1. A time and an unjust time seated us,
Deviating from fulfilling the right of the noble one.
١. أَقعَدَتنا زَمانَةٌ وَزَمانٌ
جائِرٌ عَن قَضاءِ حَقِّ الشَريفِ
2. And if they became too heavy for serving the line,
And the idea of going to it lightly was cursed.
٢. وَلَئِن ثَقَّلا عَنِ الخِدمَةِ الخَط
وَلَعَن خاطِرٍ إِلَيها خَفيفِ
3. So we sufficed, in what we perform of poetry,
With books and the wise messenger.
٣. فَاِقتَصَرنا فيما نُؤَدّي مِنَ العَر
ضِ عَلى الكُتبِ وَالرَسولِ الحَصيفِ
4. And the young man with youth extends in being short,
The excuse of the sick old frail one.
٤. وَالفَتى ذو الشَبابِ يَبسُطُ في التَق
صيرِ عُذرَ الشَيخِ العَليلِ الضَعيفِ