أَلَيسَ الزَمانُ كَما قَد عَلِمتَ

أَلَيسَ الزَمانُ كَما قَد عَلِمتَ

فَما لَكَ تَجزَعُ مِن صَرفِهِ

فَما لَكَ تَجزَعُ مِن صَرفِهِ

Is Time not as you have known it?

Is not time as you have known

Then why do you despair at its reversals?

Why then do you grieve over its turning?

وَعِندَكَ عِلمٌ بِهِ ثاقِبٌ

وَعِندَكَ عِلمٌ بِهِ ثاقِبٌ

وَعَينٌ تَدُلُّ عَى وَصفِهِ

وَعَينٌ تَدُلُّ عَى وَصفِهِ

And you have penetrating knowledge of it,

You have penetrating knowledge of it

And an eye that reveals its nature.

And an eye that points to its description

وَأَيّامُهُ دولٌ وَالنُفوسُ

وَأَيّامُهُ دولٌ وَالنُفوسُ

رُهونُ الحوادِثِ مِن حَتفِهِ

رُهونُ الحوادِثِ مِن حَتفِهِ

And its days are turns of fortune, and souls

Its days are fickle and souls

Are hostages to calamities, to the doom it brings.

Are pawns of the accidents of its brink

فَأَينَ المُعافى مِنَ النائِباتِ

فَأَينَ المُعافى مِنَ النائِباتِ

وَمَن صاحَبَ الدَهرَ لَم يُعفِهِ

وَمَن صاحَبَ الدَهرَ لَم يُعفِهِ

Then where is anyone safe from misfortunes?

So where is the safe from afflictions?

And Time has spared no one who kept its company.

And who accompanied fate and it spared him?

وَمَن صاحَبَ الدَهرَ لاقى الَّذي

وَمَن صاحَبَ الدَهرَ لاقى الَّذي

يَخافُ عَلى الرَغمِ مِن أَنفِهِ

يَخافُ عَلى الرَغمِ مِن أَنفِهِ

And whoever keeps company with Time encounters what

And whoever accompanied fate met what

He fears, against his will.

He fears despite his nose

فَكُن حازِمَ الرَأيِ وَاِصبِر لَهُ

فَكُن حازِمَ الرَأيِ وَاِصبِر لَهُ

فَلِلحُرِّ صَبرٌ عَلى ضَعفِهِ

فَلِلحُرِّ صَبرٌ عَلى ضَعفِهِ

So be firm in judgment, and bear with it,

So be resolute and patient with it

For the noble man has patience despite his weakness.

For the free man has patience over his weakness

وَلا تَسأَلِ الناسَ ما يَملِكونَ

وَلا تَسأَلِ الناسَ ما يَملِكونَ

وَلَكِن سَلِ اللَهَ وَاِستَكفِهِ

وَلَكِن سَلِ اللَهَ وَاِستَكفِهِ

And do not ask people for what they possess,

And do not ask people what they possess

But ask God, and ask Him to suffice you.

Rather, ask God and make do with Him

وَلا تَخضَعَنَّ إِلى سِفلَةٍ

وَلا تَخضَعَنَّ إِلى سِفلَةٍ

وَإِن كانَتِ الأَرضُ في كَفِّهِ

وَإِن كانَتِ الأَرضُ في كَفِّهِ

And never abase yourself before a base man,

And do not submit to the lowly

Even if the earth were in his palm.

Even if the earth is in their palms

فَإِنَّ اللَئيمَ وَإِن خِلتَهُ

فَإِنَّ اللَئيمَ وَإِن خِلتَهُ

كَريماً يَذودُكَ عَن عُرفِهِ

كَريماً يَذودُكَ عَن عُرفِهِ

For the base man, even if you deem him

For the despicable, if you treat him

Generous, will drive you away from his bounty.

Nobly, will spare you his norms

وَيَرجِعُ مَحصولُ أَخلاقِهِ

وَيَرجِعُ مَحصولُ أَخلاقِهِ

إِلى أَصلِهِ وَإِلى صِنفِهِ

إِلى أَصلِهِ وَإِلى صِنفِهِ

And the substance of his character reverts

And the harvest of his manners returns

To his origin and to his kind.

To his origin and his kind

وَكُلُّ صقيِلٍ وَذي ثَروَةٍ

وَكُلُّ صقيِلٍ وَذي ثَروَةٍ

فَإِنَّ المَنِيَّةَ مِن خَلفِهِ

فَإِنَّ المَنِيَّةَ مِن خَلفِهِ

And every man of polish and every man of wealth—

And every polished and wealthy man

For death is behind him.

Death comes after him