صاحَ إِنَّ الحَياةَ مَدٌّ وَجَزرُ

صاحَ إِنَّ الحَياةَ مَدٌّ وَجَزرُ

وَطَريقُ الحَياةِ سَهلٌ وَوَعرُ

وَطَريقُ الحَياةِ سَهلٌ وَوَعرُ

O friend, life is flow and ebb,

My friend, life ebbs and flows

And life's path is smooth and rough.

And the path of life is easy and hard

فَاِسبِقِ الشَمسَ قَبلَ تَبدو بِشَمسٍ

فَاِسبِقِ الشَمسَ قَبلَ تَبدو بِشَمسٍ

سِرُّها غِمامَةَ الكَأسِ جَهرُ

سِرُّها غِمامَةَ الكَأسِ جَهرُ

So outstrip the sun, before it appears, with a sun

So outpace the sun before it dawns with a sun

Whose secret, within the cup's cloud, is plain.

Whose secret is the cloudiness of the chalice aloud

فَجِهازُ السَماءِ شَربٌ وَلاذٌ

فَجِهازُ السَماءِ شَربٌ وَلاذٌ

وَأَثاثُ الرِياضِ دُرٌّ وَتِبرُ

وَأَثاثُ الرِياضِ دُرٌّ وَتِبرُ

For the sky's furnishings are fine linen and silk,

For the apparatus of heaven is drink and refuge

And the gardens' furnishings are pearls and raw gold.

And the furnishings of gardens are pearls and dust