تُخالِفُنا الدُنيا عَلى السَخطِ وَالرِضى

تُخالِفُنا الدُنيا عَلى السَخطِ وَالرِضى

فَإِن أَوشَكَ الإِنسانُ قالَت لَهُ مَهلا

فَإِن أَوشَكَ الإِنسانُ قالَت لَهُ مَهلا

The world opposes us in displeasure and contentment alike.

The world opposes us in anger and contentment

For if a person hastens, it tells him, 'Slow down!'

When a person is about to rejoice it says to him: wait!

هِيَ الماءُ لَوَ انَّي بِعِلمي وَرَدتُهُ

هِيَ الماءُ لَوَ انَّي بِعِلمي وَرَدتُهُ

لَقُلتُ لِنَفسيَ كانَ مَورِدُهُ جَهلا

لَقُلتُ لِنَفسيَ كانَ مَورِدُهُ جَهلا

It is water; had I come to drink of it, knowing what I know,

It is water, if only I knew its course

I would have told myself that coming to it was an act of ignorance.

I would say to myself: its course was ignorance

فَما رَئِمَت طِفلاً وَلا أَكرَمَت فَتىً

فَما رَئِمَت طِفلاً وَلا أَكرَمَت فَتىً

وَلا رَحِمَت شَيخاً وَلا وَقَّرَت كَهلا

وَلا رَحِمَت شَيخاً وَلا وَقَّرَت كَهلا

For it has never cherished a child or honored a young man,

It never had mercy on a child, honored a young man

Nor pitied an old man or respected a middle-aged man.

Had compassion on an old man, or respected an elder

قَطَعنا إِلى السَهلِ الحَزونَةَ نَبتَغي

قَطَعنا إِلى السَهلِ الحَزونَةَ نَبتَغي

يَساراً فَلَم نُلفِ اليَسيرَ وَلا السَهلا

يَساراً فَلَم نُلفِ اليَسيرَ وَلا السَهلا

We crossed rough terrain toward the plain, seeking

We headed to the sad plain seeking

wealth, but found not even a little, nor any ease.

Ease but we did not find ease or plain sailing

فَلا تَأمُلِ الأَيّامَ لِلخَيرِ مَرَّةً

فَلا تَأمُلِ الأَيّامَ لِلخَيرِ مَرَّةً

فَلَيسَت لِخَيرٍ أَن يُظَنَّ بِها أَهلا

فَلَيسَت لِخَيرٍ أَن يُظَنَّ بِها أَهلا

So never once look to the days for good,

So do not expect good days ever

For they deserve no expectation of good.

For good is not thought well of in them