الدَهرُ كَالشاعِرِ المُقوي وَنَحنُ بِهِ

مِثلُ الفَواصِلِ مَخفوضٌ وَمَرفوعُ

Time is like a poet who exaggerates, and we

Are like rhymes - some scanned short, some long.

ما سَرَّ يَوماً بِشَيءٍ مِن مَحاسِنِهِ

إِلّا وَذاكَ بِسوءِ الفِعلِ مَشفوعُ

It never rejoiced at its own beauty

Unless it was paired with an ugly deed.

وَالمَرءُ يَرغَبُ في الدُنِّيا وَيُعجِبُهُ

غِناهُ وَهُوَ إِلى ما ساءَ مَدفوعُ

And man desires this world and loves

His wealth, though he is driven toward what displeases him.