قُل لِلَّذي أَحصى السِنينَ مُفاخِراً

قُل لِلَّذي أَحصى السِنينَ مُفاخِراً

يا صاحِ لَيسَ السِرُّ في السَنَواتِ

يا صاحِ لَيسَ السِرُّ في السَنَواتِ

Say to the one who counted the years boastfully:

Say to him who boastfully counted the years,

Say to him who counts the years in boastful pride,

O friend, the secret is not in the years,

"O companion, the secret is not in the number of years,

O friend, the secret lies not in the span of years,

لَكِنَّهُ في المَرءِ كَيفَ يَعيشُها

لَكِنَّهُ في المَرءِ كَيفَ يَعيشُها

في يَقظَةٍ أَم في عَميقِ سُباتِ

في يَقظَةٍ أَم في عَميقِ سُباتِ

But in a person—in how he lives them:

But in how a person lives them,

But rather in the man and how he lives them,

In wakefulness, or in deep slumber.

Whether awake or in deep slumber."

Whether in wakefulness or deep in slumber.

قُم عُدَّ آلَفَ السِنينِ عَلى الحَصى

قُم عُدَّ آلَفَ السِنينِ عَلى الحَصى

أَتَعُدُّ شِبهَ فَضيلَةٍ لِحُصاةِ

أَتَعُدُّ شِبهَ فَضيلَةٍ لِحُصاةِ

Rise, count thousands of years for the pebbles;

Get up and count thousands of years on pebbles,

Go forth, count thousands of years upon the pebbles;

Would you credit a pebble with even a semblance of merit?

Do you count that as a virtue for the pebbles?

Do you deem that a semblance of virtue for a stone?

خَيرٌ مِنَ الفَلَواتِ لا حَدَّ لَها

خَيرٌ مِنَ الفَلَواتِ لا حَدَّ لَها

رَوضٌ أَغَنُّ يُقاسُ بِالخُطُواتِ

رَوضٌ أَغَنُّ يُقاسُ بِالخُطُواتِ

Better than deserts without bounds

Better than boundless deserts,

Better than the boundless, endless wastelands,

Is a lush garden measured in footsteps.

Is a small garden measured in steps.

Is a lush garden measured by mere footsteps.

كُن زَهرَةً أَو نَغمَةً في زَهرَةٍ

كُن زَهرَةً أَو نَغمَةً في زَهرَةٍ

فَالمَجدُ لِلأَزهار وَالنَغَماتِ

فَالمَجدُ لِلأَزهار وَالنَغَماتِ

Be a flower, or a melody within a flower,

Be a flower or a melody in a flower,

Be thou a flower, or a melody within a flower,

For glory belongs to flowers and melodies.

For glory is for flowers and melodies.

For glory belongs to the blossoms and the songs.

تَمشي الشُهورُ عَلى الوُرودِ ضَحوكَةً

تَمشي الشُهورُ عَلى الوُرودِ ضَحوكَةً

وَتَنامُ في الأَشواكِ مُكتَإِباتِ

وَتَنامُ في الأَشواكِ مُكتَإِباتِ

The months walk upon the roses, laughing,

Months walk smiling over roses,

The months tread laughing upon the roses,

And sleep among the thorns, dejected.

And sleep depressed in thorns.

While among the thorns they sleep in gloom.

وَتَموتُ ذي لِلعُقمِ قَبلَ مَماتِها

وَتَموتُ ذي لِلعُقمِ قَبلَ مَماتِها

وَتَعيشُ تِلكَ الدَهرَ في ساعاتِ

وَتَعيشُ تِلكَ الدَهرَ في ساعاتِ

And these die of barrenness before their death,

Some die barren before their death,

The latter die of sterility before their actual death,

While those live an eternity in hours.

While others live forever in moments.

While the former live an eternity within mere hours.

تُحصى عَلى أَهلِ الحَياةِ دَقائِقٌ

تُحصى عَلى أَهلِ الحَياةِ دَقائِقٌ

وَالدَهرُ لا يُحصى عَلى الأَمواتِ

وَالدَهرُ لا يُحصى عَلى الأَمواتِ

Minutes are counted for the living,

Minutes are counted on the living,

Minutes are tallied for the people of life,

And time is not counted for the dead.

While years are not counted on the dead.

While ages are not reckoned for the dead.

العُمرُ إِلّا بِالمَآثِرِ فارِغٌ

العُمرُ إِلّا بِالمَآثِرِ فارِغٌ

كَالبَيتِ مَهجورا وَكَالموماتِ

كَالبَيتِ مَهجورا وَكَالموماتِ

Life is empty without noble deeds,

Life without achievements is empty,

Life, without noble deeds, is empty,

Like an abandoned house, and like the wastelands.

Like an abandoned house and the deceased.

Like an abandoned house or a barren wild.

جَعَلَ السِنينَ مَجيدَة وَجَميلَةً

جَعَلَ السِنينَ مَجيدَة وَجَميلَةً

ما في مَطاويها مِنَ الحَسَناتِ

ما في مَطاويها مِنَ الحَسَناتِ

The years were made glorious and beautiful

It is deeds that make years majestic and beautiful,

That which renders the years glorious and beautiful

By the good deeds held within their folds.

Not what the years contain of goodness.

Is the virtue concealed within their folds.