لَئِن قَدَّمتَ قَبلي رِجالً فَطالَما

لَئِن قَدَّمتَ قَبلي رِجالً فَطالَما

مَشيتُ عَلى رِسلي فَكُنتُ المُقدِما

مَشيتُ عَلى رِسلي فَكُنتُ المُقدِما

Though you have placed men ahead of me, many a time

Though you went before me with men, long have I walked

I walked at my own pace, yet was foremost.

On my own missions, and have ever been the first.

وَلكِنَّ هذا الدَهرَ تَأتي صُروفَهُ

وَلكِنَّ هذا الدَهرَ تَأتي صُروفَهُ

فَتُبرِمُ مَنقوضاً وَتَنقِضُ مُبرِما

فَتُبرِمُ مَنقوضاً وَتَنقِضُ مُبرِما

But this age’s turns of fortune come,

Yet time's changes alternate, and fate's caprices fall,

And twist tight what was unraveled, and unravel what was twisted tight.

On the dejected, with crushing force and on the elated, gently.