ماذا يُريكَ الزَمانُ مِن عِبَرِه

ماذا يُريكَ الزَمانُ مِن عِبَرِه

وَمِن تَصاريفِهِ وَمِن غِيَرِه

وَمِن تَصاريفِهِ وَمِن غِيَرِه

What does Time show you through its lessons,

What does time show you of its lessons,

through its vicissitudes and its changes?

and of its vicissitudes and its reversals?

طوبى لِعَبدٍ ماتَت وَساوِسُهُ

طوبى لِعَبدٍ ماتَت وَساوِسُهُ

وَاِقتَصَرَت نَفسُهُ عَلى فِكَرِه

وَاِقتَصَرَت نَفسُهُ عَلى فِكَرِه

Blessed is a servant whose whispering doubts have died,

Blessed is a servant whose whisperings have died,

and whose soul has confined itself to reflection.

and whose soul has confined itself to reflection.

طوبى لِمَن هَمُّهُ المَعادُ وَما

طوبى لِمَن هَمُّهُ المَعادُ وَما

أَخبَرَهُ اللَهُ عَنهُ مِن خَبَرِه

أَخبَرَهُ اللَهُ عَنهُ مِن خَبَرِه

Blessed is one whose concern is the Resurrection and what

Blessed is he whose concern is the Hereafter and what

God has told him of its tidings.

God has told him of the tidings concerning it.

طوبى لِمَن لا يَزيدُ إِلّا تُقىً

طوبى لِمَن لا يَزيدُ إِلّا تُقىً

لِلَّهِ فيما يَزدادُ مِن كِبَرِه

لِلَّهِ فيما يَزدادُ مِن كِبَرِه

Blessed is one who grows in nothing but piety

Blessed is he who grows only in reverence

toward God as he advances in age.

for God as he grows older.

قَد يَنبَغي لِاِمرِئٍ رَأى نَكبا

قَد يَنبَغي لِاِمرِئٍ رَأى نَكبا

تِ الدَهرِ أَلّا يَنامَ مِن حَذَرِه

تِ الدَهرِ أَلّا يَنامَ مِن حَذَرِه

A man who has witnessed the calamities

It surely befits a man who has seen the calamities

of Time ought never sleep, for fear of it.

of time not to sleep, so wary is he.

بِقَدرِ ما ذاقَ ذائِقٌ مِن صَفا

بِقَدرِ ما ذاقَ ذائِقٌ مِن صَفا

ءِ العَيشِ يَوماً يَذوقُ مِن كَدَرِه

ءِ العَيشِ يَوماً يَذوقُ مِن كَدَرِه

As much as any taster has savored the serenity

As much as anyone has tasted of the serenity

of life, one day he will taste its bitterness.

of life, one day he will taste its murkiness.

كَم مِن عَظيمٍ مُستَودَعٍ جَدَثاً

كَم مِن عَظيمٍ مُستَودَعٍ جَدَثاً

قَد أَوقَرَتهُ الأَكُفُّ مِن مَدَرِه

قَد أَوقَرَتهُ الأَكُفُّ مِن مَدَرِه

How many a mighty man, consigned to a grave,

How many a great man has been laid in a grave—

has been weighed down by hands with its clods of earth.

hands have weighed him down with its clods of earth!

أَخرَجَهُ المَوتُ عَن دَساكِرِهِ

أَخرَجَهُ المَوتُ عَن دَساكِرِهِ

وَعَن فَساطيطِهِ وَعَن حُجَرِه

وَعَن فَساطيطِهِ وَعَن حُجَرِه

Death has driven him out of his palatial estates,

Death drove him out of his mansions,

out of his pavilions and out of his chambers.

away from his pavilions and his chambers.

إِذا ثَوى في القُبورِ ذو خَطَرٍ

إِذا ثَوى في القُبورِ ذو خَطَرٍ

فَزُرهُ فيها وَاِنظُر إِلى خَطَرِه

فَزُرهُ فيها وَاِنظُر إِلى خَطَرِه

When a man of rank has taken up residence in the graves,

When a man of rank lies in the graves,

visit him there, and behold what became of his rank.

then visit him there and behold his rank.

ما أَسرَعَ اللَيلَ وَالنَهارَ عَلى ال

ما أَسرَعَ اللَيلَ وَالنَهارَ عَلى ال

إِنسانِ في سَمعِهِ وَفي بَصَرِه

إِنسانِ في سَمعِهِ وَفي بَصَرِه

How swiftly night and day work upon

How swiftly night and day bear down on the

man—in his hearing and in his sight,

human being, in his hearing and in his sight,

وَفي خُطاهُ وَفي مَفاصِلِهِ

وَفي خُطاهُ وَفي مَفاصِلِهِ

نَعَم وَفي شَعرِهِ وَفي بَشَرِه

نَعَم وَفي شَعرِهِ وَفي بَشَرِه

in his gait and in his joints—

and in his steps and in his joints,

yes, and in his hair and in his skin.

yes, and in his hair and in his skin.

الوَقتُ آتٍ لا شَكَّ فيهِ فَلا

الوَقتُ آتٍ لا شَكَّ فيهِ فَلا

تَنظُر إِلى طولِهِ وَلا قِصَرِه

تَنظُر إِلى طولِهِ وَلا قِصَرِه

The time is coming—there is no doubt of it—so do not

The time is coming, beyond doubt, so do not

consider its length or its brevity.

look to its length or its shortness.

لَم يَمضِ مِنّا قُدّامَنا أَحَدٌ

لَم يَمضِ مِنّا قُدّامَنا أَحَدٌ

إِلّا وَمَن خَلفَهُ عَلى أَثَرِه

إِلّا وَمَن خَلفَهُ عَلى أَثَرِه

No one from among us has gone on ahead

No one of us has gone on ahead

without those behind him following in his tracks.

without those behind him following in his footsteps.

فَلا كَبيرٌ يَبقى لِكَبرَتِهِ

فَلا كَبيرٌ يَبقى لِكَبرَتِهِ

وَلا صَغيرٌ يَبقى عَلى صِغَرِه

وَلا صَغيرٌ يَبقى عَلى صِغَرِه

No elder remains because of his years,

So no elder endures by virtue of his age,

nor does any child remain in childhood.

nor does a youth remain in his youth.