قالَت أُمامَةُ يَومَ بُرقَةِ واسِطٍ

يا اِبنَ الغَديرِ لَقَد جَعَلتَ تَغَيَّرُ

Ummamah said one day at Burqah in Wasit:

"O son of al-Ghadir, you have surely begun to change!

أَصبَحتَ بَعدَ شَبابِكَ الغَضِّ الَّذي

نُقِضَت مَريرَتُهُ وَغُصنُكَ أَخضَرُ

After your fresh youth whose bitterness is over,

And your branch still green, you have become

شَيخاً دِعامَتُكَ العَصا وَمُشَيِّعاً

لا يَبتَغي خَبَراً وَلا يستخبِرُ

An old man, your staff as your support and your companion,

Who seeks no news and asks no questions.

فَأَجَبتُها أَمَّن يُعَمَّرُ يَعتَرِف

ما قَد زَعَمتِ وَيَنبُ عَنهُ المَنظَرُ

So I answered her: Does he who lives long not admit

What you have claimed and cease to look into the mirror?

وَلَقَد رَأَيتُ شَبيهَ ما عَيَّرتِني

يَغدو الزَمانُ بِهِ عَلَيكِ وَيَبكُرُ

And indeed I have seen the like of what you reproached me

Advance upon you with time and rise early.

وَجَعَلتُ يَحفَظُني الصَغيرُ وَمَلَّني

أَهلي وَكُنتُ مُكَرَّماً لا أُكهَرُ

And my little son kept watch over me when family filled me

And I was honored, not cowed.

وَشَرِبتُ بِالقَعبِ الصَغيرِ وَقادَني

نَحوَ المُقامَةِ مِن بَنِيَّ الأَصغَرُ

And I drank from the little goblet and it led me

Toward proper manners from my youngest son."