هل يرْجعَنْ لِي لِمَّتي إنْ خَضَبْتُها

هل يرْجعَنْ لِي لِمَّتي إنْ خَضَبْتُها

إلى عَهْدِها قَبلَ المَشِيبِ خِضابُها

إلى عَهْدِها قَبلَ المَشِيبِ خِضابُها

Will my locks, if I dye them, be restored to me

Will my youthfulness return if I dye it

by their dye to their state before graying?

To its state before the graying of its dye?

رأَتْ أُقْحُوانَ الشَّيْبِ فَوْقَ خَطِيطَةٍ

رأَتْ أُقْحُوانَ الشَّيْبِ فَوْقَ خَطِيطَةٍ

إذا مُطِرَتْ لم يَسْتكِنَّ صُؤَابُها

إذا مُطِرَتْ لم يَسْتكِنَّ صُؤَابُها

She saw the daisies of gray hair above a barren patch;

It saw the gray hair above a forehead

when rained upon, its nits would not stay hidden.

That, when rained upon, its dye would not settle.

فإنْ يُظْعنِ الشَّيْبُ الشَّبابَ فَقَدْ تُرى

فإنْ يُظْعنِ الشَّيْبُ الشَّبابَ فَقَدْ تُرى

بهِ لِمَّتي لم يُرْمَ عنها غُرابُها

بهِ لِمَّتي لم يُرْمَ عنها غُرابُها

And if gray hair drives youth away, yet once one could see

So if old age defeats youth, you can then see

my locks in youth, their raven not yet driven from them.

In it, my youth whose crow has not left it.