إن فاجَأَتْكَ اللّيالي

إن فاجَأَتْكَ اللّيالي

بما يسوءُ فَصَبْرَا

بما يسوءُ فَصَبْرَا

If the nights take you by surprise

If the nights surprise you

with what grieves you, then be patient.

With something unpleasant, so be patient,

فالدهرُ يُرهِقُ عُسراً

فالدهرُ يُرهِقُ عُسراً

ويُتبِعُ العُسرَ يُسرا

ويُتبِعُ العُسرَ يُسرا

For time brings hardship

For time wears down hardship,

and follows hardship with ease.

And follows hardship with ease.

لو دامَ ما ساءَ مِنْهُ

لو دامَ ما ساءَ مِنْهُ

لدامَ ما كانَ سَرَّا

لدامَ ما كانَ سَرَّا

If the sorrow it brings were to last,

If the bad in it were to persist,

then the joy it brought would last as well.

The good in it would not endure.