1. أَصبَحتُ أَلحى خَلَّتَيّا

    هاتيكَ أُبغِضُها وَتَيّا

    I have come to reproach my two traits:

    that one I hate, and this little one.

  2. وَدُعيتُ شَيخاً بَعدَ ما

    سُمّيتُ في زَمَنٍ فُتَيّا

    And I was called an old man after

    having once been called a young lad.

  3. وَكَفَيتُ صَحبِيَ إِلَّتَيّا

    بَعدَ اللُتَيّا وَاللُتَيّا

    And I spared my companions my two groans,

    after one little ordeal and another.

  4. سَقياً لِأَيّامِ الشَبابِ

    وَما حَسَرتُ مُطيَتَيّا

    May rain bless the days of youth,

    when I had not yet worn out my two mounts;

  5. أَيّامَ آمُلُ أَن أَمُسَّ

    الفَرقَدَينِ بِراحَتَيّا

    the days when I hoped to touch

    the two Farqad stars with my two palms,

  6. وَأَفيضُ إِحساني عَلى

    جارَيَّ ثَمَّ وَجارَتَيّا

    and pour my kindness upon

    my two male neighbors there, and my two female neighbors.

  7. فَالآنَ تَعجِزُ هِمَّتي

    عَمّا يُنالُ بِخُطوَتَيّا

    So now my resolve falls short

    of what can be reached with my two steps.

  8. أَوصى اِبنَتَيهِ لَبيدٌ ال

    ماضي وَلا أوصي اِبنَتَيّا

    Labīd counseled his two daughters—the

    departed one; I do not counsel my two daughters.

  9. لَستُ المُفاخِرَ في الرِجا

    لِ بِعَمَّتَيَّ وَخالَتَيّا

    I am not one to boast among

    men of my two paternal aunts and my two maternal aunts.

  10. لَكِن أُقِرُّ بِأَنَّني

    ضَرعٌ أُمارِسُ دارَتَيّا

    But I admit that I am

    a weakling, grappling with my two abodes.

  11. وَاللَهُ يَرحَمُني إِذا

    أودِعتُ أَضيَقَ ساحَتَيّا

    And may God have mercy on me when

    I am placed in the narrower of my two courtyards.

  12. لا تَجعَلَن حالي إِذا

    غُيِّبتُ أَيأَسَ حالَتَيّا

    Do not make my state, when

    I am hidden away, the more hopeless of my two states.