إنْ مَضَتْ أيّامُ لَهوي والتّصابي

إنْ مَضَتْ أيّامُ لَهوي والتّصابي

وَبَدا صُبْحُ مَشيبي في شَبابي

وَبَدا صُبْحُ مَشيبي في شَبابي

If the days of my revelry and youthful dalliance have passed,

If my days of play and foolishness have passed

And the dawn of my graying has broken in my youth,

And the morning of my old age has dawned in my youth

وبَدَتْ لي هامةٌ في هامتي

وبَدَتْ لي هامةٌ في هامتي

طيّرَتْ عَن وَطَنِ البيضِ غُرابي

طيّرَتْ عَن وَطَنِ البيضِ غُرابي

And an owl has appeared to me upon my head,

And a cloud has appeared on my brow

Sending my raven flying from the eggs' abode,

That has made the white doves fly from my homeland

فَسَأُخفيهِ أحتِجاباً مِثْلَما

فَسَأُخفيهِ أحتِجاباً مِثْلَما

أَبَحَتْ لَمياءُ عَنِّي في احتجاب

أَبَحَتْ لَمياءُ عَنِّي في احتجاب

Then I shall veil it from view, just as

Then I will hide it with a veil

Lamya [apparently became] veiled from me,

Just as the shining salt hid itself from me behind a veil

بِخضابٍ مثلما قد سَتَرتْ

بِخضابٍ مثلما قد سَتَرتْ

وَجْهَها عنِّي بكَفِّ ذي خضابِ

وَجْهَها عنِّي بكَفِّ ذي خضابِ

With dye—just as she has concealed

With dye, just as she veiled

Her face from me behind a dye-stained palm.

Her face from me with a dark-dyed hand

رُبَّ بَيضاءَ بَدَتْ في عارِضي

رُبَّ بَيضاءَ بَدَتْ في عارِضي

تَتَلألا كلآلٍ في سحاب

تَتَلألا كلآلٍ في سحاب

Many a white hair has appeared at the side of my beard,

Many a white one has appeared on my temple

Glittering like pearls amid clouds.

Shining like pearls in the clouds

قيلَ لي إيّاكَ أَنْ تَنْزَعَها

قيلَ لي إيّاكَ أَنْ تَنْزَعَها

تأتِ أضعافاً فأكثرتُ أعتجابي

تأتِ أضعافاً فأكثرتُ أعتجابي

I was told: 'Beware of plucking it out;

I was told, beware not to pluck it out

It will return manyfold!' So I marveled greatly.

For multiples will come in its place; so I increased my wonder

قلتَ هاكُمْ فانتُفوا أسودَها

قلتَ هاكُمْ فانتُفوا أسودَها

لحيتي تنمي على هذا الحساب

لحيتي تنمي على هذا الحساب

You said: 'Here you are—pluck out its black hairs;

I said, here you go, pluck the black ones!

My beard will grow by this reckoning.'

My beard grows based on this calculation