أآدَابِي عَلَى كِبَرِي تُضَاعُ

أآدَابِي عَلَى كِبَرِي تُضَاعُ

وَعَرفُ المِسكِ مِن نَثرِي يُذَاعُ

وَعَرفُ المِسكِ مِن نَثرِي يُذَاعُ

Are my literary accomplishments to be neglected in my old age,

My manners in my old age are humbled

While the fragrance of musk spreads from my prose?

And the scent of musk is spread from my poetry

وَلَستُ بِعَامِلٍ أَجبِي وَأَجني

وَلَستُ بِعَامِلٍ أَجبِي وَأَجني

وَلاَ قَاضٍ فَيَكفِينِي الرَّضاعُ

وَلاَ قَاضٍ فَيَكفِينِي الرَّضاعُ

And I am no official, collecting taxes and reaping gains,

I am not a worker toiling for others

Nor a judge, so that suckling might suffice me.

Nor a judge, so suckling would suffice me

وَلاَ أَشدُو وَمَولاَيَ قَريبٌ

وَلاَ أَشدُو وَمَولاَيَ قَريبٌ

أَضَاعُونِي وَأَيَّ فَتىً أَضاعوا

أَضَاعُونِي وَأَيَّ فَتىً أَضاعوا

Nor do I sing, while my patron is near:

I do not sing odes, and my master is near

“They have neglected me—and what a young man they have neglected!”

They lost me, and which young man did they make lost