لاموا وَلَو وَجَدوا وَجدي لَقَد عَذروا

وَذَنبُ مَن لامَ ظُلماً غَيرُ مُغتَفَرِ

They blamed me, even if they found my excuse acceptable

And the sin of one who blames unjustly cannot be forgiven

لَمّا تَمالَوا عَلى عَذلي أَجَبتُهُمُ

بِعِزِّ مُعتَرِفٍ لا ذُلِّ مُعتَذِرِ

When they reproached me for my mistake, I answered them

With the pride of one acknowledging, not the humility of one apologizing

أَهوى السَوادَ بِرَأسي ثُمَّ أَمقُتُهُ

فَكَيفَ يَختَلِفُ اللَونانِ في نَظَري

I prefer the blackness on my head, yet I detest it

So how can the two colors look different to me?

تَأبى طَلائِعُ بيضٍ ذَرَّ شارِقُها

في عارِضي أَن تَكونَ البيضُ مِن وَطَري

The dawnings of whiteness, whose brilliance shone forth

Refused to blend into my cheeks, to become part of my complexion

إِنّي عَلِقتُ سَوادَ اللَونِ بَعدَكُمُ

عَلاقَةً تُشمِتُ الظَلماءَ بِالقَمَرِ

I have bound myself to the blackness of color after you

A bond through which the unjust mock the moon

لَو لَم يَكُن فَوقَ لَونِ البيضِ ما رُقِمَت

صِبغُ اللَيالي عَلى الأَجيادِ وَالعُذرِ

If it were not for the superiority of the whiteness

The dark nights would not be marked on steeds and on excuses

جَعَلتُهُ لِسَوادِ الرَأسِ تَذكِرَةً

إِن تَفقَدِ العَينُ يَرضَ القَلبُ بِالأَثرِ

I have made it a reminder for the blackness of my head

So if the eye misses, the heart will be content with the trace

وَاللَيلُ أَستَرُ لِلخالي بِلَذَّتِهِ

وَالصِبحُ أَفضَحُ لِلساري عَلى غَرَرِ

And the night is a concealment for the bare with its pleasure

While the dawn exposes the secret to everyone

وَلِلفَتى في ظَلامِ اللَيلِ مَعذِرَةٌ

وَما لَهُ في الضُحى إِن ضَلَّ مِن عُذُرِ

The young man has an excuse in the darkness of night

While he has no excuse in the morning, if he strays

لا أَجمَعُ الحُبَّ لِلبيضِ الحِسانِ إِلى

ما بَيَّضَ الدَهرُ وَالأَيّامُ مِن شَعَري

I do not combine love of the beautiful white

With what time and days have whitened of my hair

وَكَيفَ يَذهَبُ عَن قَلبي وَعَن بَصَري

مَن كانَ مِثلَ سَوادِ القَلبِ وَالبَصرِ

And how can she who was the darkness of my heart and sight

Disappear from my heart and my vision?