لِلدَّهرِ إِدبارٌ وَإِقبالُ

لِلدَّهرِ إِدبارٌ وَإِقبالُ

وَكُلُّ حالٍ بَعدَها حالُ

وَكُلُّ حالٍ بَعدَها حالُ

Time has its retreats and advances,

Time has its ups and downs,

and every state is followed by another.

And every state that comes will also go.

وَصاحِبُ الأَيّامِ في غَفلَةٍ

وَصاحِبُ الأَيّامِ في غَفلَةٍ

وَلَيسَ لِلأَيّامِ إِغفالُ

وَلَيسَ لِلأَيّامِ إِغفالُ

And the companion of days lives in heedlessness,

The days pass heedlessly,

but the days are never heedless.

But days cannot be heedless.

وَالمَرءُ مَنسوبٌ إِلى فِعلِهِ

وَالمَرءُ مَنسوبٌ إِلى فِعلِهِ

وَالناسُ أَخبارٌ وَأَمثالُ

وَالناسُ أَخبارٌ وَأَمثالُ

And a man is known by his deeds,

A man is known for what he does,

and people are tales and examples.

People are but news and examples.

يا أَيُّها المُطلِقُ آمالَهُ

يا أَيُّها المُطلِقُ آمالَهُ

مِن دونِ آمالِكَ آجالُ

مِن دونِ آمالِكَ آجالُ

O you who give your hopes free rein,

O you who has let go of hopes,

between you and your hopes lie appointed deaths.

Without your hopes, lifespan is short.

كَم أَبلَتِ الدُنيا وَكَم جَدَّدَت

كَم أَبلَتِ الدُنيا وَكَم جَدَّدَت

مِنّا وَكَم تُبلي وَتَغتالُ

مِنّا وَكَم تُبلي وَتَغتالُ

How many has the world worn out, and how many renewed

How much the world grew old and renewed itself;

among us—and how many it wears out and slays unawares!

It made us old and destroys us.

ما أَحسَنَ الصَبرَ وَلا سِيَّما

ما أَحسَنَ الصَبرَ وَلا سِيَّما

بِالحُرِّ إِن ضاقَت بِهِ الحالُ

بِالحُرِّ إِن ضاقَت بِهِ الحالُ

How beautiful is patience, especially

How excellent is patience, especially

in a noble man when his circumstances grow straitened.

For the free man when state is straitened.

يَشهَدُ أَعدائي بِأَنّي فَتىً

يَشهَدُ أَعدائي بِأَنّي فَتىً

قَطّاعُ أَسبابٍ وَوَصّالُ

قَطّاعُ أَسبابٍ وَوَصّالُ

My enemies testify that I am a young man

My enemies witness I'm a gallant man

who severs ties and joins them.

Who severs ties and connects them.

لا تَملِكُ الشِدَّةُ عَزمي وَلا

لا تَملِكُ الشِدَّةُ عَزمي وَلا

يُبطِرُني جاهٌ وَلا مالُ

يُبطِرُني جاهٌ وَلا مالُ

Hardship does not master my resolve, nor

Hardship has no sway over my resolve,

does rank or wealth make me arrogant.

Nor do status and money entice me.

بَلِّغ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ الَّذي

بَلِّغ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ الَّذي

لَم آلُهُ نُصحاً وَلا آلو

لَم آلُهُ نُصحاً وَلا آلو

Tell the Commander of the Faithful, from whom

Convey to the Commander of the Faithful, whom

I have withheld no sincere counsel, nor do I withhold it.

I haven’t failed advising or supporting.