فديتُكَ ما قصَّرتُ فيما وَشَيْتَهُ

وأهديتَهُ من نَظمِ قِولٍ ومن نَثْرِ

I devoted myself, I did not fall short in what you assigned

And gifted from rhythmic words and prose

ولو كنتُ في رَيْعانِ سِنَّي وَميْعَتي

أجبْتُ ولكِنْ شابَ شَعْري من الشِّعْرِ

Even if I were in the prime of my years and youth

I would have responded, but my hair turned white from poetry