إِنَّ الزَمانَ يَغُرُّني بِأَمانِهِ

إِنَّ الزَمانَ يَغُرُّني بِأَمانِهِ

وَيُذيقُني المَكروهَ مِن حَدَثانِهِ

وَيُذيقُني المَكروهَ مِن حَدَثانِهِ

Indeed, time beguiles me with its promise of safety,

Time deceives me with its safety

and makes me taste adversity through its vicissitudes.

And makes me taste the bitterness of its events

وَأَنا النَذيرُ مِنَ الزَمانِ لِكُلِّ مَن

وَأَنا النَذيرُ مِنَ الزَمانِ لِكُلِّ مَن

أَمسى وَأَصبَحَ واثِقاً بِزَمانِهِ

أَمسى وَأَصبَحَ واثِقاً بِزَمانِهِ

And I give warning against time to everyone who

And I am the warner of time for everyone

passes evening and morning trusting in his time.

Who yesterday evening and this morning was confident in his time

ما الناسُ إِلّا لِلكَثيرِ المالِ أَو

ما الناسُ إِلّا لِلكَثيرِ المالِ أَو

لِمُسَلِّتٍ ما دامَ في سُلطانِهِ

لِمُسَلِّتٍ ما دامَ في سُلطانِهِ

People side only with a man of great wealth, or

People are only for the one with a lot of money or

with a ruler, so long as he remains in power.

For an entertainer as long as he is in power

فَإِذا الزَمانُ رَمى الفَتى بِمُلُمَّةٍ

فَإِذا الزَمانُ رَمى الفَتى بِمُلُمَّةٍ

كانَ الثِقاتُ عَلَيهِ مِن أَعوانِهِ

كانَ الثِقاتُ عَلَيهِ مِن أَعوانِهِ

So when time strikes a young man with calamity,

So when time casts the young man with worries

those he trusts become time's helpers against him.

His trusted friends become his supporters

أَقلِل زِيارَتَكَ الصَديقَ وَلا تُطِل

أَقلِل زِيارَتَكَ الصَديقَ وَلا تُطِل

هِجرانَهُ فَيَلِجَّ في هِجرانِهِ

هِجرانَهُ فَيَلِجَّ في هِجرانِهِ

Visit your friend less often, and do not prolong

Lessen your visits to a friend and do not prolong

your shunning of him, lest he persist in shunning you.

His estrangement so he becomes immersed in his estrangement

وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّكَ لا تُلائِمُ كُلَّ مَن

وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّكَ لا تُلائِمُ كُلَّ مَن

أَلقى إِلَيكَ تَلَهُّفاً بِلِسانِهِ

أَلقى إِلَيكَ تَلَهُّفاً بِلِسانِهِ

And know that you are not compatible with everyone who

And know that you cannot please everyone

expresses longing to you with his tongue.

Who has shown eagerness towards you with his tongue

إِنَّ الضَديقَ يَلِجُّ في غِشيانِهِ

إِنَّ الضَديقَ يَلِجُّ في غِشيانِهِ

لِصَديقِهِ فَيَمَلُّ مِن غِشيانِهِ

لِصَديقِهِ فَيَمَلُّ مِن غِشيانِهِ

Indeed, a friend persists in visiting

A friend becomes immersed in his estrangement

his friend, who then grows weary of his visits,

Of his friend so he gets bored of his estrangement

حَتّى تَراهُ بَعدَ طولِ مَسَرَّةٍ

حَتّى تَراهُ بَعدَ طولِ مَسَرَّةٍ

بِمَكانِهِ مُستَثقِلاً لِمَكانِهِ

بِمَكانِهِ مُستَثقِلاً لِمَكانِهِ

until you see him, after long delight

To the point that after a long intimacy

in the visitor's presence, finding that presence burdensome.

You see him feeling the weight of his place

وَأَخَفُّ ما يُلفى الفَتى ثِقلاً عَلى

وَأَخَفُّ ما يُلفى الفَتى ثِقلاً عَلى

إِخوانِهِ ما كَفَّ عَن إِخوانِهِ

إِخوانِهِ ما كَفَّ عَن إِخوانِهِ

And a young man is found least burdensome to

And the lightest thing a young man bears as a burden upon

his brethren when he leaves his brethren alone.

His brothers is when he refrains from his brothers

وَإِذا تَوانى عَن صِيانَةِ نَفسِهِ

وَإِذا تَوانى عَن صِيانَةِ نَفسِهِ

رَجُلٌ تُنُقِّصَ وَاِستُخِفَّ بِشانِهِ

رَجُلٌ تُنُقِّصَ وَاِستُخِفَّ بِشانِهِ

And when he is negligent in safeguarding himself,

And when a man neglects to safeguard himself

a man is belittled, and his standing held in contempt.

His position is diminished and his status made light of