مَضَت عَلى عَهدِه اللَيالي

مَضَت عَلى عَهدِه اللَيالي

وَأُحدِثَت بَعدَهُ أُمور

وَأُحدِثَت بَعدَهُ أُمور

The nights have passed since his time,

The nights have passed since his days,

and after him new events have come to pass.

And after him matters were renewed,

وَاِعتَضَت بِاليَأسِ مِنكَ صَبراً

وَاِعتَضَت بِاليَأسِ مِنكَ صَبراً

فَاِعتَدَل الحُسن وَالسُّرور

فَاِعتَدَل الحُسن وَالسُّرور

And through despair of you, I gained patience,

And I lost patience in despair of you,

so beauty and joy came into balance.

So beauty and joy became balanced.

فَلَستُ أَرجو وَلَستُ أَخشى

فَلَستُ أَرجو وَلَستُ أَخشى

ما أَحدَثت بَعده الدّهور

ما أَحدَثت بَعده الدّهور

For I neither hope for nor fear

So I neither hope nor fear

what the ages have brought about after him.

What time has brought after him.

فَليُبلِغِ الدَّهرُ في مَساتي

فَليُبلِغِ الدَّهرُ في مَساتي

فَما عَسى جُهدُه يَضير

فَما عَسى جُهدُه يَضير

So let Time do its utmost to distress me—

Let time reach its apex in my lifetime,

for what harm could its striving possibly do?

For what can its effort harm?