ما لي رأيتُ الثَّلجَ عمَّمَ شيبُهُ

ما لي رأيتُ الثَّلجَ عمَّمَ شيبُهُ

قُلَلَ الرُّبا فزَهت بِحُسن نَبَاتِها

قُلَلَ الرُّبا فزَهت بِحُسن نَبَاتِها

Why did the snow I saw—its gray hair turbaning

The snow has whitened my hair all through

the hilltops, making them radiant with the beauty of their vegetation—

The hills are decked out, splendid in their vegetation

رَاق العيونَ وشَيبُ فودِيَ رَاعَها

رَاق العيونَ وشَيبُ فودِيَ رَاعَها

حتّى كأَنَّ الشَّيبَ وخْزُ قَذَاتِها

حتّى كأَنَّ الشَّيبَ وخْزُ قَذَاتِها

please the eyes, while the gray hair of my temple alarmed them,

My eyes are delighted, though my hair turned white with fright

so much so that gray hair seemed the prick of a speck in their eyes?

As if my white hair were blossoms in their prime