مِن شيمَةِ الدَهرِ إِعراضٌ وَإِقبالُ

مِن شيمَةِ الدَهرِ إِعراضٌ وَإِقبالُ

فَما يَدومُ عَلى حالاتِهِ حالُ

فَما يَدومُ عَلى حالاتِهِ حالُ

Turning away and drawing near are in Time's nature;

It is the way of fate, to turn away and return,

no condition remains as it is.

Nothing lasts in its states, nothing at all,

وَكُلُّ شَيءٍ وإنٍ أَعيا لَهُ أَجَلٌ

وَكُلُّ شَيءٍ وإنٍ أَعيا لَهُ أَجَلٌ

يَقضي كَما تَنقَضي لِلناسِ آجالُ

يَقضي كَما تَنقَضي لِلناسِ آجالُ

And everything, however intractable, has an appointed term;

And everything, though it seems eternal, has an end,

it ends, just as people's lifespans end.

Passing away just as people's lives pass away.

بَينا تَكونُ رَحاءُ الحَربِ دائِرَةٌ

بَينا تَكونُ رَحاءُ الحَربِ دائِرَةٌ

تَلقى الرِجالَ تَراها وَهي قِفالُ

تَلقى الرِجالَ تَراها وَهي قِفالُ

While the millstone of war is turning,

While the wheels of war turn,

you encounter the men and see them returning.

Men meet them, now open, now closed.

لِلشامِتينَ بِنا يَومٌ نَصولُ بِهِ

لِلشامِتينَ بِنا يَومٌ نَصولُ بِهِ

عَلَيهِمُ بِالأَماني مِثل ما صالوا

عَلَيهِمُ بِالأَماني مِثل ما صالوا

For those who gloat over us, a day will come when we assail

For those who gloat over our state, there will come a day

them with hopes, just as they assailed us.

When we pounce on them with hopes, just as they pounced.

كَم أَحمِلُ الضَيمَ وَالأَهوالِ واحرَبا

كَم أَحمِلُ الضَيمَ وَالأَهوالِ واحرَبا

مِن عَيشِهِ كُلّها ضَيمٌ وَأَهوالُ

مِن عَيشِهِ كُلّها ضَيمٌ وَأَهوالُ

How much humiliation and terror I bear! Alas

How much blame and horrors I've borne,

for a life all humiliation and terror!

Of his life, all is but blame and horrors.

ذَنبي إِلى الدَهرِ أَقوامٌ صَحِبتُهُم

ذَنبي إِلى الدَهرِ أَقوامٌ صَحِبتُهُم

أَنّى يَميلُ زَمان بِالفَتى مالوا

أَنّى يَميلُ زَمان بِالفَتى مالوا

My offense against Time is the people whose company I kept;

My sin against fate - people I befriended;

whichever way Time tilts a young man, they tilt.

How could time favor a man they spurned?

كانَت مَحَبَّةُ قَلبي فيكُمُ مثلاً

كانَت مَحَبَّةُ قَلبي فيكُمُ مثلاً

وَاليَومَ تُضربُ بي في الحُبِّ أَمثالُ

وَاليَومَ تُضربُ بي في الحُبِّ أَمثالُ

My heart's love for you was an example;

My heart's love for you was an example;

and today, proverbs of love are coined about me.

Today in love examples are made of me.

لا أَبعَدَ اللَهُ أَيّاماً نَعِمتُ بِها

لا أَبعَدَ اللَهُ أَيّاماً نَعِمتُ بِها

مُستَهتِراً في بُرودِ اللَهوِ أختالُ

مُستَهتِراً في بُرودِ اللَهوِ أختالُ

May God not banish the days I delighted in,

God forbid the days when I lived at ease,

carefree, strutting in the striped cloaks of pleasure.

Lost in the coolness of play, heedless.

عَصرُ الشَبابِ مَواتٌ وَالهَوى أُمَمٌ

عَصرُ الشَبابِ مَواتٌ وَالهَوى أُمَمٌ

وَالكاشِحونَ عَنِ اللَذّاتِ غفّالُ

وَالكاشِحونَ عَنِ اللَذّاتِ غفّالُ

Youth's season was favorable, and love was close at hand,

Youth is death, passion a nation,

and the spiteful were heedless of those pleasures.

And those who seek pleasures, forgetful.

آصالُ لَهوي وَأَسحاري لَها اِنصَرَمَت

آصالُ لَهوي وَأَسحاري لَها اِنصَرَمَت

فَلَيسَ لِيَ اليَومَ أَسحارٌ وَآصالُ

فَلَيسَ لِيَ اليَومَ أَسحارٌ وَآصالُ

The late afternoons of my revelry and my predawn hours of pleasure have passed;

My nights of revelry and dawns have passed away;

so today I have neither predawn hours nor late afternoons.

No more nights and dawns for me today.

مَن ذا أُؤَمِّلُهُ هَيهاتَ يوعِدُني

مَن ذا أُؤَمِّلُهُ هَيهاتَ يوعِدُني

بِالنَجحِ بَعدَهُم في الناسِ آمالُ

بِالنَجحِ بَعدَهُم في الناسِ آمالُ

Whom can I hope in? How far from promising me

Who can I hope will promise me success among men?

success are hopes among people after them!

Alas, after them among men, there is no hope.

بِالأَمنِ وَالمالِ بِعتُ الروحَ عِندَكُم

بِالأَمنِ وَالمالِ بِعتُ الروحَ عِندَكُم

وَاصفَقة الغَبن لا أَمنٌ وَلا مالُ

وَاصفَقة الغَبن لا أَمنٌ وَلا مالُ

For security and wealth, I sold my soul to you;

For safety and wealth, I sold you my soul;

alas for that losing bargain—no security and no wealth!

A losing deal - no safety, no wealth.

بِحُرمَةِ الوُدِّ وَالعَهد القَديم لَهُ

بِحُرمَةِ الوُدِّ وَالعَهد القَديم لَهُ

في سائِرِ الناسِ إِعظامٌ وَإِجلالُ

في سائِرِ الناسِ إِعظامٌ وَإِجلالُ

By the sanctity of affection and the old covenant, which is held

By the sanctity of love and ancient covenant,

in reverence and honor by all people,

You have, among all men, reverence and honor.

لا تَقطَعوا الحَبلَ ما بَيني وَبَينَكُم

لا تَقطَعوا الحَبلَ ما بَيني وَبَينَكُم

إِنَّ الكَريمَ لِقَطعِ الحَبلِ وَصّالُ

إِنَّ الكَريمَ لِقَطعِ الحَبلِ وَصّالُ

do not sever the rope between me and you;

Do not cut the cord between me and you -

for the noble person rejoins a severed rope.

The noble soul keeps cords bound.

لي حُرمَةُ الضَيفِ وَالجارِ القَديمِ وَمَن

لي حُرمَةُ الضَيفِ وَالجارِ القَديمِ وَمَن

ناداكُم وَكُهولُ الحَيِّ أَطفالُ

ناداكُم وَكُهولُ الحَيِّ أَطفالُ

I have the sacred claim of a guest, an old neighbor, and one

I have the rights of guest and old neighbor;

who called to you when the clan's middle-aged men were children.

And those who called you in youth, children.