سلني عن الدهر وأخباره

سلني عن الدهر وأخباره

وما طواه الدهر من مكره

وما طواه الدهر من مكره

Ask me about Time and its tidings,

Ask me of fate and its ways,

and the guile that Time has concealed.

And what fate has veiled of its schemes,

صاحبته ستين عاما على

صاحبته ستين عاما على

شتى من الأحوال في عصره

شتى من الأحوال في عصره

I kept its company for sixty years, through

I accompanied it sixty years,

diverse conditions in its era.

In various states throughout its era,

عشرون منها ساهيا لاهيا

عشرون منها ساهيا لاهيا

غرّا بما يخفيه من ختره

غرّا بما يخفيه من ختره

Twenty of them I spent heedless and carefree,

Twenty of which I wasted heedlessly,

unsuspecting of the treachery it conceals.

Deceived by what it hid of its tricks,

ثم تيقظت له يقظة

ثم تيقظت له يقظة

لم أنج منها من شبا غدره

لم أنج منها من شبا غدره

Then I awoke to it—an awakening

Then I awoke to it an awakening,

that brought no escape from the sharp points of its treachery.

From which I did not escape its sudden betrayal,

حتى إذا استكملت عذرا وقد

حتى إذا استكملت عذرا وقد

راضني الدهر على قهره

راضني الدهر على قهره

Until, when I had made my excuse complete, and

Until when I was fully excused, and fate

Time had tamed me under its domination,

Had made me submit to its coercion,

بصّرني الحزن تصاريفه

بصّرني الحزن تصاريفه

فصرت بالفطنة في حجره

فصرت بالفطنة في حجره

sorrow showed me its changing ways,

Sorrow made me learn its ways,

and through discernment I found myself in its lap.

So I became wise in its lap,

لا أشتكي الدهر لعلمي بما

لا أشتكي الدهر لعلمي بما

يخفى على الجاهل من قدره

يخفى على الجاهل من قدره

I do not complain of Time, for I know what

I do not complain of fate, knowing what

is hidden from the ignorant concerning its power.

Is hidden from the ignorant of its ordainment,

وقد مضى في مثل قد جرى

وقد مضى في مثل قد جرى

لحازم لم يخط في دهره

لحازم لم يخط في دهره

And this has come down in a proverb once spoken

And it has passed in the like of what has passed

by a prudent man who never erred in his lifetime:

For the resolute who did not err in his era,

الدهر مأمور له آمر

الدهر مأمور له آمر

سينتهي الدهر إلى أمره

سينتهي الدهر إلى أمره

Time is under command; it has a commander;

Fate is commanded, it has a commander,

Time will ultimately submit to his command.

Fate will end up to His command,

كم قد رأينا من فتى حازم

كم قد رأينا من فتى حازم

يمشي برجليه إلى قبره

يمشي برجليه إلى قبره

How many a prudent young man we have seen

How much have we seen of a resolute youth

walking on his own two feet toward his grave,

Who walks with his feet toward his grave,

وغافل مستيقظ فاضل

وغافل مستيقظ فاضل

يختار ما يدعو إلى ضرّه

يختار ما يدعو إلى ضرّه

and a heedless yet alert and virtuous man

And an unaware wise man of merit,

choosing what leads to his own harm;

Chooses what calls for his harm,

وكم ضعيف جاهل عاجز

وكم ضعيف جاهل عاجز

أديل باليسر على فقره

أديل باليسر على فقره

and how many a weak, ignorant, helpless man

And how many a weak ignorant incapable man

was granted victory over his poverty through prosperity.

Is eased into his poverty,

والصبر صبران فصبر على

والصبر صبران فصبر على

كره يطيح العز في عزه

كره يطيح العز في عزه

And patience is twofold: patience borne

And patience is of two kinds: patience for

unwillingly, casting honor down at its height;

Hated adversity that deposes might in its might,

وصبر تسليم امرئ حازم

وصبر تسليم امرئ حازم

يستوجب السلوة في صبره

يستوجب السلوة في صبره

and the patience of a prudent man's submission,

And the patience of surrender of a resolute man

who earns solace in his patience.

Who earns tranquility through his patience.