سَمِعتُكَ مُخبِراً فَنَظَرتُ فيما

سَمِعتُكَ مُخبِراً فَنَظَرتُ فيما

تَقولُ فَكانَ أَمراً يَستَحيلُ

تَقولُ فَكانَ أَمراً يَستَحيلُ

I heard you giving an account, so I considered what

I heard you speaking and looked into what

you say, and it proved to be something impossible.

you were saying, but it was an impossible thing.

مَتى أَسأَلكَ في يَومي دَليلاً

مَتى أَسأَلكَ في يَومي دَليلاً

أَجِدكَ بِهِ عَلى غَدِهِ تُحيلُ

أَجِدكَ بِهِ عَلى غَدِهِ تُحيلُ

Whenever I ask you today for proof,

Whenever I ask you for evidence in my day

I find you deferring it to the following day.

you refer me to tomorrow, postponing.

نَعَم لاحَ الهِلالُ فَصارَ بَدراً

نَعَم لاحَ الهِلالُ فَصارَ بَدراً

وَعادَ لِنَقصِهِ فَهوَ النَحيلُ

وَعادَ لِنَقصِهِ فَهوَ النَحيلُ

Yes, the crescent appeared and became a full moon,

Yes, the crescent moon shone and became full

and returned to waning, so now it is slender.

then went back to its slimness, the fading one.

كَذاكَ الدَهرُ إِقبالٌ وَنَحسٌ

كَذاكَ الدَهرُ إِقبالٌ وَنَحسٌ

وَإِبرامٌ يُعاقِبُهُ سَحيلُ

وَإِبرامٌ يُعاقِبُهُ سَحيلُ

Such is time: prosperity and misfortune,

Such is time, rise and fall,

and tightly twisted thread followed by a single strand.

and a pact for which oblivion is the punisher.

وَرَكبٌ وارِدٌ لِيُقيمَ عَصراً

وَرَكبٌ وارِدٌ لِيُقيمَ عَصراً

وَآخَرُ قَد أَجَدَّ بِهِ الرَحيلُ

وَآخَرُ قَد أَجَدَّ بِهِ الرَحيلُ

And a caravan arrives to stay for a time,

One group arrives to establish an age

and another is already pressed to depart.

while another is ready to depart.

فَلا تُنكِر إِذا دَنَتِ الأَقاصي

فَلا تُنكِر إِذا دَنَتِ الأَقاصي

وَلا تَعجَب إِذا مَرِهَ الكَحيلُ

وَلا تَعجَب إِذا مَرِهَ الكَحيلُ

So do not find it strange when far-off things draw near,

So do not deny when the far off draws near

nor marvel when the kohl-eyed one grows bleary.

nor be astonished when the old grows young.