هَلِ الدَهرُ إِلّا لَيلَةٌ ثُمَّ يَومُها

هَلِ الدَهرُ إِلّا لَيلَةٌ ثُمَّ يَومُها

وَحَولٌ إِلى حَولٍ وَشَهرٌ إِلى شَهرِ

وَحَولٌ إِلى حَولٍ وَشَهرٌ إِلى شَهرِ

Is time anything but a night, then its day,

Is time anything but a night then a day following it,

and year after year, and month after month?

And a year turning to a year and a month to a month?

سَرَينا فَأَدلَجنا فَكانَت رِكابُنا

سَرَينا فَأَدلَجنا فَكانَت رِكابُنا

تَسيرُ بِنا في غَيرِ بَرٍّ وَلابَحرِ

تَسيرُ بِنا في غَيرِ بَرٍّ وَلابَحرِ

We journeyed by night, then set out in darkness, and our mounts were

We traveled at nightfall, then it darkened, and our steeds

carrying us along on neither land nor sea.

Carried us nowhere, on neither land nor sea.

مَنايا يُقَرِّ بنَ البَعيدَ مِنَ البِلى

مَنايا يُقَرِّ بنَ البَعيدَ مِنَ البِلى

وَيُدنِينَ أَشلاءَ الكِرامِ إِلى القَبرِ

وَيُدنِينَ أَشلاءَ الكِرامِ إِلى القَبرِ

Deaths bring those far from decay closer to it,

Death draws the distant near through affliction

and bring the remains of the noble close to the grave,

And brings the noble limbs closer to the grave.

وَيَترُكنَ أَزواجَ الغَيورِ لِغَيرِهِ

وَيَترُكنَ أَزواجَ الغَيورِ لِغَيرِهِ

وَيَقسِمنَ ما بَقّى الشَحيحُ مِنَ الوَفرِ

وَيَقسِمنَ ما بَقّى الشَحيحُ مِنَ الوَفرِ

and leave the jealous man's wives to someone else,

It leaves the jealous spouses to others

and divide the wealth the miser hoarded.

And distributes what remains of hoarded wealth.