أَرِقتُ عَلى الصِبا لِطُلوعِ نَجمٍ

أُسَمّيهِ مُسامَحَةً مَشيبا

I lost sleep over youth for a star's rising

I call it growing old though still a lad

كَفاني رُزءَ نَفسٍ أَن تَبَدّى

وَأَعظَمُ مِنهُ رُزءاً أَن يَغيبا

It was enough vexation for my soul when it appeared

And greater vexation when it goes away

وَلَولا أَن يَشُقُّ عَلى الغَواني

لَلاقَيتُ الفَتاةَ بِهِ خَضيبا

And were it not that parting was hard on the lovesick

I would have met the damsel with it turning grey

فَلَم أَعدَم هُناكَ بِهِ شَفيعاً

إِلى أَمَلٍ وَلَم أَبرَح حَبيبا

So I did not lack a mediator there with it

To a hope though I did not stop loving

غَريبَةُ شَيبِ فَودٍ إِن تَراخَت

حَياتي آلَ أَسوَدُهُ غَريبا

Strange is the greying of a beloved's hair if it spares you

My life went and its blackness turned all grey

شَنِئتُ بِمُجتَلاها النورَ حَتّى

شَنِئتُ بِمُجتَلى النورِ القَضيبا

I disliked, due to its lights, brightness until

I disliked the shine of brightness, the striking one

وَعِفتُ كَراهَةً لِلشَيءِ شَيئاً

يَكونُ لَهُ شَبيهاً أَو نَسيبا

And I shunned, out of hatred for a thing, a thing

That would have a like or relation

وَأَيَّةُ شَيبَةٍ إِلّا نَذيرٌ

وَهَل طَرَبٌ وَقَد مَثَلَت خَطيبا

And which greying hair except a warner?

And which rapture when examples have turned orators?

وَبُؤتُ بِحَملِها مِن غَيرِ خَطبٍ

كَأَنّي قَد حَمَلتُ بِها عَسيبا

And I was laden with its load without being asked in marriage

As though I was made to carry it all helpless

وَمِلتُ مَعَ الشَبابِ عَنِ التَصابي

وَكَيفَ بِهِ وَقَد طَلَعَت رَقيبا

And I grew weary of youthful pursuit

And how so when it emerged a watcher?

وَقُلتُ الشَيبُ لِلفِتيانِ شَينٌ

كَفى الأَحداثَ شَيناً أَن تَشيبا

And I said to the lads, grey hair is disgrace

Enough for callow youth to turn grey in disgrace

فَلا تَطمَح إِلى فَودي غُلاماً

غَريراً أَو اِغشِني كَهلاً أَريبا

So do not aspire to my cheeks, o lad

Innocent, or deceive me, o decrepit wary one

فَأَحسَنُ مِن حَمامِ الشَيبِ عِندي

غُرابُ شَبيبَةٍ أَلِفَ النَعيبا

For better than the dove of grey hair to me

Is a raven of youth used to warbling

يَطيبُ بِنَفسِهِ عِندَ الغَواني

فَيَغنى عَن فَتيتِ المِسكِ طيبا

It scents itself among the lovesick

And so dispenses with the musk scent of perfume

وَتَرعى مِنهُ عَينُ الظَبيِ شُهباً

لَها فَيُسالِفُ الظَبيَ الرَبيبا

And the gazelle's eye feeds on its grey hair

To which it talks amorously, the gazelle its darling

وَبَينَ العَينِ وَالشَعرِ اِشتِباكٌ

كَريمٌ يَقتَضي نَسَباً قَريبا

And between the eye and the hair there is an intimacy

Precious that calls for kinship and nearness