يَمُدُّ الدَّهرُ مِن أَجلي وَعُمري

يَمُدُّ الدَّهرُ مِن أَجلي وَعُمري

كَما أَنِّي أَمُدُّ مِنَ المِدادِ

كَما أَنِّي أَمُدُّ مِنَ المِدادِ

Time draws from my allotted span and my life,

The days extend for my sake and my life

just as I draw from ink.

As I extend the ink in my inkwell

فَأَكتُبُ بِالسَّوادِ عَلى بَياضٍ

فَأَكتُبُ بِالسَّوادِ عَلى بَياضٍ

وَيَكتُبُ بِالبَياضِ عَلى سَوادِ

وَيَكتُبُ بِالبَياضِ عَلى سَوادِ

So I write in black on white,

So I write in black upon the whiteness

and it writes in white on black.

And it writes in white upon the blackness