فَأَمَّاAs forالْفَقِيرُthe poor manفَحَاسِدٌhe is enviousمُتَفَطِّرٌbursting withحَسَداًenvy
As for the poor man, he is envious, bursting with envy...
وَأَمَّاand as forذُوthe possessor ofالثَّرَاءِwealthفَيَبْخَلُhe is miserly.
and as for the possessor of wealth, he is miserly.
وَيَظُنُّAnd he thinksأَنَّthatلَهُhe hasبِكَثْرَةِthrough the abundance ofمَالِهِhis wealth
And he thinks that through the abundance of his wealth...
فَضْلاًsuperiorityعَلَيْكَover youوَغَيْرُهُwhile someone else isالْمُتَفَضِّلُthe superior one.
he has superiority over you, while someone else is the superior one.
وَقَالَAnd saidآخَرُanotherكَامِلٌin the Kamil meter:
And another said in the Kamil meter:
ذَهَبَGone areالْكِرَامُthe noble onesفَأَصْبَحُواand they becameأَمْوَاتاًdead
Gone are the noble ones and they became dead,
وَرَقاًlike leavesتُطَيِّرُهُwhich are scattered byالرِّيَاحُthe windsرُفَاتاًas debris.
like leaves which are scattered by the winds as debris.
وَتَبَدَّلَتْAnd changedعَرْصَاتُهُمْtheir courtyardsمِنْafterبَعْدِهِمْthem
And their courtyards changed after them,
يَسْوَىsuch thatنَبَاتُthe vegetation ofالصَّالِحِينَthe righteousنَبَاتاًis equal to weeds.
such that the vegetation of the righteous is equal to weeds.
وَبَقِيتُAnd I remainedفِيinدَهْرٍan eraأُحَاذِرُwary ofشَرَّهُits evil
And I remained in an era, wary of its evil,
وَأَخَافُand fearingفِيهِin itمِنَfromالطَّرِيقِthe roadبَيَاتاًa night attack.
and fearing in it a night attack from the road.
وَقَالَAnd saidآخَرُanotherطَوِيلٌin the Tawil meter:
And another said in the Tawil meter:
وَمَاAnd notالنَّاسُare the peopleبِالنَّاسِthe peopleالَّذِينَwhomعَهِدْتُهُمْI knew
And the people are not the people whom I knew,
وَلَاnorالدَّارُis the abodeبِالدَّارِthe abodeالَّتِيwhichكُنْتَyou used toتَعْرِفُknow.
nor is the abode the abode which you used to know.
وَمَاAnd notكُلُّeveryمَنْone whomتَهْوَىyou loveيُحَبَّكَwill love youقَلْبُهُhis heart
And not every one whom you love will his heart love you,
وَلَاnorكُلُّeveryمَنْone whomصَاحَبْتَهُyou accompaniedلَكَfor youمُنْصِفُis just.
nor is every one whom you accompanied just to you.
وَقَالَAnd saidآخَرُanotherخَفِيفٌin the Khafif meter:
And another said in the Khafif meter:
ذَهَبَGone areالنَّاسُthe peopleوَانْقَضَتْand passed awayدَوْلَةُthe state ofالْمَجْglo-
Gone are the people and passed away the state of glory,
دِ-ry,فَكُلٌّso allإِلَّاexceptالْقَلِيلِthe fewكِلَابُare dogs.
so all except the few are dogs.