إِلى ما أَجرُّ قُيودَ الحَياةِ

إِلى ما أَجرُّ قُيودَ الحَياةِ

وَلا بُدَّ مِن فَكِّ هَذا الإِسار

وَلا بُدَّ مِن فَكِّ هَذا الإِسار

How long shall I drag the fetters of life?

To what do I drag the shackles of life

And this bondage must be undone.

And I must unchain these bonds

وَدُنيايَ إِن وَهَبَت بِاليَمينِ

وَدُنيايَ إِن وَهَبَت بِاليَمينِ

يَسارَ الفَتى أَخَذَت بِاليَسار

يَسارَ الفَتى أَخَذَت بِاليَسار

And if my world grants with its right hand

If my world gifts with the right hand

A young man wealth, it takes it with its left.

It seizes the youth’s left hand with the left

فَلا تَغبِطَنَّ بَعضَ خُدّامِها

فَلا تَغبِطَنَّ بَعضَ خُدّامِها

فَكُلُّهُمُ دائِبٌ في خَسارِ

فَكُلُّهُمُ دائِبٌ في خَسارِ

So never envy any of its servants,

So do not envy any of its servants

For every one of them toils at a loss.

For all of them are in constant loss

قَدِمنا إِلَيها عَلى رُغمِنا

قَدِمنا إِلَيها عَلى رُغمِنا

وَنَخرُجُ مِن ضَنكِها بِاِقتِسارِ

وَنَخرُجُ مِن ضَنكِها بِاِقتِسارِ

We came to it against our will,

We came to it against our will

And we leave its straits under compulsion.

And we leave its oppression forcefully

فَلا تَأمَنَن إِن وَفَدَ الحِمامِ

فَلا تَأمَنَن إِن وَفَدَ الحِمامِ

غادٍ عَلى موَجِ القَومِ سارِ

غادٍ عَلى موَجِ القَومِ سارِ

So never feel safe: death's envoys

So do not feel safe if the pigeons arrive

Set out in the morning and travel by night over the waves of the crowd.

Flying upon the waves of the people smoothly

فَتىً يَتَنادى حَناني الزَمانُ

فَتىً يَتَنادى حَناني الزَمانُ

وَما بَعدَ ذَلِكَ إِلّا اِنكِسارِ

وَما بَعدَ ذَلِكَ إِلّا اِنكِسارِ

A young man cries out, "Time has bent me!"

A youth whose time calls tenderly

And after that comes nothing but breaking.

After that there is nothing but breaking down

فَطَوراً تَجيشُ غِمارُ المِياهِ

فَطَوراً تَجيشُ غِمارُ المِياهِ

وَطَوراً تُصادِفُ ذاتَ اِنحِسارِ

وَطَوراً تُصادِفُ ذاتَ اِنحِسارِ

For at times the depths of the waters surge,

Sometimes the clouds of water surge

And at times you find them ebbing.

And sometimes it faces recession

وَما جَهِلَ الحَيُّ مِن عامِرٍ

وَما جَهِلَ الحَيُّ مِن عامِرٍ

سُرورَ النُسورِ بِقَتلى النِسارِ

سُرورَ النُسورِ بِقَتلى النِسارِ

Nor was the tribe of ʿĀmir unaware

The living did not know from Amer

Of the vultures' joy over the slain of al-Nisār.

The eagles’ joy in killing the hunters