تُماطِلُ أَمراً دونَهُ أَبَعدُ النَوى

تُماطِلُ أَمراً دونَهُ أَبَعدُ النَوى

فَبادِر إِذا رُعتَ البَعيدَ وَناجِزِ

فَبادِر إِذا رُعتَ البَعيدَ وَناجِزِ

You defer an undertaking before which lies the utmost distance;

You put off a task beyond even the farthest distance;

so hasten, if you aim at the distant goal, and contend.

So hasten, when you have alarmed the distant one, and confront him.

أَرَدتَ إِلى أَرضِ الحِجازِ تَحَمُّلاً

أَرَدتَ إِلى أَرضِ الحِجازِ تَحَمُّلاً

فَعاقَتكَ عَنهُ عائِقاتُ الحَواجِزِ

فَعاقَتكَ عَنهُ عائِقاتُ الحَواجِزِ

You intended to set out for the land of the Hijaz,

You wished to depart for the land of the Hijaz,

but obstructing barriers held you back from it.

But obstructing barriers kept you from it.

عَجَزتَ عَنِ الكَسبِ الَّذي يَجلُبُ الغِنى

عَجَزتَ عَنِ الكَسبِ الَّذي يَجلُبُ الغِنى

وَما أَنتَ عَن كَسبِ الدَنايا بِعاجِزِ

وَما أَنتَ عَن كَسبِ الدَنايا بِعاجِزِ

You proved unable to earn what brings wealth,

You were unable to pursue the earning that brings wealth,

yet you are by no means unable to earn what is base.

Yet you are not incapable of committing base deeds.

وَمَن لَم يَنَل في القولِ رُتبَةَ شاعِرٍ

وَمَن لَم يَنَل في القولِ رُتبَةَ شاعِرٍ

تَقَنَّعَ في نَظمٍ بِرُتبَةِ راجِزِ

تَقَنَّعَ في نَظمٍ بِرُتبَةِ راجِزِ

Whoever does not attain in speech the rank of poet

And whoever does not attain a poet's rank in speech

rests content, in his versecraft, with the rank of a rajaz composer.

Settles, in verse, for the rank of a rajaz versifier.