رَأَيتُ الفَضلَ لا يَعلو فَيَجني

رَأَيتُ الفَضلَ لا يَعلو فَيَجني

لِشَقوَتِهِ وَلا يَدنو فَيَلقُط

لِشَقوَتِهِ وَلا يَدنو فَيَلقُط

I saw al-Faḍl neither rise high enough to be plucked,

I saw merit neither rise to pluck fruit,

because of his ill fortune, nor draw near enough to be picked.

Through its ill fortune, nor draw near to glean.

وَأَنتَ إِذا عَلَوتَ فَخُنفَساءٌ

وَأَنتَ إِذا عَلَوتَ فَخُنفَساءٌ

قَريبٌ بَينَ ما تَعلو وَتَسقُط

قَريبٌ بَينَ ما تَعلو وَتَسقُط

And you, when you rise, are but a beetle;

And you, when you rise, are a beetle—

brief is the span between your rising and your fall.

Little time separates your rising from your fall.