تَصُدُّ أُميمَةُ لَمّا رَأَت

تَصُدُّ أُميمَةُ لَمّا رَأَت

مَشيباً عَلى عارِضي قَد فَرَش

مَشيباً عَلى عارِضي قَد فَرَش

Umayma turns away on seeing

Umaymah turns away when she sees

Gray hair already spread across my cheek.

Gray hair streaking my temples,

فَقُلتُ لَها الشَيبُ نَقشُ الشَبابِ

فَقُلتُ لَها الشَيبُ نَقشُ الشَبابِ

فَقالَت أَلا لَيتَهُ ما نَقَش

فَقالَت أَلا لَيتَهُ ما نَقَش

So I told her, “Gray hair is youth’s engraving.”

I said to her, “Gray hair etches youth,”

And she said, “Ah, if only it had made no mark!”

She said, “If only it didn’t etch!”