تَشاهَقنَ لَمّا أَن رَأَينَ بِمَفرِقي

بَياضاً كَأَنَّ الشَيبَ عِندي مِنَ البِدَع

They cried out when they saw the parting of my hair

White as if greyness there was unorthodox for me.

وَقُلنَ عَهِدنا فَوقَ عاتِقِ ذا الفَتى

رِداءً مِنَ الحَوكِ الرَقيقِ فَما صَنَع

And they said, "We knew him when youth's mantle

Of finest gauze he wore unmarred in its making."

وَلَم أَرَ عَضباً عيبَ مِنهُ صِقالُهُ

وَكانَ حَبيباً لِلقُلوبِ عَلى الطَبَع

Never did I espy in him a fault to reprove him for,

And love for hearts was native to his nature.

وَقالوا غُلامٌ زَيَّنَ الشَيبُ رَأسَهُ

فَبُعداً لِرَأسٍ زانَهُ الشَيبُ وَالنَزَع

And they said, "A boy whose head grey hair made beautiful!"

So fie on the head made fair by greyness and decay!

تَسَلّى الغَواني عَنهُ مِن بَعدِ صَبوَةٍ

وَما أَبعَدَ النَبتَ الهَشيمَ مِنَ النُجَع

The loves forgot him after the ardour of passion subsided,

And how far is the wind-blown trace from the camp!

وَكُنَّ يُخَرِّقنَ السُجوفَ إِذا بَدا

فَصِرنَ يُرَقِّعنَ الحُروقَ إِذا طَلَع

And they were wont to rend the bosoms when he appeared,

Then busied themselves patching up the rents when he was gone.