أَلَستَ تَرى لِلدَهرِ نَقضاً وَإِبراما

أَلَستَ تَرى لِلدَهرِ نَقضاً وَإِبراما

فَهَل تَمَّ عَيشٌ لِامرِئٍ فيهِ أَو داما

فَهَل تَمَّ عَيشٌ لِامرِئٍ فيهِ أَو داما

Do you not see Time forever undoing and binding?

Do you not see time unravelling and binding fast?

Can you, then, secure anyone’s life within it—or make it endure?

Then has any man's life in it been perfect, or endured?

لَقَد أَبَتِ الأَيّامُ إِلّا تَقَلُّباً

لَقَد أَبَتِ الأَيّامُ إِلّا تَقَلُّباً

لِتَرفَعَ أَقواماً وَتَخفِضَ أَقواما

لِتَرفَعَ أَقواماً وَتَخفِضَ أَقواما

Indeed, the days have refused all but ceaseless change,

Indeed, the days have refused all but change,

raising some peoples up and bringing others low.

To raise some people and lower others.

وَنَحنُ مَعَ الأَيّامِ حَيثُ تَقَلَّبَت

وَنَحنُ مَعَ الأَيّامِ حَيثُ تَقَلَّبَت

فَتَرفَعُ ذا عاماً وَتَخفِضُ ذا عاما

فَتَرفَعُ ذا عاماً وَتَخفِضُ ذا عاما

And we go with the days, whichever way they turn:

And we go with the days wherever they turn,

raising a man one year, and bringing a man low another.

So they raise this one for a year and lower that one for a year.

فَلا توطِنِ الدُنيا مَحَلّاً فَإِنَّما

فَلا توطِنِ الدُنيا مَحَلّاً فَإِنَّما

مُقامُكَ فيها لا أَبا لَكَ أَيّاما

مُقامُكَ فيها لا أَبا لَكَ أَيّاما

So do not make this world your settled abode; for

So do not make this world your dwelling, for

your stay in it—mark this well—is only a few days.

Your stay in it—may you have no father!—is only days.