إنْ مَضَتْ أيّامُ لَهوي والتّصابي

وَبَدا صُبْحُ مَشيبي في شَبابي

If my days of play and foolishness have passed

And the morning of my old age has dawned in my youth

وبَدَتْ لي هامةٌ في هامتي

طيّرَتْ عَن وَطَنِ البيضِ غُرابي

And a cloud has appeared on my brow

That has made the white doves fly from my homeland

فَسَأُخفيهِ أحتِجاباً مِثْلَما

أَبَحَتْ لَمياءُ عَنِّي في احتجاب

Then I will hide it with a veil

Just as the shining salt hid itself from me behind a veil

بِخضابٍ مثلما قد سَتَرتْ

وَجْهَها عنِّي بكَفِّ ذي خضابِ

With dye, just as she veiled

Her face from me with a dark-dyed hand

رُبَّ بَيضاءَ بَدَتْ في عارِضي

تَتَلألا كلآلٍ في سحاب

Many a white one has appeared on my temple

Shining like pearls in the clouds

قيلَ لي إيّاكَ أَنْ تَنْزَعَها

تأتِ أضعافاً فأكثرتُ أعتجابي

I was told, beware not to pluck it out

For multiples will come in its place; so I increased my wonder

قلتَ هاكُمْ فانتُفوا أسودَها

لحيتي تنمي على هذا الحساب

I said, here you go, pluck the black ones!

My beard grows based on this calculation