الدَّهرُ فِيهِ صُرُوفٌ

الدَّهرُ فِيهِ صُرُوفٌ

مَتبُوعَةٌ بِصُرُوفِ

مَتبُوعَةٌ بِصُرُوفِ

Time has its vicissitudes,

Time brings constant change,

followed by further vicissitudes.

Followed by more change.

فَكُن بِهَا عَرُوفاً

فَكُن بِهَا عَرُوفاً

لا تُلفَ غَيرَ عَرُوفِ

لا تُلفَ غَيرَ عَرُوفِ

So meet them with patience;

So be virtuous within it,

never be found without patience.

And don't behave otherwise.

بَادِر إِلى العِلم تَأمَن

بَادِر إِلى العِلم تَأمَن

أنيَابَ كُلِّ مَخُوفِ

أنيَابَ كُلِّ مَخُوفِ

Hasten to knowledge, and you will be safe

Seek knowledge promptly and you will be safe

from the fangs of every fearsome thing.

From the fangs of every fearsome beast.

فَالشَّيبُ أدهَى مُنَادٍ

فَالشَّيبُ أدهَى مُنَادٍ

بِمِنبَرِ الفَودِ يُوفي

بِمِنبَرِ الفَودِ يُوفي

For gray hair is the direst herald,

For gray hair is a herald, crying out

standing high on the temple's pulpit.

From the pulpit of the mouth, fulfilling its role.

فَأرذَلُ النَّاسِ طُرًّا

فَأرذَلُ النَّاسِ طُرًّا

لَو كَانَ أنفَ أُنُوفِ

لَو كَانَ أنفَ أُنُوفِ

So the basest of all people,

The vilest people, if they have

even were he the nose of noses,

Aquiline noses, put on airs.

ذُو شَيبَةٍ في الزَّوَايَا

ذُو شَيبَةٍ في الزَّوَايَا

لَم يَدرِ بَينَ الحُرُوفِ

لَم يَدرِ بَينَ الحُرُوفِ

is a gray-haired man among the Zawaya

An oldster with gray patches

who cannot tell the letters apart.

Cannot tell one letter from another

إِن رَآءَ خَطًّا بِرَقٍّ

إِن رَآءَ خَطًّا بِرَقٍّ

بَادِى البَيَاضِ مَشُوفِ

بَادِى البَيَاضِ مَشُوفِ

If he sees writing on parchment,

If he sees a line of lightning—

plainly white and polished,

Dazzling white—in the dark,

لَم يَدرِ مَا فِيهِ مَاذَا

لَم يَدرِ مَا فِيهِ مَاذَا

إِلاَّ كَبَغلٍ زَفُوفِ

إِلاَّ كَبَغلٍ زَفُوفِ

he knows no more of what it holds

He does not know what it might be,

than a swift-trotting mule.

Save a prancing mule gone blind.