أَمّا الزَّمانُ فَموجِزٌ في وَعظِهِ

أَمّا الزَّمانُ فَموجِزٌ في وَعظِهِ

وَظَفِرتُ بِالإِشهابِ في إِيجازِهِ

وَظَفِرتُ بِالإِشهابِ في إِيجازِهِ

As for Time, it is concise in its admonition,

Time is brief in its preaching

and I have found expansiveness in its brevity.

And I gained eloquence in its brevity

لا تُخدَعَنَّ فَما حَقيقَةُ أَمرِهِ

لا تُخدَعَنَّ فَما حَقيقَةُ أَمرِهِ

عِندَ النُّهى إِلّا كَمِثلِ مَجازِهِ

عِندَ النُّهى إِلّا كَمِثلِ مَجازِهِ

Do not be deceived, for the reality of its affairs

Be not deceived, for its reality

is, to discerning minds, just like its figurative meaning.

Is but a metaphor when it forbids

سَبَقَ اللِّئامُ بِهِ الكِرامَ كَأَنَّما

سَبَقَ اللِّئامُ بِهِ الكِرامَ كَأَنَّما

قيدَت هَواديهِ إِلى أَعجازِهِ

قيدَت هَواديهِ إِلى أَعجازِهِ

In it, the base have outstripped the noble, as though

The vile outpaced the noble as though

its foreparts had been fettered to its hindquarters.

Its valleys were tethered to their heels

كَم مَوعِدٍ مِنهُ تَعَلَّقَ طامِعٌ

كَم مَوعِدٍ مِنهُ تَعَلَّقَ طامِعٌ

سَفَهاً فَحالَ المَوتُ دونَ نَجازِهِ

سَفَهاً فَحالَ المَوتُ دونَ نَجازِهِ

How many a promise from it has a hopeful man clung to,

How many promises made, the ambitions clung

foolishly, only for death to bar its fulfillment!

Only for death to bar their fulfillment

مَن كانَ مُقتَنِعاً فَقَد وَجَدَ الغِنى

مَن كانَ مُقتَنِعاً فَقَد وَجَدَ الغِنى

في شامِهِ وَعِراقِهِ وَحِجازِهِ

في شامِهِ وَعِراقِهِ وَحِجازِهِ

Whoever is content has found wealth

Whoever is content has found riches

in his Syria and his Iraq and his Hijaz.

In Syria, Iraq and the Hijaz