الدَهرُ لا تَأمَنُهُ لَقُوَةٌ

الدَهرُ لا تَأمَنُهُ لَقُوَةٌ

تَزُقُّ أَفراخاً لَها بِالسُلَيّ

تَزُقُّ أَفراخاً لَها بِالسُلَيّ

No eagle feels safe from Time.

Time, against which no strength avails,

She feeds her chicks on afterbirth.

Rends nestlings with savage gale;

تُضحِ الثَعالي خائِفاتٍ لَها

تُضحِ الثَعالي خائِفاتٍ لَها

وَتُذعِرُ الخِشفَ وَأُمَّ الطُلَيّ

وَتُذعِرُ الخِشفَ وَأُمَّ الطُلَيّ

Foxes grow fearful of her,

The ostriches flee in wild affright,

And she terrifies the fawn and the little fawn’s mother.

As through the ashen gloom stalks the night,

إِن يَرحَلِ الناسُ وَلَم أَرتَحِل

إِن يَرحَلِ الناسُ وَلَم أَرتَحِل

فَعَن قَضاءٍ لَم يُفَوَّض إِلَيّ

فَعَن قَضاءٍ لَم يُفَوَّض إِلَيّ

If people depart and I have not departed,

When others depart, I remain behind,

Then it is by a decree not entrusted to me.

By destiny's decree to which I'm resigned.

خُلِقتُ مِن بَعدِ رِجالٍ مَضَوا

خُلِقتُ مِن بَعدِ رِجالٍ مَضَوا

وَذاكَ شَرٌّ لي وَشَرٌّ عَلَيّ

وَذاكَ شَرٌّ لي وَشَرٌّ عَلَيّ

I was created after men who passed away,

I come after men now turned to dust,

And that is evil for me, and evil against me.

Evil to them and evil on my part.