نَبَتْ عينا أُمامةَ عن مشيبي

نَبَتْ عينا أُمامةَ عن مشيبي

وعدّتْ شيبَ رأسي من ذنوبي

وعدّتْ شيبَ رأسي من ذنوبي

Umama's eyes recoiled from my gray hair,

My eyes have sprouted in front of Umma's gray hair,

and she counted the grayness of my head among my sins.

And she counted my head's gray hair among my sins,

وقالتْ لو سترتَ الشَيبَ عنّي

وقالتْ لو سترتَ الشَيبَ عنّي

فكم أخفَى التّستّرُ من عيوبِ

فكم أخفَى التّستّرُ من عيوبِ

And she said, "If only you concealed your gray hair from me—

And she said, "If only you would conceal the gray from me,

for how many flaws concealment has hidden!"

Then how much would concealment hide faults!"

فقلتُ لها أُجِلُّ صريح وُدِّي

فقلتُ لها أُجِلُّ صريح وُدِّي

وإخلاصي عن الشَّعرِ الخضيبِ

وإخلاصي عن الشَّعرِ الخضيبِ

So I told her, "I deem my unfeigned affection

So I said to her, "I value frank affection

and my sincerity too noble for dyed hair.

And my sincerity over youthful locks."

وما لَكِ يا أُمامُ مع اللّيالي

وما لَكِ يا أُمامُ مع اللّيالي

إذا طاولْنَ بدٌّ مِنْ مشيبِ

إذا طاولْنَ بدٌّ مِنْ مشيبِ

And you, O Umam, as the nights pass,

"What is it to you, oh Umma, with the nights,

if they go on long enough, cannot escape gray hair.

If the flaw of gray has extended?"

وما تدليس شيبِ الرأس إلّا

وما تدليس شيبِ الرأس إلّا

كتدليس الوِدادِ على الحبيبِ

كتدليس الوِدادِ على الحبيبِ

And disguising the head's gray hair is just

And the disguise of gray hair is nothing but

like deceiving the beloved about one's love.

Like the disguise of love for the beloved.

فلا تلْحي عليهِ فذاكَ داءٌ

فلا تلْحي عليهِ فذاكَ داءٌ

عَياءٌ ضلّ عن حيلِ الطبيبِ

عَياءٌ ضلّ عن حيلِ الطبيبِ

So do not reproach me for it, for that is an ailment—

So do not insist on it, for that is an ailment,

incurable, eluding the physician's arts.

A shame that has strayed from the doctor's tricks.

وإنّ بَعيدَ شيبكِ وهو آتٍ

وإنّ بَعيدَ شيبكِ وهو آتٍ

نظيرُ بياض مفرقيَ القريبِ

نظيرُ بياض مفرقيَ القريبِ

And your far-off gray hair—yet it is coming—

And your gray is far away while it is coming,

is like the near-at-hand whiteness of my hair's parting.

Like the whiteness spreading on a nearby head.

فَإنْ تأبي فَقومي ميّزي لِي

فَإنْ تأبي فَقومي ميّزي لِي

نصيبَكِ فيه يوماً من نصيبي

نصيبَكِ فيه يوماً من نصيبي

So if you refuse, then rise and distinguish for me

So if you refuse, then get up and separate for me

your share in it one day from my own."

Your share in it one day from my share.