يا أَيُّها الدَهرُ أَقصِر عِن تَنقُّصِنا

يا أَيُّها الدَهرُ أَقصِر عِن تَنقُّصِنا

فَلَستَ مُنتَهياً عَن غَشمِنا أَبَدا

فَلَستَ مُنتَهياً عَن غَشمِنا أَبَدا

O Time, desist from wearing us away;

O Time, cease wearing us down;

O Time, desist from diminishing us,

for you will never cease your tyranny against us.

For you will never stop oppressing us.

For you will never cease oppressing us, ever.

أَضحى سِنانُ قَناتي بَعدَ حِدَته

أَضحى سِنانُ قَناتي بَعدَ حِدَته

مَرَّت بِهِ عَثَراتُ الَدَهر فانفصَدا

مَرَّت بِهِ عَثَراتُ الَدَهر فانفصَدا

The spearpoint of my lance has become, after its keenness—

The spearhead of my lance, once keen, has now

My sharp spears have become blunt after their sharpness,

Time’s vicissitudes befell it, and so it split.

been struck by Time’s mishaps and cracked.

The stumbles of fate have passed over them, so they snapped.