كَم إِلى كَم أَنتَ لِلحِر

كَم إِلى كَم أَنتَ لِلحِر

صِ وَلِلآمالِ عَبدُ

صِ وَلِلآمالِ عَبدُ

How long—how much longer—are you to greed

How long to how long are you a slave

and to hopes a slave?

To hope and desire, ceaseless your toil

لَيسَ يُجدي الحِرصُ وَالسَع

لَيسَ يُجدي الحِرصُ وَالسَع

يُ إِذا لَم يَكُ جَدُّ

يُ إِذا لَم يَكُ جَدُّ

Greed and striving avail nothing

Striving and seeking help not at all

if there is no good fortune.

If Providence's design you defy

ما لِما قَدَّرَ اللَ

ما لِما قَدَّرَ اللَ

هُ مِنَ الأَمرِ مَرَدُّ

هُ مِنَ الأَمرِ مَرَدُّ

For what God has decreed

What God decrees none can deny

in affairs, there is no turning back.

By ill-fortune some are beset

قَد جَرى بِالشَرِّ نَحسٌ

قَد جَرى بِالشَرِّ نَحسٌ

وَجَرى بِالخَيرِ سَعدُ

وَجَرى بِالخَيرِ سَعدُ

Ill fortune has taken its course with evil,

By good fortune some are blessed

and good fortune has taken its course with good.

Mortals are ruled by the flow

وَجَرى الناسُ عَلى جَر

وَجَرى الناسُ عَلى جَر

يِهِما قَبلُ وَبَعدُ

يِهِما قَبلُ وَبَعدُ

And people have followed the course

Of these two, before and after all

of them both, before and after.

Trust not in Fate, for Fate betrays

أَمِنوا الدَهرَ وَما لِل

أَمِنوا الدَهرَ وَما لِل

دَهرِ وَالأَيّامِ عَهدُ

دَهرِ وَالأَيّامِ عَهدُ

They trusted Time, yet Time

Those who on passing days rely

and the days keep no covenant.

In multitudes they were misled

غالَهُم فَاِصطَلَمَ الجَم

غالَهُم فَاِصطَلَمَ الجَم

عُ وَأَفنى ما أَعَدّوا

عُ وَأَفنى ما أَعَدّوا

It struck them down; the throng was wiped out,

Scattered, wasted, now they lie

and it destroyed what they had prepared.

This world, do not be fooled

إِنَّها الدُنيا فَلا تَح

إِنَّها الدُنيا فَلا تَح

فِل بِها جَزرٌ وَمَدُّ

فِل بِها جَزرٌ وَمَدُّ

Such is the world; so take no heed

By its ebb, its flow, its tide

of it: ebb and flow.