يُحِبُّ الفَتى طولَ البَقاءِ وَإِنَّهُ

عَلى ثِقَةٍ أَنَّ البَقاءَ فَناءُ

The young man loves longevity, yet he

Is confident that longevity leads to death.

زِيادَتُهُ في الجِسمِ نَقصُ حَياتِهِ

وَلَيسَ عَلى نَقصِ الحَياةِ نَماءُ

As his body grows, his life shortens;

No growth comes from life's lessening.

إذا ما طَوى يَوماً طَوى اليَومُ بَعضَهُ

وَيَطويهِ إِن جَنَّ المَساءُ مَساءُ

If he lives through a day, that day takes

A part of his life, even if evening seems eternal.

جَديدانِ لا يَبقى الجَميعُ عَلَيهِما

وَلا لَهُما بَعدَ الجَميعِ بَقاءُ

Both the new day and he will disappear someday,

With no existence after everything else is gone.