نُفَرِّطُ في العُمُرِ الذَّاهِبِ

نُفَرِّطُ في العُمُرِ الذَّاهِبِ

ونغترُّ بالأمَلِ الكاذبِ

ونغترُّ بالأمَلِ الكاذبِ

We squander our fleeting lives,

We squander the life that is passing us by,

and are deluded by false hope.

And allow ourselves to be beguiled by lying hope.

تنزَّه عنْ تَبِعَاتِ المُلُوك

تنزَّه عنْ تَبِعَاتِ المُلُوك

فَخَفَّ على المَلكِ الكاتِبِ

فَخَفَّ على المَلكِ الكاتِبِ

He kept himself free of the sins of kings,

Keep yourself pure from the retributions of kings,

and so weighed lightly upon the recording angel.

That you may be a light burden on the Recording Angel.

فقَدْنا الربيعَ أبا جعفرٍ

فقَدْنا الربيعَ أبا جعفرٍ

فلا دَرَّ خِلْفٌ على حالِبِ

فلا دَرَّ خِلْفٌ على حالِبِ

We have lost spring—Abu Jaʿfar;

We have lost the Spring itself, O Abu Ja'far,

so may no teat yield milk for a milker.

So let no udder yield milk for any milker.

لبِسْتُ البياضَ ولولا الخِلاف

لبِسْتُ البياضَ ولولا الخِلاف

لسوَّدْتُ ثوبِيَ كالرَّاهِبِ

لسوَّدْتُ ثوبِيَ كالرَّاهِبِ

I donned white; were it not for the difference,

I have worn white, and were it not for fear of discord,

I would have blackened my robe like a monk.

I would have blackened my robes like a monk.