اِعرفْ زمانَكَ واقبَلْ ما يجودُ به

اِعرفْ زمانَكَ واقبَلْ ما يجودُ به

فَمنْ يناكِدْهُ يلقَ العُسْرَ والنَّكَدا

فَمنْ يناكِدْهُ يلقَ العُسْرَ والنَّكَدا

Know your time, and accept what it bestows;

Know your time and accept what it offers generously

For whoever defies it meets hardship and misery.

For he who contends with it will meet hardship and misery

وإنْ أردْت أماناً من غوائِله

وإنْ أردْت أماناً من غوائِله

فلا تُعَرِّفْه من أبنائهِ أحدا

فلا تُعَرِّفْه من أبنائهِ أحدا

And if you desire safety from its perils,

And if you want safety from its unpredictability

Then do not make it known to anyone among its sons.

Then make none of its people known to him, not one

لأنّ جُلَّ بنيهِ يقتدُونَ بِهِ

لأنّ جُلَّ بنيهِ يقتدُونَ بِهِ

في حَلِّ ما حَلَّلهُ أو عَقْدِ ما عَقَدا

في حَلِّ ما حَلَّلهُ أو عَقْدِ ما عَقَدا

For most of its sons follow its example,

For most of its people follow its example

In untying what it has untied, or tying what it has tied.

In permitting what it permits or forbidding what it forbids

فَمنْ يَعِبْهُ يَعِبْهُمْ في خَلائِقِهِمْ

فَمنْ يَعِبْهُ يَعِبْهُمْ في خَلائِقِهِمْ

وعائبُ النَّاسِ يخشى شَرَّهُمْ أبَدا

وعائبُ النَّاسِ يخشى شَرَّهُمْ أبَدا

So whoever faults it faults them in their dispositions;

So he who denounces it, denounces them for their nature

And one who faults people always fears their evil.

And people's critic fears their evil evermore