أَقَمْنَا بُرْهَةً ثُمَّ ارْتَحَلْنَا

كَذَاكَ الدَّهْرُ حَالاً بَعْدَ حَالِ

We stayed awhile, then moved on

Thus is the nature of time, state after state

وَكُلُّ بِدَايَةٍ فَإِلَى انْتِهَاءِ

وَكُلُّ إِقَامَةٍ فَإِلَى ارْتِحَالِ

Each beginning leads to an end

Each stay leads to a departure

وَمَنْ سَامَ الزَّمَانَ دَوَامَ حَالٍ

فَقَدْ وَقَفَ الرَّجَاءَ عَلَى الْمُحَالِ

He who expects continuity of a state

Has stopped hoping for the impossible