صاحَ الزَمانُ فَعادَ الجَمعُ مُفتَرِقاً

صاحَ الزَمانُ فَعادَ الجَمعُ مُفتَرِقاً

كَالضَأنِ لَمّا أَحَسَّت صَوتَ رِئبالِ

كَالضَأنِ لَمّا أَحَسَّت صَوتَ رِئبالِ

Time cried out, and so the gathering scattered,

The times have roared, so the people dispersed

Like sheep when they heard a lion's roar.

Like sheep when they hear the howl of a wolf

إِنَّ الفَوارِسَ ما اِنفَكَّت عَقائِلُها

إِنَّ الفَوارِسَ ما اِنفَكَّت عَقائِلُها

مَطلولَةٌ بَينَ آسادٍ وَأَشبالِ

مَطلولَةٌ بَينَ آسادٍ وَأَشبالِ

Indeed, the horsemen's noblewomen remain

Indeed the knights' reins have not been untied

Slain and unavenged among lions and cubs.

Extending between lions and cubs

تَسَربَلَ الوَشيَ راجٍ أَن يُجَمِّلَهُ

تَسَربَلَ الوَشيَ راجٍ أَن يُجَمِّلَهُ

وَالحَمدُ في كُلِّ عَصرٍ خَيرُ سِربالِ

وَالحَمدُ في كُلِّ عَصرٍ خَيرُ سِربالِ

One donned brocade, hoping it would adorn him;

The old man wanted to adorn himself with youth

And praise, in every age, is the finest garment.

And praise in every era is the best adornment

وَكَيفَ يُعدَلُ مَوصولٌ بِمُنقَطِعٍ

وَكَيفَ يُعدَلُ مَوصولٌ بِمُنقَطِعٍ

يَبلى النَسيجُ وَهَذا لَيسَ بِالبالي

يَبلى النَسيجُ وَهَذا لَيسَ بِالبالي

And how can the lasting be equated with the fleeting?

How can something connected be made equal to something disconnected?

The fabric wears out, but this does not.

The fabric wears out while this is not worrying

الناسُ يَسعَونَ في أَشياءَ مُعجِزَةٍ

الناسُ يَسعَونَ في أَشياءَ مُعجِزَةٍ

وَسَعيُهُم لَيسَ مِن نُجحٍ عَلى بالِ

وَسَعيُهُم لَيسَ مِن نُجحٍ عَلى بالِ

People strive for things beyond their power,

People strive for miraculous things

And success gives no thought to their striving.

Yet their striving does not succeed in their minds

هَل مَيَّزَ يَوماً هَواءٌ في لَطافَتِهِ

هَل مَيَّزَ يَوماً هَواءٌ في لَطافَتِهِ

بِمُنخُلٍ أَو صَفا ماءٌ بِغِربالِ

بِمُنخُلٍ أَو صَفا ماءٌ بِغِربالِ

Has air, in its fineness, ever been sifted

Has the air in its subtlety ever distinguished

With a fine sieve, or water clarified with a coarse sieve?

A date palm from a sieve filtering water?

وَالنَبلُ يَبلُغُ ما أَعيا القَنا مَثَلاً

وَالنَبلُ يَبلُغُ ما أَعيا القَنا مَثَلاً

أُجريهِ لِلنُبلِ يُلفى عِندَ تِنبالِ

أُجريهِ لِلنُبلِ يُلفى عِندَ تِنبالِ

And arrows reach what spears cannot—a comparison

And archery reaches what the best archer reaches

I apply to nobility, which is found in a short man.

I direct it towards archery found at archery grounds

قَد أَحبَلَت سَمُراتُ الجَزعِ سامِعَةً

قَد أَحبَلَت سَمُراتُ الجَزعِ سامِعَةً

أَمرَ القَضاءِ وَما هَمَّت بِإِحبالِ

أَمرَ القَضاءِ وَما هَمَّت بِإِحبالِ

The acacias of the valley bend have borne fruit, heeding

The thick-trunked acacia trees have become pregnant

Fate's command, though they never intended to bear fruit.

Hearing the command of destiny, and did not miscarry

ما زِلتُ آمَلُ حَظّاً أَن يُساعِدُني

ما زِلتُ آمَلُ حَظّاً أَن يُساعِدُني

حَتّى أُتيحَ لِحَفري طولُ إِجبالِ

حَتّى أُتيحَ لِحَفري طولُ إِجبالِ

I kept hoping fortune would favor me,

I still hope for a chance that will help me

Until my digging was fated to be long blocked by rock.

Until my digging reaches the depth of roots

إِذا أَنافَ عَلى الخَمسينَ بالِغُها

إِذا أَنافَ عَلى الخَمسينَ بالِغُها

فَليُضمِرِ اليَأسَ مِن سَعدٍ وَإِقبالِ

فَليُضمِرِ اليَأسَ مِن سَعدٍ وَإِقبالِ

When one who has reached fifty passes beyond it,

When one reaches fifty years of age

Then let him harbor despair of good fortune and prosperity.

Let him abandon hope of fortune and prosperity

وَالعُمرُ إِصعادُ إِنسانٍ وَمَهبِطُهُ

وَالعُمرُ إِصعادُ إِنسانٍ وَمَهبِطُهُ

كَالأَرضِ أَودِيَةٍ مِنها وَأَجبالِ

كَالأَرضِ أَودِيَةٍ مِنها وَأَجبالِ

And life is a person's ascent and descent,

Life is a human's ascent and descent

Like the earth, with its valleys and mountains.

Like the earth's valleys and mountains