رَأَيتُ الفَضلَ لا يَعلو فَيَجني

رَأَيتُ الفَضلَ لا يَعلو فَيَجني

لِشَقوَتِهِ وَلا يَدنو فَيَلقُط

لِشَقوَتِهِ وَلا يَدنو فَيَلقُط

I saw merit neither rise to pluck fruit,

I saw excellence fail to rise up and reap

through its ill fortune, nor stoop to glean.

Due to its woes, nor come near and 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 a beetle:

Yet you, when exalted, are humble

the interval between your rising and falling is short.

Keeping near between your rise and fall.