أقامَ مشيبي عليَّ القيامَهْ

أقامَ مشيبي عليَّ القيامَهْ

وعمَّمَني منه أخْزَى عِمامَهْ

وعمَّمَني منه أخْزَى عِمامَهْ

My gray hair brought Judgment Day upon me,

My gray hair brought about doom for me

And wrapped my head in its most disgraceful turban.

And covered me with the most disgraceful turban

فأفسدَ بيني وبينَ الملاح

فأفسدَ بيني وبينَ الملاح

وأوحشَ منِّي كؤوسَ المُدامهْ

وأوحشَ منِّي كؤوسَ المُدامهْ

So it spoiled relations between me and the beauties,

So it corrupted my relationship with companions

And estranged the cups of wine from me.

And distanced the cups of wine from me

ظُلِمتُ ولا حاكمٌ عادلٌ

ظُلِمتُ ولا حاكمٌ عادلٌ

على الشيبِ يسمعُ مِنِّي الظُّلامه

على الشيبِ يسمعُ مِنِّي الظُّلامه

I have been wronged, and there is no just judge

I was wronged, with no just judge

To hear my grievance against gray hair.

Who would listen to my injustice because of my gray hair

ولما رأيت سِهام المشيب

ولما رأيت سِهام المشيب

جعلتُ الخضاب مجنّاً ولامه

جعلتُ الخضاب مجنّاً ولامه

And when I saw the arrows of gray hair,

And when I saw the arrows of gray hair

I made hair dye a shield and armor.

I made dye my intimate friend and confidant

وما زلتُ ألطفُ في حيلةٍ

وما زلتُ ألطفُ في حيلةٍ

تعيد الشبيبة لي والوسامه

تعيد الشبيبة لي والوسامه

And I kept cleverly contriving a scheme

And I have not stopped scheming

That would restore youth and good looks to me.

To restore my youth and decorations

تبيَّنْتُ منذ خضبتُ المشي

تبيَّنْتُ منذ خضبتُ المشي

ب بعد اعوجاج أموري استقامه

ب بعد اعوجاج أموري استقامه

Since dyeing my gray hair, I have seen

Since I dyed my gray hair, I realized

My affairs straighten after their crookedness.

After the distortion of my affairs, how to straighten them

وعادتْ إليَّ خِلالُ الشباب

وعادتْ إليَّ خِلالُ الشباب

جميعاً سوى فَتْكه والعرامه

جميعاً سوى فَتْكه والعرامه

And the traits of youth returned to me,

And all the traits of youth returned to me

All except its recklessness and unruliness.

Except for its vitality and intimacy

سوادُكَ فيه دليلٌ على

سوادُكَ فيه دليلٌ على

شبابٍ وفيه عليه علامه

شبابٍ وفيه عليه علامه

Your blackness in it is evidence of

Its blackness indicates

Youth, and in it is a sign of youth.

Youth, and it marks it

ستندم إنْ أنتَ لمْ تَخْتَضِبْ

ستندم إنْ أنتَ لمْ تَخْتَضِبْ

فسوِّدْ خضابَكَ قبل النَّدامه

فسوِّدْ خضابَكَ قبل النَّدامه

You will regret it if you do not dye your hair,

You will regret if you do not dye

So make your dye black before regret comes.

So blacken your dye before regret

ولا تَلْحَنِي في طِلابِ الشبابِ

ولا تَلْحَنِي في طِلابِ الشبابِ

فنفسي به لم تَزَلْ مُسْتهامه

فنفسي به لم تَزَلْ مُسْتهامه

And do not reproach me for seeking youth,

And do not blame me for seeking youth

For my soul has never ceased to be passionately in love with it.

For my soul has always yearned for it