جَيبُ الزَمانِ عَلى الآفاتِ مَزرورُ

جَيبُ الزَمانِ عَلى الآفاتِ مَزرورُ

ما فيهِ إِلّا شَقِيُّ الجَدِّ مَضرورُ

ما فيهِ إِلّا شَقِيُّ الجَدِّ مَضرورُ

Time's bosom is buttoned shut over calamities.

The pocket of time is adorned with calamities,

It holds none but the ill-fated and afflicted.

It contains none but the wretched and doomed.

أَرى شَواهِدَ جَبرٍ لا أُحَقِّقُهُ

أَرى شَواهِدَ جَبرٍ لا أُحَقِّقُهُ

كَأَنَّ كَلّاً إِلى ما ساءَ مَجرورُ

كَأَنَّ كَلّاً إِلى ما ساءَ مَجرورُ

I see signs of compulsion, yet I do not affirm it.

I see evidences of predestination I cannot verify,

As though everyone were dragged toward what brings distress.

As if all things are dragged to what they detest.

هَوِّن عَلَيكَ فَما الدُنيا بِدائِمَةٍ

هَوِّن عَلَيكَ فَما الدُنيا بِدائِمَةٍ

وَإِنَّما أَنتَ مِثلُ الناسِ مَغرورُ

وَإِنَّما أَنتَ مِثلُ الناسِ مَغرورُ

Go easy on yourself, for this world is not everlasting.

Be easy, for this life is not eternal,

And you, like other people, are merely deluded.

You are just like people, deluded.

وَلَو تَصَوَّرَ أَهلُ الدَهرِ صورَتَهُ

وَلَو تَصَوَّرَ أَهلُ الدَهرِ صورَتَهُ

لَم يُمسِ مِنهُم لَبيبٌ وَهوَ مَسرورُ

لَم يُمسِ مِنهُم لَبيبٌ وَهوَ مَسرورُ

And if time's inhabitants were to envision its form,

If the people of this world pictured it truly,

No wise person among them would reach evening glad.

No sane person would touch it, even pleasured.

لَقَد حَجَجتَ فَأَعطَتكَ السُرى عَنتاً

لَقَد حَجَجتَ فَأَعطَتكَ السُرى عَنتاً

فَهَل عَلِمتَ بِأَنَّ الحَجَّ مَبرورُ

فَهَل عَلِمتَ بِأَنَّ الحَجَّ مَبرورُ

Indeed, you made the pilgrimage, and night travel brought you hardship.

You made pilgrimage, but the journey gave you fatigue.

So do you know that the pilgrimage was accepted?

Did you know the accepted pilgrimage is the spared?

وَالخَيرُ وَالشَرُّ مَمزوجانِ ما اِفتَرَقا

وَالخَيرُ وَالشَرُّ مَمزوجانِ ما اِفتَرَقا

فَكُلُّ شُهدٍ عَلَيهِ الصابُ مَذرورُ

فَكُلُّ شُهدٍ عَلَيهِ الصابُ مَذرورُ

And good and evil are mingled; they have never parted.

Good and evil are intermixed, never separated,

So every honeycomb has bitter sap sprinkled over it.

And every pleasure, the sober is pained.

وَعالَمٌ فيهِ أَضدادٌ مُقابِلَةً

وَعالَمٌ فيهِ أَضدادٌ مُقابِلَةً

غِنىً وَفَقرٌ وَمَكروبٌ وَمَقرورُ

غِنىً وَفَقرٌ وَمَكروبٌ وَمَقرورُ

And a world where opposites stand face to face:

It is a world of contrary opposites,

Wealth and poverty, the anguished and the content.

Wealth and poverty, sorrow and bliss abound.