يَعرى اللَئيمُ مِنَ الثَناءِ وَيَكتَسي

حُلَلَ النَواسِجِ فَهوَ كاسٍ عارِ

The base man is stripped of praise and dons

The robes of weavers, thus a shameful cup.

وَالدَهرُ لَم يَشعُر بِما هُوَ كائِنٌ

فيهِ فَكَيفَ يُذَمُّ في الأَشعارِ

Time was not aware what was to come to be,

So why condemn it in these verses here?

ما اِستُرجِعَت هِبَةُ الحَياةِ مِنَ الفَتى

بَل كانَ ما يُعطاهُ رَدَّ مُعارِ

The gift of life was not recalled from him

But rather what was given him seemed loaned.