يَقولونَ شُهبُ اللَّيلِ تَحكُمُ فيهِمُ

يَقولونَ شُهبُ اللَّيلِ تَحكُمُ فيهِمُ

وَأقسِمُ ما سارَت بِعَدلٍ ولا ظُلمِ

وَأقسِمُ ما سارَت بِعَدلٍ ولا ظُلمِ

They say the bright stars of night rule over them.

They say the stars of night govern their fate

And I swear they have coursed with neither justice nor injustice.

And I swear they've marched neither with justice nor wrong

إِذا فَكَّرَ الإِنسانُ في الدَّهرِ لَم يَجِد

إِذا فَكَّرَ الإِنسانُ في الدَّهرِ لَم يَجِد

بَياناً وَأَلفى جَهلَهُ غايَةَ العِلمِ

بَياناً وَأَلفى جَهلَهُ غايَةَ العِلمِ

When a person reflects on time, he finds no

When man thinks of lifetimes, he finds

Explanation, and finds his ignorance the limit of knowledge.

No explanation, only discovering his ignorance is the height of knowledge

فَعِش فيهِمُ أَعمى وَإِن كُنتَ مُبصِراً

فَعِش فيهِمُ أَعمى وَإِن كُنتَ مُبصِراً

سَفيهاً وَإِن نَزَّهتَ نَفسَكَ بِالحِلمِ

سَفيهاً وَإِن نَزَّهتَ نَفسَكَ بِالحِلمِ

So live among them blind, even if you can see,

So live among them blind though you can see

Foolish, even if you have purified yourself through forbearance.

A fool, though you've adorned yourself with wisdom

فَما العَيشُ إِلّا ما غَنِمتُ نَهابَهُ

فَما العَيشُ إِلّا ما غَنِمتُ نَهابَهُ

وَلا العُمرُ إِلّا طارِق زارَ في حُلمِ

وَلا العُمرُ إِلّا طارِق زارَ في حُلمِ

For life is nothing but the spoils I have won,

For life is naught but what spoils you've plundered

Nor is a lifetime anything but a night visitor who came in a dream.

And age but a visitor who's passed fleetingly in a dream

لَعَمري لَقَد أَنحى الزَّمانُ بِحَربِهِ

لَعَمري لَقَد أَنحى الزَّمانُ بِحَربِهِ

عَلَيَّ وَلَكِن ما جَنَحتُ إِلى السِّلمِ

عَلَيَّ وَلَكِن ما جَنَحتُ إِلى السِّلمِ

By my life, time has indeed directed its warfare

By my life, time has inclined with its war

Against me, yet I have not inclined toward peace.

Against me, but I have not inclined toward peace