رُوَيدَBe patient with الدَهرِTime كَمhow often أَبكىit made weep
رُوَيدَ الدَهرِ كَم أَبكى
عَلىover طِفلٍa child مَطافِيلاmothers with young
عَلى طِفلٍ مَطافِيلا
Be patient with Time—how often it has brought tears
The days have passed, how much I cried
Gently with Time, for how often has it made weep
To mothers over a child.
Over a child dressed in rags
Nursing mothers grieving over a child.
يقلّبُoverturns دَهرُناour age عَيناًa thing’s essence
يقلّبُ دَهرُنا عَيناً
فَكَمfor many a قِردٍmonkey مَطاrode فيلاan elephant
فَكَم قِردٍ مَطا فيلا
Our age overturns the very nature of things;
Our fate makes a monkey's eyes of us
Our age turns its gaze about,
For many a monkey has ridden an elephant.
So how many monkeys have rags made kings
For how many a monkey has mounted an elephant.