أَعلَمُ أَنّي مَتى ما يَأتِني قَدَري

أَعلَمُ أَنّي مَتى ما يَأتِني قَدَري

فَلَيسَ يَحبِسُهُ شُحٌّ وَلا شَفَقُ

فَلَيسَ يَحبِسُهُ شُحٌّ وَلا شَفَقُ

I know that whenever my appointed fate comes to me,

I know that when my fate comes to me

neither avarice nor fear can hold it back.

Neither stinginess nor mercy can detain it

بَينا الفَتى مُعجَبٌ بِالعَيشِ مُغتَبِطٌ

بَينا الفَتى مُعجَبٌ بِالعَيشِ مُغتَبِطٌ

إِذا الفَتى لِلمَنايا مُسلَمٌ غَلِقُ

إِذا الفَتى لِلمَنايا مُسلَمٌ غَلِقُ

While a young man is delighted with life and rejoicing,

While the youth is enamored with life, content

suddenly he is surrendered to death, irredeemably bound.

Suddenly the youth surrenders to death, resigned

وَالمَرءُ وَالمالُ يَنمي ثُم يُذهِبُهُ

وَالمَرءُ وَالمالُ يَنمي ثُم يُذهِبُهُ

مَرُّ الدُهورِ ويُفنيهِ فيَنسَحِقُ

مَرُّ الدُهورِ ويُفنيهِ فيَنسَحِقُ

Man and wealth grow; then they are swept away

Man and money grow then time takes them away

by the passage of ages, which destroys them until they crumble.

The cycles of time destroy them, they crumble

كَالغُصنِ بَينا تَراهُ ناعِماً هَدِباً

كَالغُصنِ بَينا تَراهُ ناعِماً هَدِباً

إِذ هاجَ وَاِنحَتَّ عَن أَفنانِهِ الوَرَقُ

إِذ هاجَ وَاِنحَتَّ عَن أَفنانِهِ الوَرَقُ

Like a branch: while you see it tender and leafy,

Like a branch you see flourishing and leafy

suddenly it withers, and the leaves fall from its boughs.

When it shook and shed its leaves from their stems

كَذلِكَ المَرءُ إِذ يُنسَأ لَهُ أَجَلٌ

كَذلِكَ المَرءُ إِذ يُنسَأ لَهُ أَجَلٌ

يُرَكَبُ بِهِ طَبَقٌ مِن بَعدِهِ طَبَقُ

يُرَكَبُ بِهِ طَبَقٌ مِن بَعدِهِ طَبَقُ

So too is man: when his appointed end is deferred,

So it is with man when his term is prolonged

he is borne through one stage after another.

After him comes generations, layer on layer

قَد يُعوِزُ الحازِمُ المَحمودُ نِيَّتُهُ

قَد يُعوِزُ الحازِمُ المَحمودُ نِيَّتُهُ

بَعدَ الثَراءِ وَيُثري العاجِزُ الحَمِقُ

بَعدَ الثَراءِ وَيُثري العاجِزُ الحَمِقُ

A prudent man of praiseworthy intent may fall into want

The wise and praised may lack good intention

after affluence, while the ineffectual fool grows rich.

After wealth, while the incapable fool grows rich

فَلا تَخافي عَلَينا الفقرَ وَاِنتَظِري

فَلا تَخافي عَلَينا الفقرَ وَاِنتَظِري

فَضلَ الَّذي بِالغِنى مِن عِندِه نَثِقُ

فَضلَ الَّذي بِالغِنى مِن عِندِه نَثِقُ

So do not fear poverty for us, and await

So do not fear poverty befalling us, and wait

the bounty of Him in whose gift of wealth we trust.

For the bounty of Him in whom we trust

إِن يَفنَ ما عِندَنا فَاللَهُ يَرزُقُنا

إِن يَفنَ ما عِندَنا فَاللَهُ يَرزُقُنا

وَمَن سِوانا وَلَسنا نَحنُ نَرتَزِقُ

وَمَن سِوانا وَلَسنا نَحنُ نَرتَزِقُ

If what we have runs out, then God will provide for us

If what we have perishes, God will provide for us

and those besides us; it is not we who provide for ourselves.

It is not us, but He who sustains our livelihood