أَلا هَبَّت أُمامَةُ بَعدَ هَدءٍ

تُعاتِبُني وَتَجبَهُني بِظُلمِ

Alas Ummama raged after calm

Rebuking me, outraged at my injustice

تُعاتِبُ أَن رَأَتني سافَ مالي

وَطاوَعتُ القِيادَ وَرَثَّ جِسمي

Angry that she saw me err

And yield to fate as my body weakened

وَقَنَّعَني القَتيرُ خِمارَ شَيبٍ

وَوَدَّعَني الشَبابُ وَرَقَّ عَظمي

Age clothed me in its shroud

Youth bid farewell as my bones grew frail

فَقُلتُ لَها أُمامَةُ لَيسَ هَذا

عِتاباً بَعدَما أَنحَلتِ جِسمي

I said: Ummama, this is no cause for blame

Now that my body is ruined and decayed

فَإِن تَكُنِ الحَوادِثُ أَقصَدَتني

وَأَخطَأَهُنَّ سَهمي حينَ أَرمي

If events have led me astray

And their arrows missed when I shot

فَقَد أَخطَأتُ حينَ تَبِعتُ سَهماً

سَفاهاً ما سَفِهتُ وَزَلَّ حِلمي

The fault is mine for following

A reckless arrow - I was foolish and lacked wisdom

تَبِعتُهُمُ وَضَيَّعتُ المَوالي

فَأَلقَوا لِلضِباعِ دَمي وَلَحمي

I followed them and neglected loyalties

So they abandoned my flesh and blood

وَضَيَّعتُ الكَرامَةَ فَاِرمَأَدَّت

وَقُبِّضتُ الشَقا في جَوفِ سَلمي

I lost dignity and it fled from me

And misery filled my innards through and through

وَضَيَّعتُ النَعيمَ فَبانَ مِنّي

وَعانَقتُ الهَوانَ وَقَلَّ طُعمي

I lost comfort and it deserted me

Embracing disgrace as my taste turned bitter

وَبُدِّلتُ النَعيمَ بِدارِ ذُلٍّ

كَذَلِكَ حِرفَتي وَكَذاكَ عِلمي

Exchanging comfort for an abode of humiliation

Such is my craft and such is my knowledge

فَما لَقِيَت شِمالي يَومَ خَيرٍ

وَما لَقِيَت يَميني يَومَ غُنمِ

Never has my left hand brought good

Nor my right hand brought bounty