تَمَتّعْ مِنَ الدُّنيا فإنّكَ فاني

تَمَتّعْ مِنَ الدُّنيا فإنّكَ فاني

وإنّكَ في أَيْدي الحوادِثِ عاني

وإنّكَ في أَيْدي الحوادِثِ عاني

Take your pleasure from this world, for you are mortal;

Enjoy life, for you are mortal

And you are a captive in the hands of calamities.

And you are afflicted by the hands of fate

ولا تُنْظِرَنَّ اليومَ لَهْواً إلى غَدٍ

ولا تُنْظِرَنَّ اليومَ لَهْواً إلى غَدٍ

ومَنء لِغَدٍ مِنْ حادِثٍ بأمَانِ

ومَنء لِغَدٍ مِنْ حادِثٍ بأمَانِ

Do not put off today's pleasure until tomorrow—

Do not put off today out of frivolity until tomorrow

And who is safe from calamity tomorrow?

And who can guarantee tomorrow will be safe from calamity?

فإنِّي رأَيْتُ الدَّهْرَ يُسْرِعُ بالفتى

فإنِّي رأَيْتُ الدَّهْرَ يُسْرِعُ بالفتى

وينقلُهُ حالينِ يَخْتَلفانِ

وينقلُهُ حالينِ يَخْتَلفانِ

For I have seen time hurry the young man along,

For I have seen time hasten with the youth

And move him between two differing states:

And move him through two differing states

فأمّا الذي يَمضي فأحلامُ نائمٍ

فأمّا الذي يَمضي فأحلامُ نائمٍ

وأمّا الذي يَبْقَى لَهُ فأماني

وأمّا الذي يَبْقَى لَهُ فأماني

As for what passes, it is a sleeper's dreams;

As for what has passed, it is the dreams of a sleeper

And as for what remains for him, it is hopes.

And as for what remains, they are merely hopes