لِطائِرِ كُلَّ حادِثَةٍ وُقوعُ

لِطائِرِ كُلَّ حادِثَةٍ وُقوعُ

وَلِلدُنيا بِصاحِبِها وَلوعُ

وَلِلدُنيا بِصاحِبِها وَلوعُ

Every calamity's bird must alight;

For every bird an accident's occurrence is destined

And the world is enamored of its inhabitant.

And for the world with its people, anguish.

تُريدُ الأَمنَ في دارِ البَلايا

تُريدُ الأَمنَ في دارِ البَلايا

وَما تَنفَكُّ مِن حَدَثٍ يَروعُ

وَما تَنفَكُّ مِن حَدَثٍ يَروعُ

You seek safety in the abode of calamities,

You wish for safety in the abode of tribulations

And you are never free of an event that terrifies.

Yet cease not from startling events that make you anxious.

وَقَد يَسلو المَصائِبَ مَن تَعَزّى

وَقَد يَسلو المَصائِبَ مَن تَعَزّى

وَقَد يَزدادُ في الحُزنِ الجَزوعُ

وَقَد يَزدادُ في الحُزنِ الجَزوعُ

And one who takes comfort may forget his calamities;

At times, disasters may console the aggrieved one

And the fretful may grow in sorrow.

At other times, in sorrow, his anguish is redoubled.

هِيَ الآجالُ وَالأَقدارُ تَجري

هِيَ الآجالُ وَالأَقدارُ تَجري

بِقَدرِ الدَرَّ تُحتَلَبُ الضُروعُ

بِقَدرِ الدَرَّ تُحتَلَبُ الضُروعُ

It is allotted lifespans and destinies that run their course;

These are the terms and decrees that take their course

Udders are milked in proportion to their milk yield.

According to the measure ofstrife, hardships are ladled.

هِيَ الأَعراقُ بِالأَخلاقِ تَنمي

هِيَ الأَعراقُ بِالأَخلاقِ تَنمي

بِقَدرِ أُصولِها تَزكو الفُروعُ

بِقَدرِ أُصولِها تَزكو الفُروعُ

It is ancestral roots that grow through character;

These are lineages that manners make grow

Branches thrive in proportion to their roots.

According to their origins, branches are ennobled.

هِيَ الأَيّامُ تَحصِدُ كُلَّ زَرعٍ

هِيَ الأَيّامُ تَحصِدُ كُلَّ زَرعٍ

لِيَومِ حِصادِها زُرِعَ الزُروعُ

لِيَومِ حِصادِها زُرِعَ الزُروعُ

It is the days that reap every crop;

These are the days that reap every crop grown

The crops were sown for the day of their harvest.

For the day of their harvest, crops were sown.

تَشَهّى النَفسُ وَالشَهَواتُ تَنمي

تَشَهّى النَفسُ وَالشَهَواتُ تَنمي

فَلَيسَ لِقَلبِ صاحِبِها خُشوعُ

فَلَيسَ لِقَلبِ صاحِبِها خُشوعُ

The soul craves, and desires grow;

The soul desires and passions grow

So its possessor's heart knows no humility.

Thus, its owner's heart knows no humility.

وَما تَنفَكُّ دائِرَةً بِخَطبٍ

وَما تَنفَكُّ دائِرَةً بِخَطبٍ

وَما يَنفَكُّ جَمّاعٌ مَنوعُ

وَما يَنفَكُّ جَمّاعٌ مَنوعُ

And it never ceases to turn with calamity;

Ceaselessly spins the wheel of disasters

And the hoarding miser is never without

Ceaselessly banned is the assembled company.

مُعَلَّقَةً بِثُغرَتِهِ المَنايا

مُعَلَّقَةً بِثُغرَتِهِ المَنايا

وَفَوقَ جَبينِهِ الأَجَلُ الخَدوعُ

وَفَوقَ جَبينِهِ الأَجَلُ الخَدوعُ

Deaths suspended at the hollow of his throat,

Suspended by its lip, death hovers

And above his brow is the deceitful hour of death.

While above its brow, the sly end lurks.

رَأَيتُ المَرءَ مُغتَرِماً يُسامي

رَأَيتُ المَرءَ مُغتَرِماً يُسامي

وَرائِحَةُ البِلى مِنهُ تَضوعُ

وَرائِحَةُ البِلى مِنهُ تَضوعُ

I have seen man, incurring losses, vying for eminence,

I saw a man pretending loftiness

While the scent of decay wafts from him.

While the scent of decay from him oozed.

عَجِبتُ لِمَن يَموتُ وَلَيسَ يَبكي

عَجِبتُ لِمَن يَموتُ وَلَيسَ يَبكي

عَجِبتُ لِمَن تَجِفُّ لَهُ دُموعُ

عَجِبتُ لِمَن تَجِفُّ لَهُ دُموعُ

I marvel at one who will die yet does not weep;

I wondered at one who dies with no tears shed for him

I marvel at one whose tears run dry.

I wondered that for another, tears are fully shed.