أَرى المَرءَ وَالدُنيا كَمالٍ وَحاسِبٍ

أَرى المَرءَ وَالدُنيا كَمالٍ وَحاسِبٍ

يَضُمُّ عَلَيهِ الكَفَّ وَالكَفُّ فارِغُ

يَضُمُّ عَلَيهِ الكَفَّ وَالكَفُّ فارِغُ

I see man and the world as money and a reckoner;

I see man and the world as wealth and a reckoner,

He closes his palm around it, yet his palm is empty.

He closes his palm upon it, yet the palm is empty.