طَرِبْتُ إلى المِرآةِ فروَّعَتْني

طَرِبْتُ إلى المِرآةِ فروَّعَتْني

طوالِعُ شَيْبَتَيْنِ العَّتَابِي

طوالِعُ شَيْبَتَيْنِ العَّتَابِي

I turned eagerly to the mirror, but was startled

I went to the mirror, and it reprimanded me

by the first appearance of two gray hairs [al-ʿAttābī: unclear in the source].

For the appearance of two gray hairs

فأمّا شَيْبَهٌ فَفَزِعَتْ منها

فأمّا شَيْبَهٌ فَفَزِعَتْ منها

إلى المِقْرَاضِ عُجْباً بالتَّصَابِي

إلى المِقْرَاضِ عُجْباً بالتَّصَابِي

As for one gray hair, alarmed by it, I turned

One of them made it recoil in horror

to the scissors, proud of feigning youth.

Towards henna, marveling at the contrast

وأما شَيْبَةٌ فَصَفَحْتُ عَنْها

وأما شَيْبَةٌ فَصَفَحْتُ عَنْها

لِتَشْهَدَ بالبَرَاةِ من الخِضَابِ

لِتَشْهَدَ بالبَرَاةِ من الخِضَابِ

As for the other gray hair, I spared it,

As for the other, I overlooked it

so it might testify that I used no hair dye.

So it would testify to my natural hair color

فَيَا عَجَباً لِذلِكَ مِنْ مَشِيبٍ

فَيَا عَجَباً لِذلِكَ مِنْ مَشِيبٍ

أَقَمْتُ به الدَّليلَ على الشّبابِ

أَقَمْتُ به الدَّليلَ على الشّبابِ

What a wonder, then, this graying:

What a wonder that such graying is

with it I established proof of youth.

For which I provided proof of youthfulness