroborates the falsest witness

Has graying come with a lying witness.

And gray hair corroborates the lying witness

فَاِفسَخ شهادَتَهُ عَلَيك بِخَضبِهِ

فَاِفسَخ شهادَتَهُ عَلَيك بِخَضبِهِ

تَنفي الظُنونَ بِهِ عَنِ المُرتابِ

تَنفي الظُنونَ بِهِ عَنِ المُرتابِ

So annul its testimony against you by dyeing it;

So deny its testimony against you with dye

You thereby dispel the doubter’s suspicions.

Dispel doubts about it from the suspicious

فَإِذا دَنا وَقتُ المَشيبِ فَخَلِّهِ

فَإِذا دَنا وَقتُ المَشيبِ فَخَلِّهِ

وَالشَيبُ يذهَبُ فيهِ كُلَّ ذَهابِ

وَالشَيبُ يذهَبُ فيهِ كُلَّ ذَهابِ

Then, when the time for graying draws near, leave it be,

When the time of gray hair draws near, be done with it

While gray hair runs its full course within it.

As all gray hair goes away with it