1. قُل لِلمَشيبِ يَدُ الأَيامِ دائِبَةٌ

    تُنقيكَ وَالمَرءُ مِن جَهلٍ يُنَقّيكا

    Say to gray hair: the hand of days is ever at work,

    cleansing you, while man, out of ignorance, removes you.

  2. لَو كُنتُ كَالجَبَلِ الراسي لَأَوَّدَني

    بِالثِقلِ أَنَّكَ في رَأسي تَرَقّيكا

    Were I like a firmly rooted mountain, I would be bent

    by the weight of your ascent upon my head.

  3. وَكَيفَ يَقطَعُ إِنسانٌ مَدى أَجَلٍ

    عَلَيكَ وَالمَلِكُ الدَيّانُ يُبقيكا

    And how can a man cut short the span of a life

    for you, while the King, the Requiter, keeps you alive?

  4. فَلا الأُساةُ أَطالَت في تَفَكُّرِها

    تَشفي ضَناكَ وَلا الكُهّانُ تَرقيكا

    So no physicians, however long they ponder,

    can cure your wasting illness, nor can soothsayers heal you with charms.

  5. لَمّا صَبِبتَ سُقيتَ الوَجدَ مُنحَنِياً

    مِنَ الصَبيبِ أَو الحِنّاءِ يَسقيكا

    When you grew lovesick, you were given longing to drink, bent low;

    he gives you a draught of dye extract or henna.

  6. لاقاكَ بِالخَطَرِ مَغرورٌ عَلى خَطَرٍ

    وَكُنتَ بِالعِطرِ أَولى في تَلَقّيكا

    A deluded man met you with khatar dye, himself in danger,

    though perfume was more fitting for your welcome.

  7. يَقُصُّ آثارَ أَقوامٍ أولي سَفَهٍ

    وَبِالمِقَصَّينِ في النَعماءِ يُشقيكا

    He follows the tracks of foolish folk,

    and with the two scissor blades makes you suffer amid blessings.

  8. يا صِبغَةَ اللَهِ مَن أَعطاكَ واقِيَةً

    فَإِنَّ صُبغَ أُناسٍ لا يُوَقّيكا

    O God's dye, who has given you protection?

    For people's dye does not protect you.