كَم بِالمَدينَةِ مِن غَريبٍ نازِلٍ

كَم بِالمَدينَةِ مِن غَريبٍ نازِلٍ

لا ضابِئٌ مِنهُم وَلا قَيّارُ

لا ضابِئٌ مِنهُم وَلا قَيّارُ

How many strangers have lodged in Medina—

How many strangers lodge in the city—

with neither Ḍābiʾ nor Qayār among them.

neither Ḍābiʾ nor Qayyār is among them.

أَمّا الَّذينَ تَدَيَّروا فَتَحَمَّلوا

أَمّا الَّذينَ تَدَيَّروا فَتَحَمَّلوا

وَتَخَلَّفَت بَعدَ القَطينِ دِيارُ

وَتَخَلَّفَت بَعدَ القَطينِ دِيارُ

As for those who made it their home, they struck camp and departed,

As for those who made it their home, they have departed,

and after the inhabitants were gone, the dwellings remained.

and dwellings remained behind after their dwellers.

سارَ الزَمانُ بِهِم إِلى أَجداثِهِم

سارَ الزَمانُ بِهِم إِلى أَجداثِهِم

وَكَذا الزَمانُ بِأَهلِهِ سَيّارُ

وَكَذا الزَمانُ بِأَهلِهِ سَيّارُ

Time bore them onward to their graves;

Time carried them to their graves,

and so Time journeys ever on with its people.

and thus Time ever carries its people onward.

كُن حَيثُ شِئتَ بِلُجَّةٍ أَو رَبوَةٍ

كُن حَيثُ شِئتَ بِلُجَّةٍ أَو رَبوَةٍ

أَو وَهدَةٍ سَيَنالُكَ التَيّارُ

أَو وَهدَةٍ سَيَنالُكَ التَيّارُ

Be where you will—in the deep sea or upon a height,

Be wherever you wish—in deep water or on a hill,

or in a hollow—the current will overtake you.

or in a hollow—the current will reach you.

قَد أَعرَسَت عِرسُ الأَميرِ بِتابِعٍ

قَد أَعرَسَت عِرسُ الأَميرِ بِتابِعٍ

ضَرَعٍ فَأَينَ حَليلُها المِغيارُ

ضَرَعٍ فَأَينَ حَليلُها المِغيارُ

The prince’s wife has married a submissive retainer;

The emir's wife has married a subordinate,

where then is her fiercely jealous husband?

a weakling—where, then, is her fiercely jealous husband?

وَالدَهرُ سيدٌ في الخَديعَةِ ضَيغَمٌ

وَالدَهرُ سيدٌ في الخَديعَةِ ضَيغَمٌ

في الفَرسِ طائِرُ مَسلَكٍ طَيّارُ

في الفَرسِ طائِرُ مَسلَكٍ طَيّارُ

Time is a beast of prey in guile, a lion

And Time is a wolf in guile, a lion

in the kill; in its course, a swift-flying bird.

in rending prey, a bird ever flying on its course.

وَالأَرضُ تَقتاتُ الجُسومَ كَأَنَّما

وَالأَرضُ تَقتاتُ الجُسومَ كَأَنَّما

هَذا الحِمامُ لِتُربِها مَيّارُ

هَذا الحِمامُ لِتُربِها مَيّارُ

Earth feeds upon bodies, as though

And the earth feeds on bodies, as though

this death were a provisioner for its soil.

this Death were bringing provisions to its soil.

وَاللَهُ يُحمَدُ كُلَّما طالَ المَدى

وَاللَهُ يُحمَدُ كُلَّما طالَ المَدى

طَمَتِ الشُرورُ وَقَلَّتِ الأَخيارُ

طَمَتِ الشُرورُ وَقَلَّتِ الأَخيارُ

And God is praised: whenever the span of time grows long,

And God be praised—as time stretches on,

evils swell, and the virtuous grow few.

evils overflow and the virtuous grow few.

لا حَظَّ في الدُنيا لِعالي هِمَّةٍ

لا حَظَّ في الدُنيا لِعالي هِمَّةٍ

وَالوَحشُ أَفضَلُ صَيدِها الأَعيارُ

وَالوَحشُ أَفضَلُ صَيدِها الأَعيارُ

In this world, no portion falls to one of lofty ambition;

There is no luck in this world for one of lofty ambition,

among wild game, its choicest quarry are the wild asses.

and among wild beasts, wild asses are the choicest quarry.