تَفِرُّ عَنِ الشَّيْبِ الْغَوَانِي تَعَزُّزاً

تَفِرُّ عَنِ الشَّيْبِ الْغَوَانِي تَعَزُّزاً

كَمَا يَعْتَرِيهَا إِنْ رَأَتْ سَامَ أَبْرَصَا

كَمَا يَعْتَرِيهَا إِنْ رَأَتْ سَامَ أَبْرَصَا

Beautiful women flee from gray hair in proud disdain,

The young women shun old age as though it were leprosy,

just as they do when they see a gecko.

As if they saw in it a mangy camel.

بَدَا وَضَحاً فِي جِدَّةِ الْعُمْرِ شَانِيا

بَدَا وَضَحاً فِي جِدَّةِ الْعُمْرِ شَانِيا

فَمَنْ سَامَ شَيْخاً فَهْوَ قَدْ سَامَ أَبْرصَا

فَمَنْ سَامَ شَيْخاً فَهْوَ قَدْ سَامَ أَبْرصَا

It appeared as a disfiguring white patch in life's fresh prime;

My decline became clear in the prime of life,

so whoever seeks an old man has indeed sought a leper.

So he who matches wits with an old man matches wits with a leper.