أُقَضّي الدَهَر مِن فِطرٍ وَصَومِ

أُقَضّي الدَهَر مِن فِطرٍ وَصَومِ

وَآخُذُ بُلغَةً يَوماً بِيَومِ

وَآخُذُ بُلغَةً يَوماً بِيَومِ

I pass my life in breaking fast and fasting,

I spend my days fasting and then breaking fast

And take bare sustenance, day by day.

And learn each day, bit by bit

وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ غايَتي المَنايا

وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ غايَتي المَنايا

فَصَبراً تِلكَ غايَةُ كُلِّ قَومِ

فَصَبراً تِلكَ غايَةُ كُلِّ قَومِ

And I know that my end is death;

I know my final destination is death

So, patience—that is the end of every people.

So patience - that is the goal of all people

وَسامَتني إِهانَتَها اللَيالي

وَسامَتني إِهانَتَها اللَيالي

وَمَن لي أَن تُخَلّيني وَسَومي

وَمَن لي أَن تُخَلّيني وَسَومي

And the nights have inflicted their humiliation on me;

The nights have accustomed me to humiliation

And who can assure me they will leave me to my own pursuits?

Who can save me from this shame and disgrace?

فَإِن تَقِفِ الحَوادِثُ دونَ نَفسي

فَإِن تَقِفِ الحَوادِثُ دونَ نَفسي

فَما يَترُكنَ إِشمامي وَرَومي

فَما يَترُكنَ إِشمامي وَرَومي

And if calamities stop short of my life,

If misfortunes block my path

They leave me neither a silent lip-gesture nor a faint murmur.

They won't spare my determination and will

أَعومُ اللُجَّ وَالحيتانُ حَولي

أَعومُ اللُجَّ وَالحيتانُ حَولي

وَما أَنا مُحسِنٌ في ذاكَ عَومي

وَما أَنا مُحسِنٌ في ذاكَ عَومي

I swim the deep sea, with great fish around me,

I swim in deep waters while sea monsters surround me

And I am no skilled swimmer there.

Yet I'm no expert in such swimming

وَأَيّامُ الحَياةِ ظِلالُ عِترٍ

وَأَيّامُ الحَياةِ ظِلالُ عِترٍ

وَمَن لي أَن يَكونَ ظِلالَ دَومِ

وَمَن لي أَن يَكونَ ظِلالَ دَومِ

And life's days are the shade of marjoram;

The days of life are fleeting shadows

And who can assure me they will be the shade of doum palms?

Who can make these shadows last?

لَعَلَّ العَيشَ تَسهيدٌ وَنَصبٌ

لَعَلَّ العَيشَ تَسهيدٌ وَنَصبٌ

وَراحَتي الحِمامُ أَتى بِنَومِ

وَراحَتي الحِمامُ أَتى بِنَومِ

Perhaps life is sleeplessness and toil,

Maybe life is but toil and torment

And my rest is death, which comes bearing sleep.

And my comfort is the sleep that comes at night

وَما كانَ المُهَيمِنُ وَهوَ عَدلٌ

وَما كانَ المُهَيمِنُ وَهوَ عَدلٌ

لِيَقصُرَ حيلَتي وَيُطيلَ لَومي

لِيَقصُرَ حيلَتي وَيُطيلَ لَومي

And the Guardian, who is just, would not

The Almighty is just, He wouldn't

Curtail my power and prolong the blame laid on me.

Shorten my means and prolong my blame