بَكيتُ حَتَّى لم أَدَعْ عَبرَةً

بَكيتُ حَتَّى لم أَدَعْ عَبرَةً

إِذْ حَملوا الهودَجَ فَوقَ القَلوصْ

إِذْ حَملوا الهودَجَ فَوقَ القَلوصْ

I wept until I had not a tear left,

I wept until no tears remained

when they bore the howdah atop the young she-camel,

When they carried the bridal litter atop the camel mounts

بُكاءَ يَعقوبٍ على يُوسُفٍ

بُكاءَ يَعقوبٍ على يُوسُفٍ

حَتَّى شَفَى غُلَّتَهُ بالقَميصْ

حَتَّى شَفَى غُلَّتَهُ بالقَميصْ

weeping as Jacob wept for Joseph,

The weeping of Jacob for Joseph

until he soothed his burning grief with the shirt.

Until it was cured by the shirt

لا تأسَفِ الدَّهرَ عَلى ما مَضَى

لا تأسَفِ الدَّهرَ عَلى ما مَضَى

والقَ الذي ما دونَهُ مِنْ مَحيصْ

والقَ الذي ما دونَهُ مِنْ مَحيصْ

Do not ever grieve over what has passed,

Do not lament what has passed

and face that from which there is no escape.

And meet that which has no escape

قد يُدْركُ المُبطئُ مِنْ حَظِّهِ

قد يُدْركُ المُبطئُ مِنْ حَظِّهِ

وَالخيرُ قَدْ يَسبقُ جُهْدَ الحريصْ

وَالخيرُ قَدْ يَسبقُ جُهْدَ الحريصْ

The slow one may attain some of his allotted fortune,

The slow may yet attain their share

and good fortune may outpace the effort of the eager.

And the seeking of good precedes the zealous