لا تنزعج لنوائب الدهر

لا تنزعج لنوائب الدهر

فمتى انزعجت فمل إلى الصبر

فمتى انزعجت فمل إلى الصبر

Do not be distressed by time's misfortunes.

Do not be troubled by the vicissitudes of fate,

So whenever you are distressed, turn to patience.

For when you are troubled, incline towards patience,

فالصبر أجمل في الأمور وإن شجى

فالصبر أجمل في الأمور وإن شجى

ومشاغب الأيام في الحجر

ومشاغب الأيام في الحجر

For patience is more becoming in affairs, even if it brings sorrow;

Patience is finest in all matters, even if it is agonizing,

and whoever quarrels with the days is under restraint,

And the days' troublemaking is but a passing annoyance.

ومعاتب الفلك المنير بغصّة

ومعاتب الفلك المنير بغصّة

ومسيرهُ قسرا على قسر

ومسيرهُ قسرا على قسر

as is whoever reproaches the shining sphere with choking grief

Do not blame the shining celestial sphere for your sorrow,

and the one who drives it by force upon force.

Or its relentless motion from palace to palace.

والموت قد أخذ الفجاج وسهمه

والموت قد أخذ الفجاج وسهمه

بين اللهاة ولبّة النحر

بين اللهاة ولبّة النحر

And death has already seized the broad paths, and its arrow

Death has taken the vigorous with its arrow,

lies between the uvula and the hollow of the throat.

Between the heedless and the throats of the valiant.

من مات فات ومن بقي في أثره

من مات فات ومن بقي في أثره

ميعاد جمعهما إلى الحشر

ميعاد جمعهما إلى الحشر

Whoever dies is gone, and whoever remains follows in his footsteps;

Whoever dies has passed on, and whoever remains,

their appointed reunion awaits the final Gathering.

Their appointment to join him comes at the Resurrection.

فاقبل من الأيام محضر غيبها

فاقبل من الأيام محضر غيبها

فمصير من يبقى إلى القبر

فمصير من يبقى إلى القبر

So accept what the days bring forth from their hidden future,

So accept the unseen ordained by the days,

for whoever remains is bound for the grave.

For the fate of those who remain is the grave.

وأمت مطامعك الكواذب بالعزا

وأمت مطامعك الكواذب بالعزا

وأرح بيأسك ساحة الصدر

وأرح بيأسك ساحة الصدر

And put your false hopes to death through patient resignation,

Put an end to your deceitful hopes with resignation,

and ease the courtyard of your breast with your despair.

And rest your despair in the field of your chest.

ما في الزمان خبأ سيحيء في

ما في الزمان خبأ سيحيء في

يسر إذا ما جاء أو عسر

يسر إذا ما جاء أو عسر

What lies hidden in time will come in

There is nothing in time that will not come to pass,

ease, when it comes, or in hardship.

In ease or hardship when its moment arrives.

ميت الحياة وإن مشى بين الورى

ميت الحياة وإن مشى بين الورى

حرّ رمي بخصاصة الفقر

حرّ رمي بخصاصة الفقر

Dead in life, even though he walks among humankind,

Though the living walk among creation unconstrained,

is a free man stricken with the privation of poverty.

Cast by dire poverty into the refuse pit.

فمتى ألان الدهر جانبه

فمتى ألان الدهر جانبه

فارض التنعم خيفة الغدر

فارض التنعم خيفة الغدر

So whenever time softens its side,

So when fate softens its edge,

then accept comfort, for fear of treachery.

Seize the pleasure, wary of betrayal.

فلعل يومك منه آخر ما

فلعل يومك منه آخر ما

يوليك من حسن وما تدري

يوليك من حسن وما تدري

For perhaps your day is the last of what it

For perhaps your last day with it

bestows on you of good—and you do not know.

Will bring you the utmost beauty before you know.