أَرُوحُ بِأَشْجانٍ عَلى مِثْلِها أَغْدو

أَرُوحُ بِأَشْجانٍ عَلى مِثْلِها أَغْدو

فَحَتَّى مَتى يُزْري بِيَ الزَّمَنُ الوَغْدُ

فَحَتَّى مَتى يُزْري بِيَ الزَّمَنُ الوَغْدُ

I go forth at evening with sorrows; with their like I go forth at dawn.

I wander with sorrows that recur every day,

How long, then, will vile Time demean me?

So for how long will time deceive me with its constant changes?

أَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ دَوْلَةٌ مُسْتَجَدَّةٌ

أَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ دَوْلَةٌ مُسْتَجَدَّةٌ

يَذِلُّ بِها حُرٌّ وَيَسْمو لَها عَبْدُ

يَذِلُّ بِها حُرٌّ وَيَسْمو لَها عَبْدُ

Is there a newly established regime every day,

Does each day bring a different unjust ruler,

under which a free man is abased and a slave rises high?

Humiliating the free and raising the slave?

إِذا أَقْبَلَتْ أَلْقَتْ عَلى الذَّمِّ بَرْكَها

إِذا أَقْبَلَتْ أَلْقَتْ عَلى الذَّمِّ بَرْكَها

وَإِنْ أَدْبَرَتْ لَمْ يَتْلُ أَرْبابَها الحَمْدُ

وَإِنْ أَدْبَرَتْ لَمْ يَتْلُ أَرْبابَها الحَمْدُ

When it comes, it lays its breast upon blame;

When fortune approaches, it casts its blessings upon the unworthy,

and if it departs, no praise follows its masters.

And when it turns away, even the worthy are deprived of praise.

فَذُو النَّقْصِ في عَيْشٍ وَريقٍ غُصونُهُ

فَذُو النَّقْصِ في عَيْشٍ وَريقٍ غُصونُهُ

وَلَيْسَ لِذي فَضْلٍ بِها عِيشَةٌ رَغْدُ

وَلَيْسَ لِذي فَضْلٍ بِها عِيشَةٌ رَغْدُ

So a man of little worth lives a life whose boughs are leafy,

The poor man's life is filled with sorrow,

while a man of merit has no life of ease under it.

And good fortune does not bring the virtuous an easy life.

أَيَا دَهْرُ كَفْكِفْ مِنْ جماحِكَ إِنَّني

أَيَا دَهْرُ كَفْكِفْ مِنْ جماحِكَ إِنَّني

إِذَا الخَطْبُ أَمْهى نابَهُ أَسَدٌ وَرْدُ

إِذَا الخَطْبُ أَمْهى نابَهُ أَسَدٌ وَرْدُ

O Time, curb your headlong rush, for I,

O fate, restrain your sweeping blows!

when calamity sharpens its fang, am a ruddy lion.

When disaster looms, even lions turn to flee.

وَلَسْتُ أَشِيمُ البرقَ فَلْيَدْعُ لِلْحَيا

وَلَسْتُ أَشِيمُ البرقَ فَلْيَدْعُ لِلْحَيا

سِوايَ وَلا يَرْفَعْ عَقيرتَهُ الرَّعْدُ

سِوايَ وَلا يَرْفَعْ عَقيرتَهُ الرَّعْدُ

And I do not scan the lightning; let it summon to the rain

I cannot face the lightning, so let me live my years in peace;

someone other than me, and let thunder not raise its voice.

May the thunder not lift its voice against me.

وَتَخْطِرُ أَحْيانَاً بِبالي مَطامِعٌ

وَتَخْطِرُ أَحْيانَاً بِبالي مَطامِعٌ

فَيَمْنَعُ عِرْضِي أَنْ يُلابِسَها المَجْدُ

فَيَمْنَعُ عِرْضِي أَنْ يُلابِسَها المَجْدُ

And at times covetous hopes cross my mind,

Sometimes ambitions occur to me,

but nobility keeps my honor from becoming entangled in them.

But my dignity prevents me from pursuing them.

تَبِعْتُ أَضَالِيلَ المُنى في شَبيبَتي

تَبِعْتُ أَضَالِيلَ المُنى في شَبيبَتي

فَحَلَّ مَشيبي وَهيَ تَخْدَعُني بَعْدُ

فَحَلَّ مَشيبي وَهيَ تَخْدَعُني بَعْدُ

I followed illusory hopes in my youth;

In my youth, I followed misleading dreams,

then my hair turned gray, and still they deceive me.

And old age still deceives me after that.