كَم إِلى كَم أَنتَ لِلحِر

كَم إِلى كَم أَنتَ لِلحِر

صِ وَلِلآمالِ عَبدُ

صِ وَلِلآمالِ عَبدُ

How long, how long are you to greed

How long will you strive

and to hopes a slave?

And be a slave to hopes?

لَيسَ يُجدي الحِرصُ والسّع

لَيسَ يُجدي الحِرصُ والسّع

يُ إِذا لَم يَكُ جَدُّ

يُ إِذا لَم يَكُ جَدُّ

Greed and striving are of no avail

Striving is futile

if there is no good fortune.

When fate does not help.

ما لِما قَدَّرَه اللَ

ما لِما قَدَّرَه اللَ

هُ مِنَ الأَمرِ مَرَدُّ

هُ مِنَ الأَمرِ مَرَدُّ

What God has decreed

What God has decreed

in any matter cannot be turned back.

Cannot be reversed.

قَد جَرى بِالشَرِّ نَحسٌ

قَد جَرى بِالشَرِّ نَحسٌ

وَجَرى بِالخَيرِ سَعدُ

وَجَرى بِالخَيرِ سَعدُ

Ill fortune has run its course with evil,

Misfortune comes,

and good fortune has run its course with good.

And good fortune too.

وَجَرى الناسُ عَلى جَر

وَجَرى الناسُ عَلى جَر

يِهِما قَبلُ وَبَعدُ

يِهِما قَبلُ وَبَعدُ

And people have followed the course

People follow their fate,

of both, before and after.

Before and after.

أَمِنوا الدَهرَ وَما لِلد

أَمِنوا الدَهرَ وَما لِلد

دَهرِ وَالأَيّامِ عَهدُ

دَهرِ وَالأَيّامِ عَهدُ

They trusted time, though time

Trust not in fate,

and the days keep no covenant.

For fate betrays.

غالَهُم فَاِصطَلَمَ الجَم

غالَهُم فَاِصطَلَمَ الجَم

عَ وَأَفنى ما أَعَدّوا

عَ وَأَفنى ما أَعَدّوا

It destroyed them unawares and annihilated the throng,

Their striving was in vain,

and destroyed what they had prepared.

Their hopes all lost.

إِنَّها الدُنيا فَلا تَح

إِنَّها الدُنيا فَلا تَح

فِل بِها جَزرٌ وَمَدُّ

فِل بِها جَزرٌ وَمَدُّ

Such is the world; so pay no

This life ebbs and flows,

heed to it—it is ebb and flow.

Do not be misled.