ما خَيرُ عَيشٍ صَفوُهُ يُكَدِّرُه

ما خَيرُ عَيشٍ صَفوُهُ يُكَدِّرُه

لا بُدَّ أَن يَشكُوَهُ مَن يَشكُرُه

لا بُدَّ أَن يَشكُوَهُ مَن يَشكُرُه

What good is a life whose very serenity clouds it?

What good is a life whose joy is marred

Whoever praises it must also complain of it.

Complaints are bound from those it drowned

وَالمَرءُ يَنسى وَالمَنايا تُذكِرُه

وَالمَرءُ يَنسى وَالمَنايا تُذكِرُه

يُميتُهُ بَقاؤُهُ فَيَقبُرُه

يُميتُهُ بَقاؤُهُ فَيَقبُرُه

And man forgets, but death reminds him.

Man forgets while death reminds

His continued life kills him, then buries him.

His existence kills him, thus interred

وَكَسرَهُ مِنهُ الَّذي لا يُجبِرُه

وَكَسرَهُ مِنهُ الَّذي لا يُجبِرُه

يَطويهِ مِن مَداهُ ما لا يَنشُرُه

يَطويهِ مِن مَداهُ ما لا يَنشُرُه

And what in it cannot mend him has broken him.

Broken by what cannot be repaired

What in his lifespan never unfolds him folds him up.

Folded by what cannot be shared

في كُلِّ مَجرى نَفَسٍ يُكَرِّرُه

في كُلِّ مَجرى نَفَسٍ يُكَرِّرُه

يَهدِمُ مِن عُمرِكَ ما لا تَعمُرُه

يَهدِمُ مِن عُمرِكَ ما لا تَعمُرُه

With each passing breath he draws anew,

In every breath the same tale told

it tears down from your life what you cannot rebuild.

Destroying what you don’t uphold