الدَهرُ إِن سَرَّ يَوماً لا قِوامَ لَهُ

الدَهرُ إِن سَرَّ يَوماً لا قِوامَ لَهُ

أَحداثُهُ تَصدَعُ الراسي مِنَ العَلَمِ

أَحداثُهُ تَصدَعُ الراسي مِنَ العَلَمِ

Time, even if it gladdens for a day, has no constancy;

Time, if it brings joy one day, it will not last,

Its calamities shatter the firmly rooted mountain.

Its events crack the firm mountains.

يَستَنزِلُ الطَيرَ كَرهاً مِن مَنازِلِها

يَستَنزِلُ الطَيرَ كَرهاً مِن مَنازِلِها

إِلى المَنيَّةِ وَالآسادِ في الأجَمِ

إِلى المَنيَّةِ وَالآسادِ في الأجَمِ

It forces birds down from their dwellings against their will

It brings down the birds unwillingly from their nests

To death—and lions in the thickets too.

To death and ruins in the valleys.

وَيَسلُبُ الآمِنَ المُغتَرَّ نِعمَتَهُ

وَيَسلُبُ الآمِنَ المُغتَرَّ نِعمَتَهُ

وَيُلحِقُ المَوتَ بِالهَيّابَةِ البَرمِ

وَيُلحِقُ المَوتَ بِالهَيّابَةِ البَرمِ

And strips the secure, self-deluded man of his blessing,

It robs the unwary of their blessings

And brings death upon the timorous, fretful man.

And brings death to the bold heroes.

مَن يَأمَنُ الدَهرَ أَو يَرجو الخُلودَ بِهِ

مَن يَأمَنُ الدَهرَ أَو يَرجو الخُلودَ بِهِ

بَعدَ الَّذينَ مَضَوا في سالِفِ الأُمَمِ

بَعدَ الَّذينَ مَضَوا في سالِفِ الأُمَمِ

Who can feel safe from time, or hope for immortality in it,

Who can trust time or hope to live forever through it

After those who passed away among the nations of old?

After those who passed in ancient nations?

لَيسَ امرُؤٌ كانَ في عَيشٍ يُسَرُّ بِهِ

لَيسَ امرُؤٌ كانَ في عَيشٍ يُسَرُّ بِهِ

يَوماً بِأَخلَدَ مِن عادٍ وَمِن إِرَمِ

يَوماً بِأَخلَدَ مِن عادٍ وَمِن إِرَمِ

No man who lived a life that gave him joy

No man who found comfort in life

For a day is more enduring than ʿAd or Iram.

Remained more enduring than Aad and Iram.

يَهوى الخُلودَ وَقَد خُطَّت مَنيَّتُهُ

يَهوى الخُلودَ وَقَد خُطَّت مَنيَّتُهُ

وَلا مَرَدَّ لأَمرٍ خُطَّ بِالقَلَمِ

وَلا مَرَدَّ لأَمرٍ خُطَّ بِالقَلَمِ

He longs for immortality, though his death has been inscribed,

He desires immortality yet his death is ordained

And no decree written by the pen can be reversed.

And no command of the pen can be reversed.

لا بُدَّ أنَّ المَنايا سَوفَ تُدرِكُهُ

لا بُدَّ أنَّ المَنايا سَوفَ تُدرِكُهُ

وَمَن يُعَمَّر فَلَن يَنجو مِنَ الهَرَمِ

وَمَن يُعَمَّر فَلَن يَنجو مِنَ الهَرَمِ

Death will inevitably overtake him,

Death will surely overtake him

And whoever is granted long life will not escape old age.

And he who lives long cannot escape old age.

أَينَ ابنُ حَربٍ وَقَومٌ لا أُحِسُّهُمُ

أَينَ ابنُ حَربٍ وَقَومٌ لا أُحِسُّهُمُ

كانوا قَريباً عَلَينا مِن بَني الحَكَمِ

كانوا قَريباً عَلَينا مِن بَني الحَكَمِ

Where are Ibn Harb and the people I no longer perceive,

Where are the sons of Harb and people I do not sense

From among the sons of al-Hakam, who not long ago ruled over us?

Who were close to us among the clan of Hakam?

يَجبونَ ما الصِينُ تَحويِهِ مَقانِبُهُم

يَجبونَ ما الصِينُ تَحويِهِ مَقانِبُهُم

إِلى الأَفاريقِ مِن فُصحٍ وَمِن عَجَمِ

إِلى الأَفاريقِ مِن فُصحٍ وَمِن عَجَمِ

Their cavalry levied tribute on all that China holds,

They rode as far as China's borders

As far as the Africans, from Arabic-speakers and non-Arabs.

To Africa, to eloquent and mute peoples.

بادوا وَآثارُهُم في الأَرضِ باقِيَةٌ

بادوا وَآثارُهُم في الأَرضِ باقِيَةٌ

تِلكُم مَعالِمُهُم في الناسِ لَم تَرِمِ

تِلكُم مَعالِمُهُم في الناسِ لَم تَرِمِ

They perished, yet their traces remain upon the earth;

They perished but their traces on earth remain

Those are their landmarks among the people, still unmoved.

Those are their signs among men that have not crumbled.