تَمَكَّنَ هَذا الدَهرُ مِمّا يَسوءُني

وَلَجَّ فَما يَخلي صَفاتِيَ مِن قَرعِ

Time has enabled what harms me,

And has entered in, not leaving my qualities free from affliction,

وَأَبلَيتُ آمالي بِوَصلٍ يَكُدُّها

وَلَيسَ بِذي ضَرٍّ وَلَيسَ بِذي نَفعِ

And I have wasted my hopes on a connection that exhausts them,

Neither harmful nor beneficial.

لَئيمٌ إِذا جادَ اللَئيمُ تَخَلُّقاً

يُحِبُّ سُؤالَ القَومِ شَوقاً إِلى المَنعِ

If a wicked man feigns generosity when asked,

He likes to refuse people out of greed.