ولقد تركتُ الشعرَ مع علمٍ به

ولقد تركتُ الشعرَ مع علمٍ به

علماً بأنَّ زنادهُ لا يقدحُ

علماً بأنَّ زنادهُ لا يقدحُ

Indeed, I abandoned poetry, though well versed in it,

And indeed, I abandoned poetry, though versed in it,

knowing that its firesteel would strike no spark.

knowing that its flint strikes no spark.

وتصفحت عيني الزمانَ وأهله

وتصفحت عيني الزمانَ وأهله

حيناً فلم أرَ منهمُ من يمدح

حيناً فلم أرَ منهمُ من يمدح

My eye surveyed the age and all its people

And my eye surveyed the age and its people

for a while, but among them I saw no one worthy of praise.

for a time, yet I saw none among them worthy of praise.