أَبا خالِدٍ ما زِلتَ سَبّاحَ غَمرَةٍ

أَبا خالِدٍ ما زِلتَ سَبّاحَ غَمرَةٍ

صَغيراً فَلَمّا شِبتَ خَيَّمتَ بِالشاطي

صَغيراً فَلَمّا شِبتَ خَيَّمتَ بِالشاطي

O Abu Khalid, you were always a swimmer in deep waters

O Abu Khaled, you were once an avid swimmer in your youth,

when young; but when you grew gray, you camped on the shore.

But as you grew old, you settled by the shore.

وَكُنتَ جَواداً سابِقاً ثُمَّ لَم تَزَل

وَكُنتَ جَواداً سابِقاً ثُمَّ لَم تَزَل

تُؤَخِّر حَتّى جِئتَ تَخطو مَعَ الخاطي

تُؤَخِّر حَتّى جِئتَ تَخطو مَعَ الخاطي

You were a steed that led the field; then you kept

You were once a leading racehorse,

falling behind, until you came to walk alongside the walker.

But then you started lagging, until you walked with the lame.

فَأَنتَ بِما تَزدادُ مِن طولِ رِفعَةٍ

فَأَنتَ بِما تَزدادُ مِن طولِ رِفعَةٍ

وَتنقُصُ مِن جَدٍّ لِذاكَ بِإِفراطِ

وَتنقُصُ مِن جَدٍّ لِذاكَ بِإِفراطِ

So, as you grow ever higher in stature

The higher you rise in status,

and your good fortune dwindles excessively as a result,

And the less effort you make for it,

كَسِنَّورِ عَبدِاللَهِ بيعَ بِدِرهَمٍ

كَسِنَّورِ عَبدِاللَهِ بيعَ بِدِرهَمٍ

صَغيراً فَلمّا شَبَّ بيعَ بِقيراطِ

صَغيراً فَلمّا شَبَّ بيعَ بِقيراطِ

you are like Abdullah’s cat, sold for a dirham

You become like Abdullah's cat, sold for a dirham when young,

when young, but when full-grown, sold for a qirat.

But when grown up, sold for a mere carat.