لَقَد أَودى بكَ العُمرُ الأَحذُّ

لَقَد أَودى بكَ العُمرُ الأَحذُّ

وسَيرٌ لو شَعَرت لهُ يُغَذُّ

وسَيرٌ لو شَعَرت لهُ يُغَذُّ

Swift-passing life has indeed undone you,

The stingiest life has done away with you

and so has a journey hurried onward, if only you sensed it.

And travels - had you known - it would nourish

وإِنَّ السَّابقين ولَست منهُم

وإِنَّ السَّابقين ولَست منهُم

لَهُم حُضرٌ يَبُذُّ ولا يُبَذُّ

لَهُم حُضرٌ يَبُذُّ ولا يُبَذُّ

And indeed, those who race ahead—and you are not among them—

And the pioneers - you're not one of them

have a pace that outstrips others and is not outstripped.

They have presence that hurts and is not hurt

رَأَيتُ عوائقَ الأيَّامِ وكفاً

رَأَيتُ عوائقَ الأيَّامِ وكفاً

ولا ريٌّ لآمالٍ تُرَذُّ

ولا ريٌّ لآمالٍ تُرَذُّ

I have seen the days’ hindrances rain down,

I've seen the obstacles of days, so enough

and no quenching for hopes sprinkled with drizzle.

And no quenching for hopes that are diminished

كَفى حَزَناً بأنَّ الحُزنَ مَثنى

كَفى حَزَناً بأنَّ الحُزنَ مَثنى

وأَنَّ سرورَ هذا الدَّهرِ فَذُّ

وأَنَّ سرورَ هذا الدَّهرِ فَذُّ

It is sorrow enough that sorrow comes in pairs,

It's enough sadness that sorrow comes double

and that the joy of this age comes singly.

And that the joy of this life is so little