أَمِنتُ الزَمانَ وَالزَمانُ خَؤونُ

أَمِنتُ الزَمانَ وَالزَمانُ خَؤونُ

لَهُ حَرَكاتٌ بِالبِلى وَسُكونُ

لَهُ حَرَكاتٌ بِالبِلى وَسُكونُ

Have you felt safe from Time, though Time is treacherous?

I trusted time, though time is treacherous.

It moves amid decay, and it is still.

It has motions that bring decay, and stillness.

رُوَيدَكَ لا تَستَبطِ ما هُوَ كائِنٌ

رُوَيدَكَ لا تَستَبطِ ما هُوَ كائِنٌ

أَلا كُلُّ مَقدورٍ فَسَوفَ يَكونُ

أَلا كُلُّ مَقدورٍ فَسَوفَ يَكونُ

Go gently; do not think slow in coming what must come.

Be patient; do not deem what is to come too slow.

Know that every decreed thing shall come to be.

Indeed, all that is decreed will come to pass.

سَتَذهَبُ أَيّامٌ سَتَخلُقُ جِدَّةٌ

سَتَذهَبُ أَيّامٌ سَتَخلُقُ جِدَّةٌ

سَتَمضي قُرونٌ بَعدَهُنَّ قُرونُ

سَتَمضي قُرونٌ بَعدَهُنَّ قُرونُ

Days will pass; freshness will wear away.

Days will pass; freshness will wear away.

Ages will pass, and after them other ages.

Generations will pass, with generations after them.

سَتَدرُسُ آثارٌ وَتَعقِبُ حَسرَةٌ

سَتَدرُسُ آثارٌ وَتَعقِبُ حَسرَةٌ

سَتَخلو قُصورٌ شُيِّدَت وَحُصونُ

سَتَخلو قُصورٌ شُيِّدَت وَحُصونُ

Traces will fade, and regrets will follow in their wake.

Traces will fade, and regret will follow.

Palaces that were raised—and fortresses—will stand empty.

Palaces that were built will stand empty, and fortresses too.

سَتُقطَعُ آمالٌ وَتَذهَبُ جِدَّةٌ

سَتُقطَعُ آمالٌ وَتَذهَبُ جِدَّةٌ

سَيَغلَقُ بِالمُستَكثِرينَ رُهونُ

سَيَغلَقُ بِالمُستَكثِرينَ رُهونُ

Hopes will be cut short, and freshness will depart.

Hopes will be cut short, and freshness will pass away.

Pledges will be foreclosed upon those who amass more and more.

Pledges will become forfeit for those who amass much.

سَتَنقَطِعُ الدُنيا جَميعاً بِأَهلِها

سَتَنقَطِعُ الدُنيا جَميعاً بِأَهلِها

سَيَبدو مِنَ الشَأنِ الحَقيرِ شُؤونُ

سَيَبدو مِنَ الشَأنِ الحَقيرِ شُؤونُ

The world will come wholly to an end, together with its people.

The world will end altogether, along with its people.

From a matter deemed paltry, momentous affairs will emerge.

From a trivial matter, further matters will emerge.

وَما كُلُّ ذي ظَنٍّ يُصيبُ بِظَنِّهِ

وَما كُلُّ ذي ظَنٍّ يُصيبُ بِظَنِّهِ

وَقَد يُستَرابُ الظَنُّ وَهوَ يَقينُ

وَقَد يُستَرابُ الظَنُّ وَهوَ يَقينُ

Not everyone with an opinion proves right in his judgment.

And not everyone who conjectures is right in his conjecture.

Yet a belief may be doubted even when it is certain.

And a conjecture may be doubted, though it is certain.

يَحولُ الفَتى كَالعودِ قَد كانَ مَرَّةً

يَحولُ الفَتى كَالعودِ قَد كانَ مَرَّةً

لَهُ وَرَقٌ مُخضَرَّةٌ وَغُصونُ

لَهُ وَرَقٌ مُخضَرَّةٌ وَغُصونُ

A young man changes, like a bough that once

A young man changes, like a bough that once

bore green leaves and branches.

Had green leaves and branches.

نَصونُ فَلا نَبقى وَلا ما نَصونُهُ

نَصونُ فَلا نَبقى وَلا ما نَصونُهُ

أَلا إِنَّنا لِلحادِثاتِ نَصونُ

أَلا إِنَّنا لِلحادِثاتِ نَصونُ

We preserve things, yet neither we nor what we preserve endure.

We safeguard things, yet neither we nor what we safeguard endure.

Know that it is for the blows of fate that we preserve them.

Indeed, it is for calamities that we safeguard them.

وَكَم عِبرَةٍ لِلناظِرينَ تَكَشَّفَت

وَكَم عِبرَةٍ لِلناظِرينَ تَكَشَّفَت

فَخانَت عُيونَ الناظِرينَ جُفونُ

فَخانَت عُيونَ الناظِرينَ جُفونُ

How many a lesson has revealed itself to those who look,

And how many a lesson has been revealed to those who look,

yet the beholders’ eyelids betrayed their eyes.

Yet eyelids betrayed the watchers' eyes.

نَرى وَكَأَنّا لا نَرى كُلَّ ما نَرى

نَرى وَكَأَنّا لا نَرى كُلَّ ما نَرى

كَأَنَّ مُنانا لِلعُيونِ شُجونُ

كَأَنَّ مُنانا لِلعُيونِ شُجونُ

We see, yet it is as though we do not see all that we see.

We see, yet it is as though we do not see all that we see,

As though our hopes were tangled branches before our eyes.

As though our wishes were tangles before our eyes.

وَكَم مِن عَزيزٍ هانَ مِن بَعدِ عِزَّةٍ

وَكَم مِن عَزيزٍ هانَ مِن بَعدِ عِزَّةٍ

أَلا قَد يَعِزُّ المَرءُ ثُمَّ يَهونُ

أَلا قَد يَعِزُّ المَرءُ ثُمَّ يَهونُ

How many an honored man has been humbled after glory!

And how many a mighty man has fallen low after glory!

Indeed, a man may rise to honor, then be brought low.

Indeed, a man may rise in honor, then fall low.

أَلا رُبَّ أَسبابٍ إِلى الخَيرِ سَهلَةٌ

أَلا رُبَّ أَسبابٍ إِلى الخَيرِ سَهلَةٌ

وَلِلشَرِّ أَسبابٌ وَهُنَّ حُزونُ

وَلِلشَرِّ أَسبابٌ وَهُنَّ حُزونُ

Many paths to goodness are easy;

Indeed, many paths to good are easy,

evil too has paths, and they are rugged.

And there are paths to evil, and they are rugged.