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 very serenity clouds it?

when even one who gives thanks for it must complain of it?

Whoever praises it must complain of it.

وَالمَرءُ يَنسى وَالمَنايا تُذكِرُه

وَالمَرءُ يَنسى وَالمَنايا تُذكِرُه

يُميتُهُ بَقاؤُهُ فَيَقبُرُه

يُميتُهُ بَقاؤُهُ فَيَقبُرُه

Man forgets, but mortality reminds him;

Man forgets, and deaths remind him.

his very continuance kills him, then consigns him to the grave.

His continued existence kills him, then buries him.

وَكَسرَهُ مِنهُ الَّذي لا يُجبِرُه

وَكَسرَهُ مِنهُ الَّذي لا يُجبِرُه

يَطويهِ مِن مَداهُ ما لا يَنشُرُه

يَطويهِ مِن مَداهُ ما لا يَنشُرُه

And what within it cannot mend him has broken him;

And that part of it which does not mend him has broken him.

from his allotted span, what never unfolds him folds him away.

That part of his span which does not unfold him folds him away.

في كُلِّ مَجرى نَفَسٍ يُكَرِّرُه

في كُلِّ مَجرى نَفَسٍ يُكَرِّرُه

يَهدِمُ مِن عُمرِكَ ما لا تَعمُرُه

يَهدِمُ مِن عُمرِكَ ما لا تَعمُرُه

With every passage of a breath he repeats,

With every passage of a breath he repeats,

he tears from your life what you can never rebuild.

It tears down from your life what you do not rebuild.