هو الزمانُ منَنتَ بالذي جمَعا

هو الزمانُ منَنتَ بالذي جمَعا

في كل يومٍ ترى من صرفهِ بدَعا

في كل يومٍ ترى من صرفهِ بدَعا

Such is Time: you bestowed favors with what it gathered.

It is Time—you placed your faith in what it heaped together,

Every day you see wonders arising from its vicissitudes.

Yet daily see the strange innovations of its turning wheel.

إن شئتَ مُت أسفاً أو فابقَ مضطرباً

إن شئتَ مُت أسفاً أو فابقَ مضطرباً

قد حلّ ما كنتَ تخشاه وقد وقعا

قد حلّ ما كنتَ تخشاه وقد وقعا

If you wish, die of grief, or else remain distraught.

So die of sorrow if you will, or live in agitation,

What you used to fear has arrived and has indeed come to pass.

For what you used to dread has settled; it has surely fallen.

لو كان ممتَنِعٌ تُغنيهِ مَنعَتُهُ

لو كان ممتَنِعٌ تُغنيهِ مَنعَتُهُ

لم يصنع الدهرُ بالإخشيدِ ما صنَعا

لم يصنع الدهرُ بالإخشيدِ ما صنَعا

If a well-defended man could be saved by his defenses,

If the mighty could be rescued by their mightiness,

Time would not have done to al-Ikhshid what it did.

Time would not have done to the Ikhshid what it did.