1. شاب فيه العِذَارُ فازددت عُجباً

    لصباحٍ بدا بأَوّلِ لَيْلِ

    His side-whiskers turned gray, and my wonder grew

    at a dawn appearing at the very onset of night.

  2. خَافَ مَيْليَ عَنْه فكانَ عَليْهِ

    وقليلٌ لهُ انحرافِي وَميْلِي

    He feared my turning away from him, but I leaned toward him;

    and my turning and leaning are little enough for him.

  3. واقتضى الشَّيْبُ مِنْه مقْلُوبُ جُودِي

    مِثْلَ ما طابَ منه تصحيفُ نَيْلي

    His gray hair demanded my 'generosity' rearranged into 'passion',

    just as my 'attainment,' re-dotted into 'lovesickness,' grew sweet through him.

  4. جاءَ في غَيْر وقْتِه ذلك ال

    شَّيبُ فغطَّاهُ ثوبُ لَثْمِي بِذيْل

    It came before its time, that

    gray hair; so the robe of my kisses covered it with its hem.

  5. ولقد زَادَهُ جَمالاً وحُسْناً

    زَادَ نُوْحِي من الغَرامِ وَوَيْلِي

    Indeed, it added to his beauty and loveliness,

    and deepened my love-born lament and woe.

  6. ولقد طَفَّل المشيبُ فقُلنا

    أَحسنَ الطِّفْلَ ذا المشيبُ الطُفَيلي

    Gray hair indeed arrived uninvited, so we said:

    'This gatecrashing gray hair has made the child more beautiful.'