أروح وأغدو مرّة بعد مرّة

أروح وأغدو مرّة بعد مرّة

ويوشك يوما أن أروح ولا أغدو

ويوشك يوما أن أروح ولا أغدو

I go forth at evening and at dawn, time after time;

I go out at evening and at morning, time after time.

and soon, one day, I may depart at evening and not go forth at dawn.

And soon, one day, I shall go out at evening but not at morning.

وبين يدي عزم صحيح إلى المنى

وبين يدي عزم صحيح إلى المنى

يدلّ إلى قبري ومن خلفه أعدو

يدلّ إلى قبري ومن خلفه أعدو

Before me lies a firm resolve directed toward my hopes,

And before me lies a firm resolve toward my hopes;

pointing toward my grave—and behind it I run.

It points the way to my grave, and I run behind it.

وتدفعني الأيّام عنها إلى الثرى

وتدفعني الأيّام عنها إلى الثرى

وكم دونه من حادث الدهر لي يبدو

وكم دونه من حادث الدهر لي يبدو

Yet the days drive me away from them and toward the earth,

And the days drive me away from them toward the dust.

and how many turns of fate appear to me before it.

And how many a calamity of time appears to me before I reach it!

كأنّيَ سكران يسير بسكره

كأنّيَ سكران يسير بسكره

وينهضُ أحيانا وف سكره يكبو

وينهضُ أحيانا وف سكره يكبو

I am as though a drunkard, walking in his drunkenness:

I am like a drunkard walking in his drunkenness,

at times he rises, and in his drunkenness he stumbles.

And sometimes he rises, and in his drunkenness he stumbles.