لا تَعتِبِ الدَهرَ في خَطبٍ رَماكَ بِهِ

لا تَعتِبِ الدَهرَ في خَطبٍ رَماكَ بِهِ

إِنِ اِستَرَدَّ فَقِدماً طالَ ما وَهَبا

إِنِ اِستَرَدَّ فَقِدماً طالَ ما وَهَبا

Do not reproach time for a calamity it has hurled at you.

Do not blame fate for the misfortunes it brought you,

If it has taken back, it gave for a long time before.

If it takes back, it has given long ago.

حاسِب زَمانَكَ في حالَي تَصَرُّفِهِ

حاسِب زَمانَكَ في حالَي تَصَرُّفِهِ

تَجِدهُ أَعطاكَ أَضعافَ الَّذي سَلَبا

تَجِدهُ أَعطاكَ أَضعافَ الَّذي سَلَبا

Reckon with your time in both its ways of dealing:

Take account of your time in its alternating states,

You will find it has given you many times what it took away.

You will find it gave you manifold what it took away.

وَاللَهُ قَد جَعَلَ الأَيّامَ دائِرَةً

وَاللَهُ قَد جَعَلَ الأَيّامَ دائِرَةً

فَلا تَرى راحَةً تَبقى وَلا تَعَبا

فَلا تَرى راحَةً تَبقى وَلا تَعَبا

And God has made the days turn in a cycle,

God has made the days to alternate,

So you see neither rest nor toil endure.

So you see no rest that stays, nor toil that goes.

وَرَأسُ مالِكَ وَهِيَ الروحُ قَد سَلَمَت

وَرَأسُ مالِكَ وَهِيَ الروحُ قَد سَلَمَت

لا تَأسَفَنَّ لِشَيءٍ بَعدَها ذَهَبا

لا تَأسَفَنَّ لِشَيءٍ بَعدَها ذَهَبا

And your capital—your soul—has remained safe;

The capital you own is your soul, it is safe,

Do not ever grieve for anything else that is gone.

Do not grieve for anything lost after it is gone.

ما كُنتُ أَوَّلَ مَمنُوٍّ بِحادِثَةٍ

ما كُنتُ أَوَّلَ مَمنُوٍّ بِحادِثَةٍ

كَذا مَضى الدَهرُ لا بِدعاً وَلا عَجَبا

كَذا مَضى الدَهرُ لا بِدعاً وَلا عَجَبا

I was not the first to be afflicted by a calamity;

I was not the first to be amazed at events,

Thus has time passed—nothing novel, nothing strange.

Thus time went on, nothing strange nor new.

وَرُبَّ مالٍ نَما مِن بَعدِ مَرزِأَةٍ

وَرُبَّ مالٍ نَما مِن بَعدِ مَرزِأَةٍ

أَما تَرى الشَمعَ بَعدَ القَطِّ مُلتَهِبا

أَما تَرى الشَمعَ بَعدَ القَطِّ مُلتَهِبا

And many a fortune has grown after a loss;

Much wealth grew after utter loss,

Do you not see the candle blazing after it is trimmed?

Do you not see the candle flaming after the wick is cut?