خضبَّتني الأيام لون بياضٍ

خضبَّتني الأيام لون بياضٍ

وخضَاب الأيام ليس بناضي

وخضَاب الأيام ليس بناضي

The days have dyed me a shade of white;

The days have dyed me the color of whiteness,

And the dye of days does not wear off.

yet the dye of days does not last.

وتخطتني المنون إلى شعري

وتخطتني المنون إلى شعري

فأضحى مكفناً ببياض

فأضحى مكفناً ببياض

And Death passed over me to reach my hair;

Death has threaded into my hair,

So it became shrouded in white.

so it has become a shroud in whiteness.

ولعمري إنِّي لغير لبيبٍ

ولعمري إنِّي لغير لبيبٍ

في قتال الأيام بالمقراض

في قتال الأيام بالمقراض

And by my life, I am surely unwise

By my life, I am no fool,

In fighting the days with scissors.

battling days with a scraper.