صَبراً لما فَعَلَ الزَّمَن

صَبراً لما فَعَلَ الزَّمَن

ولما جَناهُ يا أبا الحَسَن

ولما جَناهُ يا أبا الحَسَن

Bear patiently what Time has done,

Be patient with what time has done,

and what it has wrought, Abu al-Hasan.

and with what it has inflicted, O Abu al-Hasan.

فلَطالَما استَخدمتَهُ

فلَطالَما استَخدمتَهُ

بينَ المَنايا والمِنَن

بينَ المَنايا والمِنَن

For so often you made it serve you

For you have so often pressed it into service

amid death-dealing and beneficence.

between death and blessings;

وسَلكتَ فيه من المَكا

وسَلكتَ فيه من المَكا

رِم والمَعالي كلَّ فَن

رِم والمَعالي كلَّ فَن

And through it you pursued every kind

and in it you pursued noble

of noble deed and lofty attainment.

deeds and lofty attainments of every kind.

وجعلتَ تَصرفُ صَرفَه

وجعلتَ تَصرفُ صَرفَه

عنَّا ذَليلاً مُمتَهَن

عنَّا ذَليلاً مُمتَهَن

And you kept diverting Time’s vicissitudes

And you kept turning its vicissitudes

from us, leaving it humbled and abased.

away from us, humbled and abased.

فإِذا أتاكَ بزلَّةٍ

فإِذا أتاكَ بزلَّةٍ

فتَجافَ عَنها وأعلَمَن

فتَجافَ عَنها وأعلَمَن

So if it should visit you with a misstep,

So if it comes to you with a misstep,

overlook it—and know for certain

then overlook it, and know

أنَّ اللَّيالي قَد نُهينَ

أنَّ اللَّيالي قَد نُهينَ

عَن السُّكُونِ إلى السَّكَن

عَن السُّكُونِ إلى السَّكَن

that the nights have been forbidden

that the nights have been forbidden

to settle into any fixed state.

to settle in a place of rest;

سِيما وما قَد فاتَ لَي

سِيما وما قَد فاتَ لَي

سَ يَردُّه طولُ الحَزَن

سَ يَردُّه طولُ الحَزَن

Especially since what has passed is not

especially since what has passed is not

brought back by prolonged sorrow.

brought back by prolonged sorrow.