وَلَقَد أَقولُ لِشَيبة أَبصَرتُها

وَلَقَد أَقولُ لِشَيبة أَبصَرتُها

في مَفرقي فَمَنَحتُها إِعراضي

في مَفرقي فَمَنَحتُها إِعراضي

Indeed, I say to a gray hair I caught sight of

Indeed I say to the gray hair I saw

in my parting, when I granted it my aversion:

In my temples, so I turned away from it

عَنّي إِليكَ فَلَستُ مُنتَهياً وَلَو

عَنّي إِليكَ فَلَستُ مُنتَهياً وَلَو

عُمّمنَ مِنكَ مفارقي بِبياضِ

عُمّمنَ مِنكَ مفارقي بِبياضِ

Away from me! I shall not desist, even if

To you - though I am not done even if

my partings are turbaned by your whiteness.

It spreads all over me with whiteness

هَل لي سِوى عِشرينَ عاماً قَد مَضَت

هَل لي سِوى عِشرينَ عاماً قَد مَضَت

مَع سِتّةٍ في إِثرِهِنَّ مواضِ

مَع سِتّةٍ في إِثرِهِنَّ مواضِ

Have I lived but twenty years now gone,

Do I have anything but twenty years past

with six more following in their wake?

With six after them in succession

وَلَقَد نزلت برأس صابي القَلب في

وَلَقَد نزلت برأس صابي القَلب في

مَيدان كُلّ غواية رَكّاضِ

مَيدان كُلّ غواية رَكّاضِ

You have alighted upon the head of one whose heart yearns,

And indeed I descended with an innocent heart

a tireless racer in every field of temptation.

In the field of every misleading temptation

وَلَقَلَّما أَرتاعَ مِنكِ وإِنّني

وَلَقَلَّما أَرتاعَ مِنكِ وإِنّني

فيما هَوَيتُ وإِن وَزَعتِ لماضِ

فيما هَوَيتُ وإِن وَزَعتِ لماضِ

Rarely indeed am I frightened by you; truly,

And it is seldom that I shy away from you

in whatever I desire, though you restrain me, I press on.

Though in what I desire - and if you move - I persist

فَعَليكَ ما آسطَعتِ الظُهور بِلمَّتي

فَعَليكَ ما آسطَعتِ الظُهور بِلمَّتي

وَعَليَّ أَن أَلقاكِ بالمِقراضِ

وَعَليَّ أَن أَلقاكِ بالمِقراضِ

So show yourself in my locks as much as you can—

So upon you what you shone with taking my blames

and I shall meet you with the shears.

And upon me to face you with the shears