1. وَفَرتُ العارِضَينِ وَلَم يُعارِض

    مَشيبي إِذ تَناثَرَ مَلقَطايا

    I let both sides of my beard grow; no resistance was offered

    by my two plucking fingers to my gray hair as it spread.

  2. وَإِنَّ البيضَ مِثلَ السودِ عِندي

    فَكَيفَ يَخُصُّ تِلكَ مُسَلَّطايا

    And indeed, white hairs are like black ones to me;

    so how can my two appointed pluckers single those out?

  3. مَطايَ عَلَيهِ لِلأَيّامِ عِبءٌ

    كَأَنّي لِلأَذاةِ مِنَ المَطايا

    My back bears the burden of the days,

    as though I were one of suffering’s mounts.

  4. مَحَلّي إِن جَلاني عَنكَ خَطبٌ

    فَمِن خَطَأي تُراحُ وَمِن خَطايا

    My dwelling, if a calamity drives me away from you,

    then you will be relieved of my wrongdoing and sins.

  5. وَما شَعرٌ بِرَأسِكَ في عِدادٍ

    بِأَكثَرَ مِن ذُنوبِكَ وَالخَطايا

    And the hairs on your head are not, in number,

    more numerous than your sins and transgressions.

  6. عَطايا الناسِ مُمسَكَةٌ فَحاوِل

    ثَوابَ مَليكِنا الجَزلِ العَطايا

    People’s gifts are withheld; so seek

    the reward of our King, lavish in gifts.

  7. كُفيتُكَ أَن تُرابَ الدَهرَ مِنّي

    وَلَم تَكفُف بُزاتَكَ عَن قَطايا

    I have spared you ever feeling alarm because of me,

    yet you have not kept your hawks from my sandgrouse.