يا مَنْ تَجلَّدَ للزَّما

يا مَنْ تَجلَّدَ للزَّما

نِ أمّا زمانُكَ مِنْكَ أَجْلَدْ

نِ أمّا زمانُكَ مِنْكَ أَجْلَدْ

O you who steel yourself against time,

O you who persevered through hard times

as for your time, it is hardier than you.

Your time is more patient than you

سَلِّطْ نُهاكَ عَلَى هَوَا

سَلِّطْ نُهاكَ عَلَى هَوَا

كَ وَعُدَّ يَوْمَك لَيْسَ مِنْ غَد

كَ وَعُدَّ يَوْمَك لَيْسَ مِنْ غَد

Set your reason over your desire,

Unleash your desires

and reckon your day as no part of tomorrow.

For your day is not from tomorrow

إِنَّ الحياةَ مَزارِعٌ

إِنَّ الحياةَ مَزارِعٌ

فَازْرَعْ بِها ما شِئْتَ تَحْصُد

فَازْرَعْ بِها ما شِئْتَ تَحْصُد

Indeed, life is fields for sowing;

Indeed life is fields

so sow in it whatever you wish, and you shall reap.

So plant in it what you wish to harvest

وَالنَّاسُ لا يَبْقَى سِوَى

وَالنَّاسُ لا يَبْقَى سِوَى

آثارِهِمْ وَالعَيْنُ تُفْقَد

آثارِهِمْ وَالعَيْنُ تُفْقَد

And of people, nothing remains but

And nothing remains of people

their traces; their persons vanish.

Except their effects and the eye is lost

أَوَ ما سَمِعْتَ بِمَنْ مَضَى

أَوَ ما سَمِعْتَ بِمَنْ مَضَى

هَذَا يُذَمُّ وَذاكَ يُحْمَدْ

هَذَا يُذَمُّ وَذاكَ يُحْمَدْ

And have you not heard of those who have passed away?

Or haven't you heard of those who passed

This one is censured, and that one is praised.

Some are blamed and others are praised

والمالُ إنْ أَصْلحْتَهُ

والمالُ إنْ أَصْلحْتَهُ

يَصْلُحْ وَإِنْ أَفْسَدْتَ يَفْسُدْ

يَصْلُحْ وَإِنْ أَفْسَدْتَ يَفْسُدْ

And wealth, if you put it in order,

And money, if you fix it

will be sound; and if you spoil it, it will spoil.

Is fixed, and if you corrupt it, corrupts

وَالعِلْمُ ما وَعَتِ الصُّدُو

وَالعِلْمُ ما وَعَتِ الصُّدُو

رُ ولَيْسَ مَا في الكُتبِ يَخْلدْ

رُ ولَيْسَ مَا في الكُتبِ يَخْلدْ

And knowledge is what the breasts have retained,

And knowledge is not what hearts have perceived

and not what endures in books.

And not what remains in books