لِكُلِّ أَمرٍ جَرى فيهِ القَضا سَبَبُ

لِكُلِّ أَمرٍ جَرى فيهِ القَضا سَبَبُ

وَالدَهرُ فيهِ وَفي تَصريفِهِ عَجَبُ

وَالدَهرُ فيهِ وَفي تَصريفِهِ عَجَبُ

Every matter in which fate has run its course has a cause.

For every matter whose fate has run its course, there is a cause,

And time holds wonder, both in itself and in its turns.

And time itself, in its unfolding, is wondrous.

ما الناسُ إِلّا مَعَ الدُنيا وَصاحِبِها

ما الناسُ إِلّا مَعَ الدُنيا وَصاحِبِها

فَكَيفَ ما اِنقَلَبَت يَوماً بِهِ اِنقَلَبوا

فَكَيفَ ما اِنقَلَبَت يَوماً بِهِ اِنقَلَبوا

People side only with the world and its possessor;

People are but companions of the world and her friend;

So whichever way it turns for him one day, they too turn.

How then, when she is overturned one day, are they not overturned?

يُعَظِّمونَ أَخا الدُنيا وَإِن وَثَبَت

يُعَظِّمونَ أَخا الدُنيا وَإِن وَثَبَت

يَوماً عَلَيهِ بِما لا يَشتَهي وَثَبوا

يَوماً عَلَيهِ بِما لا يَشتَهي وَثَبوا

They exalt the world's companion; but if it leaps

They esteem the brother of this world though he revolt

One day upon him with what he does not desire, they leap too.

Against them with that which they do not desire, yet they revolt not.

لا يَحلِبونَ لِحَيٍّ دَرَّ لَقحَتِهِ

لا يَحلِبونَ لِحَيٍّ دَرَّ لَقحَتِهِ

حَتّى يَكونَ لَهُم صَفّو الَّذي حَلَبوا

حَتّى يَكونَ لَهُم صَفّو الَّذي حَلَبوا

They draw milk from no man's she-camel for his sake,

They do not milk a gallant stallion until

Unless the choicest of what they milk belongs to them.

His choicest milk is that which they have milked.