1. Indeed this age has overwhelmed me with its calamities,
To the point that there is not a single coin left in my purse,
١. لَقَد لَجَّ هَذا الدَّهرُ في نكباتِهِ
عَلَيّ إِلى أَن لَيسَ في الكيسِ دِرهَمُ
2. And my pockets, despite my arrogance,
Have become collateral for what little they contain,
٢. وَأَمسَت جَواليقي بِرَغمِ ظَعينَتي
رِهاناً عَلى ما في الجَواليقِ يُعكَمُ
3. But what's worse is that my poetry is eloquent Arabic,
Yet when I speak, I am incomprehensible.
٣. وَأَعظَمُ من ذا أَنَّ شِعرِيَ مُعرَبٌ
فَصيحٌ وَأنِّي حينَ أَنطِقُ أَعجَمُ