أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ لِلأَيّامِ وَقعا

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ لِلأَيّامِ وَقعا

وَأَنَّ لِوَقعِها عَقراً وَجَدعا

وَأَنَّ لِوَقعِها عَقراً وَجَدعا

Have you not seen that the days deal blows,

Have you not seen that days have impact?

And that their blows bring maiming and mutilation,

And that their impact is harsh and severe?

وَأَنَّ الحادِثاتِ إِذا تَوالَت

وَأَنَّ الحادِثاتِ إِذا تَوالَت

جَذَبنَ بِقُوَّةٍ وَصَرَعنَ صَرعا

جَذَبنَ بِقُوَّةٍ وَصَرَعنَ صَرعا

And that calamities, when they come in succession,

And that when events come in succession

Drag with force and hurl you to the ground?

They pull strongly and fell mightily?

أَلَم تَعلَم بِأَنَّكَ يا أَخانا

أَلَم تَعلَم بِأَنَّكَ يا أَخانا

طُبِعتَ عَلى البَلى وَالنَقصِ طَبعا

طُبِعتَ عَلى البَلى وَالنَقصِ طَبعا

Do you not know, O our brother, that you

Do you not know, my dear friend,

Were formed with decay and decline in your very nature,

That you were created for decline and diminishment?

وَأَنَّ خُطا الزَمانِ مُواصِلاتٌ

وَأَنَّ خُطا الزَمانِ مُواصِلاتٌ

وَأَنَّ لِكُلِّ ما واصَلنَ قَطعا

وَأَنَّ لِكُلِّ ما واصَلنَ قَطعا

And that the steps of time never cease,

And that the strokes of time are continuous

And that whatever they sustain must be cut short?

And that everything it reached has an end?

إِذا اِنقَلَبَ الزَمانُ أَذَلَّ عِزّا

إِذا اِنقَلَبَ الزَمانُ أَذَلَّ عِزّا

وَأَخلَقَ جِدَّةً وَأَبادَ جَمعا

وَأَخلَقَ جِدَّةً وَأَبادَ جَمعا

When time turns, it brings glory low,

When time turns over, it humiliates the mighty

And wears out the new and annihilates a multitude.

And originates new things and destroys multitudes

أَراكَ تُدافِعُ الأَيّامَ يَوماً

أَراكَ تُدافِعُ الأَيّامَ يَوماً

فَيَوماً بِالمُنى دَفعاً فَدَفعا

فَيَوماً بِالمُنى دَفعاً فَدَفعا

I see you fending off the days, one day

I see you fending off days, day after day

Then another, with hopes, push after push.

Repelling calamity again and again

أُخَيَّ إِذا الجَديدانِ اِستَدارا

أُخَيَّ إِذا الجَديدانِ اِستَدارا

أَرَتكَ يَداهُما حَصداً وَزَرعا

أَرَتكَ يَداهُما حَصداً وَزَرعا

My dear brother, when the ever-new pair—day and night—revolves,

My brother, when the two executioners show up

Their two hands show you reaping and sowing.

You see their hands reaping and sowing

إِذا كَرَّ الزَمانُ بِناطِحَيهِ

إِذا كَرَّ الزَمانُ بِناطِحَيهِ

فَإِنَّ لِكَرِّهِ خَفضاً وَرَفعا

فَإِنَّ لِكَرِّهِ خَفضاً وَرَفعا

When time charges with its two horns,

When time butts with its horns

Then its charge brings both lowering and raising.

Its butting involves lowering and raising

وَلَستَ الدَهرَ مُتَّسِعاً لِفَضلِ

وَلَستَ الدَهرَ مُتَّسِعاً لِفَضلِ

إِذا ما ضِقتَ بِالإِنصافِ ذَرعا

إِذا ما ضِقتَ بِالإِنصافِ ذَرعا

And you will never have room for generosity,

You cannot accommodate the days’ grace

If you find fairness beyond your capacity.

When you fall short of justice, even a span

إِذا ما المَرءُ لَم يَنفَعكَ حَيّاً

إِذا ما المَرءُ لَم يَنفَعكَ حَيّاً

فَلَو قَد ماتَ كانَ أَقَلَّ نَفعا

فَلَو قَد ماتَ كانَ أَقَلَّ نَفعا

If a man does not benefit you while alive,

If a person did not benefit you alive

Then, were he dead, he would be less useful still.

He would have benefited you less if dead