فللهِ نفي إن في لعبرةً

فللهِ نفي إن في لعبرةً

وللدهرِ نقضٌ للقوى بعد إبرامِ

وللدهرِ نقضٌ للقوى بعد إبرامِ

To God belongs exile; surely in [it] lies a lesson. [Wording unclear.]

For Allah is His negation if in remembrance there be

And time unravels strands after they have been tightly twisted.

And for time is its undoing of strength after covenant

غدوتُ على الدنيا مليكاً مسلطاً

غدوتُ على الدنيا مليكاً مسلطاً

ورحتُ وما أحوي بها قبسَ إبهامِ

ورحتُ وما أحوي بها قبسَ إبهامِ

At dawn I was a king, wielding power over the world;

I rose over the world a king with might

By evening I possessed not even a thumb-sized ember in it.

And I went not containing in it gleam of thumb

وهل ليلةٌ في الدهرِ إلا أرى بها

وهل ليلةٌ في الدهرِ إلا أرى بها

قد اثبتَّ أقداماً وزل بأقدامِ

قد اثبتَّ أقداماً وزل بأقدامِ

And is there any night in all time when I do not see

Is there a night in time but I saw therein

That you have steadied some feet and made others slip?

It had rendered feet firm and slipped with feet

كذاك رأينا الدهرَ يقدمُ صرفه

كذاك رأينا الدهرَ يقدمُ صرفه

على كل نفسٍ بين بؤسٍ وإنعام

على كل نفسٍ بين بؤسٍ وإنعام

Thus we have seen time bring its shifting fortunes

Thus we saw time advance its turns

Upon every soul, between misery and bounty.

Upon every soul between misery and bestowal

فيرفعُ أقواماً وكانوا أذلةً

فيرفعُ أقواماً وكانوا أذلةً

ويهوي من الصيد الكرام بأقوامِ

ويهوي من الصيد الكرام بأقوامِ

So it raises people who once were lowly,

It raises peoples though they were lowliest

And casts down people from among the proud and noble.

And causes the noble preys to fall with peoples

فيسقيهم شربين سخناً وبارداً

فيسقيهم شربين سخناً وبارداً

بكأسين شتى من هوانٍ وإكرامِ

بكأسين شتى من هوانٍ وإكرامِ

So it gives them two draughts, one hot and one cold,

It gives them two drafts hot and cold

With two different cups, of humiliation and honor.

With two unlike cups of abasement and honor

وكائن ترى من معدمٍ بعد ثروةٍ

وكائن ترى من معدمٍ بعد ثروةٍ

وآخرَ يؤتى ثروةً بعد إعدامِ

وآخرَ يؤتى ثروةً بعد إعدامِ

And how many a pauper you see who once had wealth,

And you see one from destitute after wealth

And another granted wealth after destitution.

And another given wealth after annihilation