أَمّا الزَّمانُ فَموجِزٌ في وَعظِهِ

وَظَفِرتُ بِالإِشهابِ في إِيجازِهِ

Time is brief in its preaching

And I gained eloquence in its brevity

لا تُخدَعَنَّ فَما حَقيقَةُ أَمرِهِ

عِندَ النُّهى إِلّا كَمِثلِ مَجازِهِ

Be not deceived, for its reality

Is but a metaphor when it forbids

سَبَقَ اللِّئامُ بِهِ الكِرامَ كَأَنَّما

قيدَت هَواديهِ إِلى أَعجازِهِ

The vile outpaced the noble as though

Its valleys were tethered to their heels

كَم مَوعِدٍ مِنهُ تَعَلَّقَ طامِعٌ

سَفَهاً فَحالَ المَوتُ دونَ نَجازِهِ

How many promises made, the ambitions clung

Only for death to bar their fulfillment

مَن كانَ مُقتَنِعاً فَقَد وَجَدَ الغِنى

في شامِهِ وَعِراقِهِ وَحِجازِهِ

Whoever is content has found riches

In Syria, Iraq and the Hijaz