أَقَمْنَا بُرْهَةً ثُمَّ ارْتَحَلْنَا

أَقَمْنَا بُرْهَةً ثُمَّ ارْتَحَلْنَا

كَذَاكَ الدَّهْرُ حَالاً بَعْدَ حَالِ

كَذَاكَ الدَّهْرُ حَالاً بَعْدَ حَالِ

We stayed awhile, then departed.

We stayed awhile, then moved on

Such is time: one state after another.

Thus is the nature of time, state after state

وَكُلُّ بِدَايَةٍ فَإِلَى انْتِهَاءِ

وَكُلُّ بِدَايَةٍ فَإِلَى انْتِهَاءِ

وَكُلُّ إِقَامَةٍ فَإِلَى ارْتِحَالِ

وَكُلُّ إِقَامَةٍ فَإِلَى ارْتِحَالِ

And every beginning leads to an end.

Each beginning leads to an end

And every stay leads to departure.

Each stay leads to a departure

وَمَنْ سَامَ الزَّمَانَ دَوَامَ حَالٍ

وَمَنْ سَامَ الزَّمَانَ دَوَامَ حَالٍ

فَقَدْ وَقَفَ الرَّجَاءَ عَلَى الْمُحَالِ

فَقَدْ وَقَفَ الرَّجَاءَ عَلَى الْمُحَالِ

And whoever asks time for an unchanging state

He who expects continuity of a state

Has indeed pinned his hope on the impossible.

Has stopped hoping for the impossible