خَليلَيَّ لا وَاللَهِ ما مِن مُلِمَّةٍ

خَليلَيَّ لا وَاللَهِ ما مِن مُلِمَّةٍ

تَدومُ عَلى حَيٍّ وَإِن هِيَ جَلَّتِ

تَدومُ عَلى حَيٍّ وَإِن هِيَ جَلَّتِ

My two friends—no, by God, there is no calamity

My two friends, no, by God, there is no affliction

that lasts for any living soul, however grave it may be.

That lasts forever on the living, however great it grows.

فَإِن نَزَلَت يَوماً فَلا تَخضَعَن لَها

فَإِن نَزَلَت يَوماً فَلا تَخضَعَن لَها

وَلا تُكثِرِ الشَكوى إِذا النَعلُ زَلَّتِ

وَلا تُكثِرِ الشَكوى إِذا النَعلُ زَلَّتِ

So if one befalls you someday, do not bow to it,

So if it descends one day, do not bow before it,

nor complain too much when the sandal slips.

And do not complain excessively when the sandal slips.

فَكَم مِن كَريمٍ يُبتَلى بِنَوائِبٍ

فَكَم مِن كَريمٍ يُبتَلى بِنَوائِبٍ

فَصابَرَها حَتّى مَضَت وَاِضمَحَلَّتِ

فَصابَرَها حَتّى مَضَت وَاِضمَحَلَّتِ

For many a noble person has been tried by calamities

For how many a noble soul is tested by calamities,

and borne them steadfastly until they passed and faded away.

Yet endured them until they passed and faded away.

وَكانَت عَلى الأَيّامِ نَفسي عَزيزَةٌ

وَكانَت عَلى الأَيّامِ نَفسي عَزيزَةٌ

فَلما رَأَت صَبري عَلى الذُلِ ذَلَّتِ

فَلما رَأَت صَبري عَلى الذُلِ ذَلَّتِ

And my soul was proud in the face of the days,

My soul was once too proud to bear the turns of time,

but when it saw my patience under humiliation, it was humbled.

But when it saw my patience with abasement, it humbled itself.