لَمْ يُرضِني دهري كما

لَمْ يُرضِني دهري كما

أرضى سِوايَ فأَرتَضِيِه

أرضى سِوايَ فأَرتَضِيِه

My fate has not pleased me as

My fate did not please me as I pleased it,

it has pleased others, so that I might accept it.

But it turned away harshly with what followed.

لكنه أَنْحَى عليْ

لكنه أَنْحَى عليْ

يَ بِحدّة وبما يلِيه

يَ بِحدّة وبما يلِيه

But it bore down upon

It fed on my blood,

me with harshness and what follows it,

While fate feeds on its sons.

أكْلاً وشُرباً من دمي

أكْلاً وشُرباً من دمي

والدهرُ يأكل مِنْ بنيِه

والدهرُ يأكل مِنْ بنيِه

eating and drinking of my blood;

A fate which bends the pine tree

and time feeds upon its sons.

Like the scarcity of true friends within it.

دهرٌ يَقلّ به السرو

دهرٌ يَقلّ به السرو

رُ كقِلّة الإخوانِ فيه

رُ كقِلّة الإخوانِ فيه

An age in which joy is scarce,

Oh soul, time has wronged me,

as scarce as friends within it.

So be patient and wander.

يا نفس قد جار الزما

يا نفس قد جار الزما

نُ عليَّ فاصطبِري وتِيهي

نُ عليَّ فاصطبِري وتِيهي

O soul, time has wronged

And bear with its ignorance

me; endure patiently and hold your head high.

The forbearance of the wise over the fool.

وتحملَّي عن جَهْلِه

وتحملَّي عن جَهْلِه

حِلْمَ الأدِيبِ على السفِيه

حِلْمَ الأدِيبِ على السفِيه

And meet its ignorance with

If it were free, it would not have tyrannized

a cultured man's forbearance toward a fool.

One day over a free and noble man.

لو كان حُرّاً ما سَطَا

لو كان حُرّاً ما سَطَا

يوما على حُرٍّ وَجيهِ

يوما على حُرٍّ وَجيهِ

Had it been noble, it would not have assailed

a noble, distinguished man on any day.