كُن وَشيكاً في حاجَةٍ أَو مَكيثاً

كُن وَشيكاً في حاجَةٍ أَو مَكيثاً

لَيسَ مُرُّ الأَيامِ فينا بِمَهلِ

لَيسَ مُرُّ الأَيامِ فينا بِمَهلِ

Be swift in meeting a need, or unhurried;

Be quick in need or wait patiently,

the bitterness of days is not gentle with us.

The passing of days is not slow within us.

حَبَّذا العَيشُ وَالزَمانُ غَريرٌ

حَبَّذا العَيشُ وَالزَمانُ غَريرٌ

وَالفَتى ما اِستَجَدَّ حُلَّةَ كَهلِ

وَالفَتى ما اِستَجَدَّ حُلَّةَ كَهلِ

How lovely life is while time is young and guileless,

Living and time are deceitful,

and the youth has not yet donned a middle-aged man’s robe.

And the youth does not don the garb of old age.

وَخُمولي يَذودُعَنّي الرَزايا

وَخُمولي يَذودُعَنّي الرَزايا

نامَ عَنّي الأَذى فَلَم يَنتَبِه لي

نامَ عَنّي الأَذى فَلَم يَنتَبِه لي

And my obscurity wards calamities away from me;

My indifference keeps troubles away from me.

harm slept, leaving me alone, and did not wake for me.

Harm slept, and did not awaken to me,

قَبلَ أَن يَنطِقَ الزَمانُ بِتَصغي

قَبلَ أَن يَنطِقَ الزَمانُ بِتَصغي

رِ كِبارٍ مِن فَرطِ عَيٍّ وَجَهلِ

رِ كِبارٍ مِن فَرطِ عَيٍّ وَجَهلِ

Before time speaks of belittling

Before time could speak in censure

the great, from sheer inarticulacy and ignorance:

Of elders, from excessive foolishness and ignorance.

إِذ ثُرَيّا النُجومِ تُسمى بِثَروى

إِذ ثُرَيّا النُجومِ تُسمى بِثَروى

وَسُهَيلُ السَماءِ يُدعى بِسَهلِ

وَسُهَيلُ السَماءِ يُدعى بِسَهلِ

when Thurayya, the Pleiades, is called Tharwa,

When the stars of Thurayya are called Thurayya,

and Suhayl in the heavens is called Sahl,

And Suhayl in the sky is called Suhayl,

وَلُجَينٌ لَجنٌ كَبيرَةِ لَفظٍ

وَلُجَينٌ لَجنٌ كَبيرَةِ لَفظٍ

وَلِجَيمٌ كَذاكَ أَخلاقُ سَهلِ

وَلِجَيمٌ كَذاكَ أَخلاقُ سَهلِ

and lujayn, silver, is lajn in its enlarged word-form,

Lujayn is a greatness of pronunciation,

and Lijaym likewise—the worn-out garments of Sahl [wording uncertain].

And Lujaym likewise, the morals of Suhayl.