لَيتَ شِعري إِلى مَتى أَنا في الشِعرِ

لَيتَ شِعري إِلى مَتى أَنا في الشِعرِ

كَثيرُ الغِنى وَحَظّي قَليلُ

كَثيرُ الغِنى وَحَظّي قَليلُ

Would that I knew how long, in poetry, I shall remain

I wish I knew for how long I'll be in poetry

So rich, yet with so scant a share.

With abundant wealth yet my luck is little

سِيَّما وَالزَمانِ قَد أَصبَحَ الفَضلُ

سِيَّما وَالزَمانِ قَد أَصبَحَ الفَضلُ

سَواءً في أَهلِهِ وَالفُضولُ

سَواءً في أَهلِهِ وَالفُضولُ

Especially—by Time!—now that excellence has become

Especially now when time has made excellence

Equal among its people to idle talk.

Equal among people, both worthy and unworthy