وَكَم بائِعٍ ديناً بِدُنيا يَرومُها

وَكَم بائِعٍ ديناً بِدُنيا يَرومُها

فَلَم تَحصَلِ الدُنيا وَلَم يَسلَمِ الدينُ

فَلَم تَحصَلِ الدُنيا وَلَم يَسلَمِ الدينُ

How many a man has sold his faith for the world he craves,

yet the world goes ungained, and his faith does not survive.

وَلو حَصَلَت ما فازَ مِنها بِطائِلٍ

وَلو حَصَلَت ما فازَ مِنها بِطائِلٍ

وَأَصبَحَ مَفتوناً بِها وَهوَ مَغبونُ

وَأَصبَحَ مَفتوناً بِها وَهوَ مَغبونُ

And even had he gained it, he would have won nothing of worth from it,

but ended bewitched by it—cheated in the bargain.