لا تَعجَبَنَّ فَما لِلدَهرِ مِن عَجَبِ

لا تَعجَبَنَّ فَما لِلدَهرِ مِن عَجَبِ

وَلا مِنَ اللَهِ مِن حِصنٍ وَلا هَرَبِ

وَلا مِنَ اللَهِ مِن حِصنٍ وَلا هَرَبِ

Do not marvel, for there is nothing surprising about Time.

Do not be amazed, for fate holds no amazement

And there is no fortress against God, nor any escape.

Nor any refuge from God, no escape

يا فَضلُ لا تَجزَعَن مِمّا رُميتَ بِهِ

يا فَضلُ لا تَجزَعَن مِمّا رُميتَ بِهِ

مَن خاصَمَ الدَهرَ جاثاهُ عَلى الرُكَبِ

مَن خاصَمَ الدَهرَ جاثاهُ عَلى الرُكَبِ

O Fadl, do not be distraught over what has struck you.

O excellency, do not despair of what you are stricken with

Whoever contends with Time meets it knee to knee.

Who contends with fate, it lays him low on his knees

كَم مِن كَريمٍ نَشا في بَيتِ مَملَكَةٍ

كَم مِن كَريمٍ نَشا في بَيتِ مَملَكَةٍ

أَتاكَ مُكتَئِباً بِالهَمِّ وَالكُرَبِ

أَتاكَ مُكتَئِباً بِالهَمِّ وَالكُرَبِ

How many a noble man, raised in a royal household,

How many a noble was raised in the abode of a kingdom

Came to you dejected with worry and distress.

Yet came to you depressed, full of cares and hardship

أَولَيتَهُ مِنكَ إِذلالاً وَمَنقَصَةً

أَولَيتَهُ مِنكَ إِذلالاً وَمَنقَصَةً

وَخابَ مِنكَ وَمِن ذي العَرشِ لَم يَخِبِ

وَخابَ مِنكَ وَمِن ذي العَرشِ لَم يَخِبِ

You dealt him humiliation and degradation,

You made him feel from you humiliation and deficiency

And he was disappointed in you, but not in the Lord of the Throne.

And he failed in you, and the Lord of the Throne, he did not fail

ما تَشتَفي مُقلَةٌ أَبلَيتَ ناظِرَها

ما تَشتَفي مُقلَةٌ أَبلَيتَ ناظِرَها

حَتّى تَراكَ عَلى عودٍ مِنَ الغَرَبِ

حَتّى تَراكَ عَلى عودٍ مِنَ الغَرَبِ

No eye whose pupil you have worn out will find satisfaction

What female glance looked to you full of love

Until it sees you on a stake of willow wood.

Until it saw you clinging to a branch of the west