عادَةَ الأَيّامِ لا أُنكِرُها

عادَةَ الأَيّامِ لا أُنكِرُها

فَرَحٌ تَقرُنُهُ لي بِتَرَح

فَرَحٌ تَقرُنُهُ لي بِتَرَح

The days’ custom is no surprise to me:

The ways of days I do not deny

joy they couple for me with sorrow.

Joy comes paired for me with grief

إِن تَكُن تُفسِدُ ما تُصلِحُهُ

إِن تَكُن تُفسِدُ ما تُصلِحُهُ

فَكَذا الدَهرُ إِذا دَرَّ رَمَح

فَكَذا الدَهرُ إِذا دَرَّ رَمَح

If they undo what they put right,

If it corrupts what it puts right

then such is time: when it yields milk, it kicks.

Such is fate, when it hurls a spear

وَإِذا قامَ عَلى النَهجِ اِنثَنى

وَإِذا قامَ عَلى النَهجِ اِنثَنى

وَإِذا سارَ عَلى القَصدِ جَنَح

وَإِذا سارَ عَلى القَصدِ جَنَح

And when it stands upon the path, it turns aside;

And when set on a path, it swerves

and when it follows a straight course, it swerves.

And when set on purpose, it veers

وَيُرَبّيكَ فَلا تَفرَح بِهِ

وَيُرَبّيكَ فَلا تَفرَح بِهِ

فَهوَ كَالجازِرِ رَبّى فَذَبَح

فَهوَ كَالجازِرِ رَبّى فَذَبَح

And it rears you, so do not rejoice in it:

It raises you, so do not rejoice

for it is like the butcher: he rears, then slaughters.

It's like a butcher fed and slew

غَيرَ أَنَّ النَهيَ مِنهُ كُلَّما

غَيرَ أَنَّ النَهيَ مِنهُ كُلَّما

جَمَحَ الدَهرُ بِوادِيَّ كَبَح

جَمَحَ الدَهرُ بِوادِيَّ كَبَح

Yet the wisdom gained from it, whenever

Except its forbiddance, whenever

time bolts through my valley, reins it in.

Fate stamps in a valley, curbs