وَلَتَأتِيَن بَعدي قُرونٌ جَمَّةٌ

وَلَتَأتِيَن بَعدي قُرونٌ جَمَّةٌ

تَرعى مَخارِمَ أَيكَةٍ وَلَدودا

تَرعى مَخارِمَ أَيكَةٍ وَلَدودا

Surely many generations will come after me,

And many generations shall surely come after me,

grazing the passes of Aykah and Ladud.

Grazing the mountain passes of Aykah and Ladud.

فَالشَمسُ طالِعَةٌ وَلَيلٌ كاسِفٌ

فَالشَمسُ طالِعَةٌ وَلَيلٌ كاسِفٌ

وَالنَجمُ تَجري أَنحُساً وَسُعودا

وَالنَجمُ تَجري أَنحُساً وَسُعودا

The sun will rise, while night veils the world in darkness,

For the sun rises, and night is dark,

and the stars will course on—ill-omened and auspicious—

And the stars run their courses, ill-omened and auspicious.

حَتّى يُقالَ لِمَن تَعَرَّقَ دَهرَهُ

حَتّى يُقالَ لِمَن تَعَرَّقَ دَهرَهُ

يا ذا الزَمانَةِ هَل رَأَيتَ عَبيدا

يا ذا الزَمانَةِ هَل رَأَيتَ عَبيدا

until someone whose age has struck deep roots is asked:

Until one who has gnawed through his lifetime is asked:

“O decrepit one, have you ever seen ʿUbayd?”

O infirm one, have you seen Ubayd?

مِأَتَي زَمانٍ كامِلٍ وَنَصِيَّةٍ

مِأَتَي زَمانٍ كامِلٍ وَنَصِيَّةٍ

عِشرينَ عِشتُ مُعَمَّراً مَحمودا

عِشرينَ عِشتُ مُعَمَّراً مَحمودا

Two hundred full years, and half of

Two hundred full years, and a further

twenty, I lived—long-lived and praised.

Twenty, I lived, long-lived and praised.

أَدرَكتُ أَوَّلَ مُلكِ نَصرٍ ناشِئً

أَدرَكتُ أَوَّلَ مُلكِ نَصرٍ ناشِئً

وَبِناءَ سِندادٍ وَكانَ أُبيدا

وَبِناءَ سِندادٍ وَكانَ أُبيدا

I witnessed Nasr’s rule when first it arose,

I witnessed the beginning of Nasr's reign in my youth,

and the building of Sindad, which stood enduring.

And the building of Sindad, which was destroyed.

وَطَلَبتُ ذا القَرنَينِ حَتّى فاتَني

وَطَلَبتُ ذا القَرنَينِ حَتّى فاتَني

رَكضاً وَكِدتُ بِأَن أَرى داأُودا

رَكضاً وَكِدتُ بِأَن أَرى داأُودا

I pursued Dhu al-Qarnayn until he outstripped me,

And I pursued Dhu al-Qarnayn until he eluded me,

at a gallop; and I nearly saw David.

At a run—and I nearly saw David.

ما تَبتَغي مِن بَعدِ هَذا عيشَةً

ما تَبتَغي مِن بَعدِ هَذا عيشَةً

إِلّا الخُلودَ وَلَن تَنالَ خُلودا

إِلّا الخُلودَ وَلَن تَنالَ خُلودا

After all this, what life could you desire

You seek no life beyond this,

except immortality? Yet immortality you will never attain.

Except immortality—and you will not attain immortality.

وَلَيَفنَيَن هَذا وَذاكَ كِلاهُما

وَلَيَفنَيَن هَذا وَذاكَ كِلاهُما

إِلّا الإِلَهَ وَوَجهَهُ المَعبودا

إِلّا الإِلَهَ وَوَجهَهُ المَعبودا

Surely this and that shall both perish,

And both this and that shall surely perish,

except God and His worshiped Face.

Except God and His worshipped face.