تعمَّمتُ إحصاناً لرأسيَ بُرْهةً

من القرِّ طوراً والحرور إذا سفعْ

I learned to cover my head for a while

With a turban instead of shaving when my hair fell out.

فلما دهى طولُ التعمُّم لمَّتي

فأزرى بها بعد الجثالة والفَرَعْ

But when prolonged covering burdened me,

I switched to a cap after the turban and its coils.

عزمتُ على لُبس العمامةِ حيلةً

لتستُر ما جرَّتْ عليَّ من الصَّلعْ

I decided to wear the turban as a trick,

To hide the balding that had come over me.

فيا لك من جانٍ عليَّ جنايةً

جعلتُ إليه من جنايته الفزعْ

Oh what a scourge you are upon me!

Making me take refuge from your scourging.

وأعجِبْ بشيءٍ كان دائي جعلتُه

دوائي على عمدٍ وأعجب بأن نفعْ

And I was amazed that the thing which was my affliction

I made my remedy intentionally, and was amazed that it worked.