أَلا إِنَّ دَهراً هادِماً كل مانبنى

أَلا إِنَّ دَهراً هادِماً كل مانبنى

سَيَبلى كَما يُبلى وَيَفنى كَما يُفنى

سَيَبلى كَما يُبلى وَيَفنى كَما يُفنى

Behold, time, which demolishes all that has been built,

Alas! Time, ever destructive, ruins all we build

will wear away as it wears things away, and perish as it makes things perish.

It will fade as things fade and vanish as things vanish

وَما الفَوزُ في الدنيا هُوَ الفوز إِنَّما

وَما الفَوزُ في الدنيا هُوَ الفوز إِنَّما

يَفوز الفَتى بالربح فيها مَع الغبن

يَفوز الفَتى بالربح فيها مَع الغبن

And success in this world is not true success; rather,

And triumph in this world is not the real triumph

a young man gains profit in it only alongside loss.

The youth triumphs by gaining profit mixed with loss

يُجازي ببؤسٍ عَن لَذيذ نعيمها

يُجازي ببؤسٍ عَن لَذيذ نعيمها

وَيَجني الرَدى مِمّا غدت كفُّه تجنى

وَيَجني الرَدى مِمّا غدت كفُّه تجنى

He is repaid with misery for its sweet bliss,

He will be rewarded with misery for his sweet life of bliss

and reaps death from what his hand has been reaping.

And will reap thorns from what his hands have sown

وَلا شكَّ أَن الحزنَ يَجري لِغايَةٍ

وَلا شكَّ أَن الحزنَ يَجري لِغايَةٍ

وَلَكِنَّ نفس المَرءِ سيئةُ الظَن

وَلَكِنَّ نفس المَرءِ سيئةُ الظَن

And there is no doubt that sorrow runs toward an end,

No doubt that sorrow runs its destined course

yet a person's soul is inclined to think the worst.

But the soul of man is prone to think ill

وَما طولُ سجني عائبٌ لي فَإِنَّه

وَما طولُ سجني عائبٌ لي فَإِنَّه

مِسَنٌّ لأَلبابٍ صدئن بِلا سِنِّ

مِسَنٌّ لأَلبابٍ صدئن بِلا سِنِّ

And my long imprisonment is no disgrace to me, for it is

My long imprisonment does not shame me

a whetstone for minds that have rusted without growing old.

It ripens minds rusted without Temperance

وَما أَنا إِلّا كالعُقارِ تَكسبَّت

وَما أَنا إِلّا كالعُقارِ تَكسبَّت

نسيماً وَطيباً في معاقرةِ الدنِّ

نسيماً وَطيباً في معاقرةِ الدنِّ

And I am only like wine that has acquired

I'm but as aloes wood gaining

a scent and fragrance through its companionship with the wine jar.

Fragrance and scent from mingling with the dregs