دَع الأَيّام تَعزل مَن تَوَلّى

دَع الأَيّام تَعزل مَن تَوَلّى

وَلا تَرقب لَه عَهداً وَإِلّا

وَلا تَرقب لَه عَهداً وَإِلّا

Let the days dismiss whoever has taken charge;

Let the days abandon whoever turned away

And honor no covenant or bond of kinship with him.

And do not wait for him to keep faith or promise

أَرى عَهد الشَباب الغَضِّ وَلّى

أَرى عَهد الشَباب الغَضِّ وَلّى

وَما بَقيت مِن اللذّات إِلّا

وَما بَقيت مِن اللذّات إِلّا

I see the season of tender youth has passed,

I see the pact of youth's freshness has declined

And of pleasures, nothing remains except

And nothing of pleasures remains except

مُحادثة الرِجال ذَوي العُقولِ

مُحادثة الرِجال ذَوي العُقولِ

فَرِد أَصفى المَناهل سَلسَبيلا

فَرِد أَصفى المَناهل سَلسَبيلا

Conversation with men of intellect.

Conversing with men of intellect

So drink at the clearest of springs, sweetly flowing;

So send the purest springs flowing

وَمَع أَهل الفَضائل سَل سَبيلا

وَمَع أَهل الفَضائل سَل سَبيلا

فَعاشر مَن وَجَدت بِهم نَبيلا

فَعاشر مَن وَجَدت بِهم نَبيلا

And seek a path alongside people of virtue.

And with people of virtues seek the way

So keep company with whomever you find noble among them;

And be with those you find noble

فَقَد كُنّا نَعدّهمُ قَليلا

فَقَد كُنّا نَعدّهمُ قَليلا

وَقَد صاروا أَقَلَّ مِن القَليلِ

وَقَد صاروا أَقَلَّ مِن القَليلِ

For we once counted them few,

For we used to count them few

And now they have become fewer than the few.

And now they are fewer than few