سَنَتِي كَيَوْمٍ بَلْ لَعَشْرِي سَاعَةٌ

سَنَتِي كَيَوْمٍ بَلْ لَعَشْرِي سَاعَةٌ

مَرَّ الزَّمَانُ عَلَيَّ كَالأَحْلامِ

مَرَّ الزَّمَانُ عَلَيَّ كَالأَحْلامِ

My year is like a day—rather, my ten years are but an hour.

My years passed as a day, nay as an hour

Time passed over me like dreams.

Time glided by me as dreams

حُزْنٌ وَآلامٌ وَفَرْحٌ هَزَّنِي

حُزْنٌ وَآلامٌ وَفَرْحٌ هَزَّنِي

ذِكْرَى مَعِي وَكَأَنَّهَا أَوْهَامِي

ذِكْرَى مَعِي وَكَأَنَّهَا أَوْهَامِي

Sorrow and pain and joy shook me,

Sorrow, pain and joy shook me

A memory stays with me, as though it were my illusions.

Memories with me as if they were my delusions

قَدْ عِشْتُ أَحْزَانِي تَمُرُّ كَلِيلَةً

قَدْ عِشْتُ أَحْزَانِي تَمُرُّ كَلِيلَةً

وَالْفَرْحُ مَرَّ بِسُرْعَةِ الأَجْرَامِ

وَالْفَرْحُ مَرَّ بِسُرْعَةِ الأَجْرَامِ

I have lived through my sorrows as they passed wearily.

I have lived my sorrows passing as a night

And joy passed at the speed of the heavenly bodies.

And joy passed with the speed of planets

فَإِذَا انْقَضَى الأَحْزَانُ زَالَ زَمَانُهَا

فَإِذَا انْقَضَى الأَحْزَانُ زَالَ زَمَانُهَا

لا فَرْقَ بَيْنَ الْفَرْحِ وَالآلامِ

لا فَرْقَ بَيْنَ الْفَرْحِ وَالآلامِ

So when sorrows end, their time vanishes;

So when sorrows end, their time ends

There is no difference between joy and pain.

No difference between joy and pain

أَيْقَنْتُ حِينِي أَنَّ عُمْرِي لَحْظَةٌ

أَيْقَنْتُ حِينِي أَنَّ عُمْرِي لَحْظَةٌ

لا فَرْقَ بَيْنَ الْيَوْمِ وَالأَعْوَامِ

لا فَرْقَ بَيْنَ الْيَوْمِ وَالأَعْوَامِ

I came to know, in my time, that my life is but a moment.

I realized when my time has come that my life is a moment

There is no difference between a day and years.

No difference between today and years

مَضَتِ السِّنُونَ وَكُلُّهَا مِنْ لَحْظَتِي

مَضَتِ السِّنُونَ وَكُلُّهَا مِنْ لَحْظَتِي

وَأَعِيشُ مُنْتَظِرًا عِنَاقَ حِمَامِي

وَأَعِيشُ مُنْتَظِرًا عِنَاقَ حِمَامِي

The years have passed, all of them part of my moment,

Years have passed and all of them are from my moment

And I live awaiting the embrace of my death.

And I live waiting for the embrace of my loved one

كَمْ مِنْ فَتًى عَاشَ الْحَيَاةَ كَأَنَّهُ

كَمْ مِنْ فَتًى عَاشَ الْحَيَاةَ كَأَنَّهُ

لَمْ يَاتِ لِلدُّنْيَا كَمَا الأَنْعَامِ

لَمْ يَاتِ لِلدُّنْيَا كَمَا الأَنْعَامِ

How many a young man has lived life as though he

How many a young man lived life as if

Had never come into the world—like livestock.

He did not come to the world like cattle

وَفَتًى مُنَى الدُّنْيَا تَطُولُ حَيَاتُهُ

وَفَتًى مُنَى الدُّنْيَا تَطُولُ حَيَاتُهُ

كَالشَّمْسِ كَالأَنْهَارِ كَالأَعْلامِ

كَالشَّمْسِ كَالأَنْهَارِ كَالأَعْلامِ

And a young man, the world's hope—his life endures,

And a young man whom the world bid farewell, his life lasts

Like the sun, like rivers, like mountains.

Like the sun, like rivers, like flags

فَسَمَاؤُهَا تَبْكِيهِ حِينَ وَفَاتِهِ

فَسَمَاؤُهَا تَبْكِيهِ حِينَ وَفَاتِهِ

وَالأَرْضُ حَتَّى الأُسْدُ فِي الآجَامِ

وَالأَرْضُ حَتَّى الأُسْدُ فِي الآجَامِ

So its sky weeps for him at his death,

So its sky cries over him when he dies

And the earth, even the lions in the thickets.

And the earth, even the lion in the thickets

يَحْيَا بِذِكْرٍ يَبْعَثُ الأَحْرَارَ قَدْ

يَحْيَا بِذِكْرٍ يَبْعَثُ الأَحْرَارَ قَدْ

صَارَتْ كَبَدْرٍ رُوحُهُ بِظَلامِ

صَارَتْ كَبَدْرٍ رُوحُهُ بِظَلامِ

He lives on through remembrance that rouses the free; indeed,

He lives in a mention that awakes the freemen as if

His soul has become like a full moon in darkness.

His soul in the darkness became a full moon

وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهُمَا فَأَضْنَانِي الْمُنَى

وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهُمَا فَأَضْنَانِي الْمُنَى

لَكِنَّ دَرْبَ الْحُرِّ دَرْبُ جِسَامِ

لَكِنَّ دَرْبَ الْحُرِّ دَرْبُ جِسَامِ

And indeed I have seen them both, so longing has worn me down.

And I have seen them both so the death attracted me

But the free man's path is a path of mighty trials.

But the path of the free is the path of firm bodies

وَلَقَدْ هَوَيْتُ الْعَيْشَ رَاسًا لِلإِبَا

وَلَقَدْ هَوَيْتُ الْعَيْشَ رَاسًا لِلإِبَا

فَهَدَمْتُ جُبْنِي وَابْتَنَيْتُ رِجَامِي

فَهَدَمْتُ جُبْنِي وَابْتَنَيْتُ رِجَامِي

And indeed I have loved living at the forefront of proud defiance.

And I have loved living daringly

So I demolished my cowardice and built my stone cairns.

So I demolished my cowardice and built my goals

فَالْعُمْرُ فِي ضَيْمٍ كَعُمْرٍ فِي الإِبَا

فَالْعُمْرُ فِي ضَيْمٍ كَعُمْرٍ فِي الإِبَا

وَالْمَوْتُ حُرًّا ذَاكَ كُلُّ مَرَامِي

وَالْمَوْتُ حُرًّا ذَاكَ كُلُّ مَرَامِي

For a lifetime in oppression is like a lifetime in proud defiance,

For living in misery is like living in daring

And dying free—that is all I seek.

And dying free that is all my purpose