Conversation so far:
Where was Al-Ma'arri born?
Abu al-ʿAlaʾ was born in Maʿarra, modern Maarrat al-Nu'man, Syria, near the city of Aleppo.
What was Al-Ma'arri's childhood like?
Al-Ma'arri lost his eyesight at the age of four due to smallpox.
Where did Al-Ma'arri go to school?
Al-Ma'arri was educated at first in Maʿarra and Aleppo, later also in Antioch and other Syrian cities.
What did Al-Ma'arri study?
Al-Ma'arri started his career as a poet at an early age.

Question: How old was he?
Self-contained rewrite: How old was Al-Ma'arri when he started his career at an early age?