أُحاجي رِجالاً ما مَلابِسُ سودُ

أُحاجي رِجالاً ما مَلابِسُ سودُ

جَدائِدُ لا يَبقى لَهُنَّ جَديدُ

جَدائِدُ لا يَبقى لَهُنَّ جَديدُ

I put this riddle to men: What black garments

I put a riddle to men: what are these black garments,

are newly made, yet not one of them stays new?

New-made, yet no new one among them endures?

سَحائِبُ تَمضي بِالفَتى فَصَواعِقٌ

سَحائِبُ تَمضي بِالفَتى فَصَواعِقٌ

وَغَيثُ وَهَيفٌ زَعزَعٌ وَبُرودُ

وَغَيثُ وَهَيفٌ زَعزَعٌ وَبُرودُ

Clouds cross the open desert—then thunderbolts,

Clouds that carry the youth along—then thunderbolts,

and life-giving rain, fierce parching winds, and cold.

And rain, and a raging hot wind, and coolness.

كَذَلِكَ وَالأَيّامُ نُعمى وَأَبؤُسٌ

كَذَلِكَ وَالأَيّامُ نُعمى وَأَبؤُسٌ

لِكُلِّ هُبوبٍ يا أُمَيمَ رُكودُ

لِكُلِّ هُبوبٍ يا أُمَيمَ رُكودُ

So too are the days: blessings and afflictions;

So it is—and the days are bliss and woes;

Every rising wind, O Umaym, has its lull.

For every gust, O Umaym, there is a lull.