اِشتَعَلَ الشَيبُ فَأَفنَيتُهُ

وَكلَّ مِقراضي فَأَعتَقتُهُ

The grey hair blazed, so I removed it,

And freed all my scissors,

كُنتُ إِذا اِستَقصَيتُ قَصّي لَهُ

وَقُلتُ في نَفسِيَ أَفنَيتُهُ

When I scrutinized my story for it,

And said to myself, “I’ve removed it,”

عارَضَني مِن جانِبٍ آخَرٍ

كَأَنَّني قَد كُنتُ زَمَّلتُهُ

It confronted me from another side,

As if I had adorned it before.

الشَيبُ ما لَيسَت لَهُ حيلَةٌ

أَعيانِيَ الشَيبُ فَخَلَّيتُهُ

Grey hair has no solution,

It troubled me, so I left it.