رَضَيتُ مُلاوَةً فَوَعَيتُ عِلماً

رَضَيتُ مُلاوَةً فَوَعَيتُ عِلماً

وَأَحفَظَني الزَمانُ فَقَلَّ حِفظي

وَأَحفَظَني الزَمانُ فَقَلَّ حِفظي

I was content for a time, so I absorbed knowledge.

I was content with eloquence, so I gained knowledge,

And time angered me, so my memory waned.

And time preserved me, so my memory diminished.

إِذا ماقُلتُ نَثراً أَو نَظيماً

إِذا ماقُلتُ نَثراً أَو نَظيماً

تَتَبَّعَ سارِقو الأَلفاظِ لَفظي

تَتَبَّعَ سارِقو الأَلفاظِ لَفظي

Whenever I speak in prose or verse,

Whenever I say prose or poetry,

Thieves of words pursue my wording.

The plagiarists of words follow my diction.