ما الدهر إلا غدوة ومساءُ

ما الدهر إلا غدوة ومساءُ

يتعاقبان وشدة ورخاءُ

يتعاقبان وشدة ورخاءُ

Time is nothing but morning and evening,

Time is but a morning and an evening

Alternating—and hardship and ease,

That alternate with hardship and ease,

ومسرة ومضرة وحلاوة

ومسرة ومضرة وحلاوة

ومرارة وسعادة وشقاء

ومرارة وسعادة وشقاء

And joy, harm, and sweetness,

With joy and harm, sweetness

And bitterness, happiness, and misery,

And bitterness, happiness and misery,

ومساكن ومقابر وفوائد

ومساكن ومقابر وفوائد

ومصائب وسلامة وبلاء

ومصائب وسلامة وبلاء

And dwellings, graves, and benefits,

Homes and graves, benefits

And calamities, safety, and affliction.

And calamities, safety and affliction.

منقلب طول المدى متلون

منقلب طول المدى متلون

أبدا كما تتلون الحرباء

أبدا كما تتلون الحرباء

Ever turning throughout its course, ever changing color,

Throughout the ages it changes,

Always, as the chameleon changes color.

Ever shifting like a chameleon.

زمن يذل به العزيز وتعتلي

زمن يذل به العزيز وتعتلي

فيه اللئام وتسفل الرفعاء

فيه اللئام وتسفل الرفعاء

An age that humbles the mighty and raises

A time that humiliates the mighty

The base within it, while bringing the lofty low.

And raises up the ignoble and base.

وحبيبه كدر الوداد كأنه

وحبيبه كدر الوداد كأنه

شوك القتاد وحيّةٌ رقطاء

شوك القتاد وحيّةٌ رقطاء

And its beloved's affection is clouded, as though he were

And the beloved who spoils affection

Thorns of the qatād bush and a speckled serpent.

Is like prickly buckthorn, an ugly viper.

الغل والشحناء حشو فؤاده

الغل والشحناء حشو فؤاده

لكنه متودد هأهاء

لكنه متودد هأهاء

Rancor and enmity fill his heart,

Grudges and meanness fill his heart,

Yet he shows affection and is full of laughter.

Yet he pretends to be gentle and agreeable.

فلسانه كالاصفعند حلاوة

فلسانه كالاصفعند حلاوة

والقلب منه علقم والاء

والقلب منه علقم والاء

For his tongue has the sweetness of iṣfaʿand,

His tongue is smooth as a snake’s

But his heart is colocynth and the bitter āʾ shrub.

While his heart is choked with bile and malice.

أطفأت جمرة حقده بتحلّم   

أطفأت جمرة حقده بتحلّم

فالحقدُ نارٌ والتحلّم ماء

فالحقدُ نارٌ والتحلّم ماء

I quenched the ember of his spite with forbearance,

I extinguished the embers of his hatred with forbearance—

For spite is fire, and forbearance is water.

For hatred is fire while forbearance is water—

وشفيت أدوا غلّه بتسامح

وشفيت أدوا غلّه بتسامح

فالغل داء والسماح دواء

فالغل داء والسماح دواء

And healed the ailments of his rancor with tolerance,

And I healed the sickness of his grudge with forgiveness,

For rancor is an illness, and generosity is a remedy.

Since grudges are illness while pardon is the cure.

ومنحته منى الوصال تألفا   

ومنحته منى الوصال تألفا

مذ بان منه قطيعةٌ وجفاء

مذ بان منه قطيعةٌ وجفاء

And I gave him my companionship, seeking harmony,

And I granted him the intimacy of reunion

Since estrangement and coldness appeared in him.

When he showed disconnection and aloofness.

وإذا تكدّر ودّه اضحى له

وإذا تكدّر ودّه اضحى له

منى صفاء مودّة وإخاء

منى صفاء مودّة وإخاء

And when his affection grows clouded, he has

And when his affection soured,

From me pure affection and brotherhood,

I offered clarity, affection and warmth.

وتالف وتعطف وتلطفٌ

وتالف وتعطف وتلطفٌ

وتعفّفٌ عن ماله وصفاء

وتعفّفٌ عن ماله وصفاء

And concord, sympathy, and gentleness,

Civility, kindness, gentleness,

And abstention from his wealth, and sincerity,

Modesty regarding what is his, and probity.

ومكانة وصيانة وأمانةٌ

ومكانة وصيانة وأمانةٌ

وتواضع وتحلم ووفاء

وتواضع وتحلم ووفاء

And esteem, protection, and trustworthiness,

Status, propriety, honesty,

And humility, forbearance, and loyalty.

Humility, patience, loyalty.

إنا إذا عثر الصديق فإنّنا

إنا إذا عثر الصديق فإنّنا

غفر له زلّاته سمحاء

غفر له زلّاته سمحاء

Indeed, when a friend stumbles, we are

When a friend stumbles, we readily

Forgiving of his slips and generous toward him.

Forgive his missteps with magnanimity.

وإذا بدت منه الخيانة والخدا   

وإذا بدت منه الخيانة والخدا

ع فإننا نصحاؤه امناء

ع فإننا نصحاؤه امناء

And when there appear in him betrayal and

And if he shows treachery and deception,

Deceit, we are his trustworthy advisers.

We remain his sincere, trustworthy counselors.

وإذا بدت منه الفظاظة إننا

وإذا بدت منه الفظاظة إننا

ندماؤه أو داؤهُ صدقاء

ندماؤه أو داؤهُ صدقاء

And when harshness appears in him, we are

And if vulgarity appears in him, we are

His companions, his devoted friends, true-hearted.

His regretful, truthful friends.

وإذا استعان على نوائبه بنا

وإذا استعان على نوائبه بنا

يوما فنحنُ ردا له وزراء

يوما فنحنُ ردا له وزراء

And if he seeks our help against his misfortunes

And if he seeks our aid against misfortunes,

One day, we are his support and counselors.

We are his ministers and supporters.

وكمان خبث سريرة يبدو لنا   

وكمان خبث سريرة يبدو لنا

سترته منا شيمة شمّاء

سترته منا شيمة شمّاء

And any hidden malice of heart that appears to us

However much wickedness appears in his character,

Is veiled by a lofty trait of ours.

We veil it to maintain dignified discretion.

لا نستحيل عن الاحبة إن جفوا   

لا نستحيل عن الاحبة إن جفوا

وطووا قلوبا حشوها الشحناء

وطووا قلوبا حشوها الشحناء

We do not turn away from loved ones if they grow cold

We do not abandon loved ones if they spurn us

And fold up hearts filled with enmity.

And cram their hearts with meanness.

ونذل متضعين حيث تكَبّروا   

ونذل متضعين حيث تكَبّروا

حتى كأنهم هم الامراء

حتى كأنهم هم الامراء

And we humble ourselves, bowing low, where they grow proud,

And we humble ourselves where they grew arrogant,

Until it is as though they themselves were the princes.

As if they were the princes.

بمكارم الاخلاق ان غدروا ندا

بمكارم الاخلاق ان غدروا ندا

ريهم وبالاحسان حيث أساؤوا

ريهم وبالاحسان حيث أساؤوا

With noble character, if they betray us, we deal gently

With noble morals, if they betray we befriend them,

With them, and with kindness whenever they do wrong.

And return good where they did evil.

إنا بني ديمان إن ذكر العلى

إنا بني ديمان إن ذكر العلى

نذكر وان ذكر الخنا برءاء

نذكر وان ذكر الخنا برءاء

We, the sons of Daymān, if high distinction is mentioned,

We tribe of Di'man, when the virtuous are recalled,

Are mentioned; and if obscenity is mentioned, we are innocent of it.

We recall them, and when the wicked are recalled, we disavow.

فينا بمنّة ربنا الصلحاء والعقـ

فينا بمنّة ربنا الصلحاء والعقـ

ـلاء والعلماء والحكماء

ـلاء والعلماء والحكماء

Among us, by our Lord's grace, are the righteous and

Through the grace of our Lord we have reconciliation,

The intelligent, the scholars, and the sages.

Wisdom, knowledge, and judgment.

فينا بمن الواسع الصفواء والزهـ   

فينا بمن الواسع الصفواء والزهـ

ـداء والتقواء والنقواء

ـداء والتقواء والنقواء

Among us, by the All-Bountiful One's favor, are the pure-hearted and

Through the vastness of His pure grace, asceticism,

The ascetics, the pious, and the undefiled.

Godliness, integrity, and excellence.

فينا بمن المالك الفضلاء والنـ

فينا بمن المالك الفضلاء والنـ

ـزهاء والظرفاءُ والنبلاء

ـزهاء والظرفاءُ والنبلاء

Among us, by the Sovereign's favor, are the virtuous and

Through the bounty of the Noble Generous Ones, detachment,

The upright, the refined, and the noble.

Decorum, nobility, and honor.