إِن عَضَّكَ الدَهرُ فَاِنتَظِر فَرَجاً

إِن عَضَّكَ الدَهرُ فَاِنتَظِر فَرَجاً

فَإِنَّهُ نازِلٌ بِمُنتَظِرِه

فَإِنَّهُ نازِلٌ بِمُنتَظِرِه

If time bites you, then await relief,

If time has bitten you, then wait for relief,

If Fate should sink its teeth into you, await relief,

For it descends upon the one who awaits it.

For it will come to the one who waits for it,

For it is surely descending to meet the one who waits.

أَو مَسَّكَ الضُرُّ أَو بُليتَ بِهِ

أَو مَسَّكَ الضُرُّ أَو بُليتَ بِهِ

فَاِصبِر فَإِنَّ الرَخاءَ في أَثَرِه

فَاِصبِر فَإِنَّ الرَخاءَ في أَثَرِه

Or if harm touches you, or you are afflicted by it,

Or if harm has touched you or you are tested by it,

Or if harm touches you, or you are tested by it,

Then be patient, for ease follows in its wake.

Then be patient, for ease comes after hardship.

Then be patient, for ease follows closely in its wake.

كَم مِن مُعانٍ عَلى تَهَوُّرِهِ

كَم مِن مُعانٍ عَلى تَهَوُّرِهِ

وَمُبتَلٍ ما يَنامُ مِن حَذَرِه

وَمُبتَلٍ ما يَنامُ مِن حَذَرِه

How many a man is aided in his recklessness,

How many restless ones has their recklessness undone,

How many are aided by fortune despite their recklessness,

And many an afflicted man does not sleep out of fear.

And how many wary ones cannot sleep for their caution.

While the afflicted finds no sleep for all his caution.

وَآمِنٍ في عَشاءِ لَيلَتِهِ

وَآمِنٍ في عَشاءِ لَيلَتِهِ

دَبَّ إِلَيهِ البَلاءُ في سَحَرِه

دَبَّ إِلَيهِ البَلاءُ في سَحَرِه

And many a man, secure at nightfall—

And how many secure ones has calamity crept upon

And one who feels secure in the evening of his night,

Calamity crept upon him before dawn.

In the darkness before dawn while they were sleeping.

Finds calamity creeping toward him at the break of dawn.

مَن مارَسَ الدَهرَ ذَمَّ صُحبَتَهُ

مَن مارَسَ الدَهرَ ذَمَّ صُحبَتَهُ

وَنالَ مِن صَفوِهِ وَمِن كَدَرِه

وَنالَ مِن صَفوِهِ وَمِن كَدَرِه

Whoever has dealt with time has condemned its company,

Whoever contends with time will blame its company,

He who has wrestled with Time condemns its friendship,

And has had his share of its clarity and its murk.

And attain its purity and also its bitterness.

Having tasted both its clear waters and its dregs.