لَعَمْرُكَby your life مَاnot الإِنْسَانُman إِلَّاexcept ابْنُthe son of يَوْمِهِhis day
لَعَمْرُكَ مَا الإِنْسَانُ إِلَّا ابْنُ يَوْمِهِ
وَمَاand not الْعَيْشُlife إِلَّاexcept لُبْثَةٌa brief stay وَزِيَالُand departure
وَمَا الْعَيْشُ إِلَّا لُبْثَةٌ وَزِيَالُ
By your life, man is but the son of his day;
And life is but a brief stay and departure.
وَمَاand not الدَّهْرُtime إِلَّاexcept دَفْتَرٌa book فِيin خِلالِهِits folds
وَمَا الدَّهْرُ إِلَّا دَفْتَرٌ فِي خِلالِهِ
تَصَاوِيرُimages لَمْnot يُعْهَدْhas been known لَهُنَّfor them مِثَالُa likeness
تَصَاوِيرُ لَمْ يُعْهَدْ لَهُنَّ مِثَالُ
And time is but a book, within whose folds
Are images whose like has never been known.
فَفِيfor on صَفْحَةٍa page مِنْهُof it زَمَانٌan age قَدِalready انْقَضَىhas passed
فَفِي صَفْحَةٍ مِنْهُ زَمَانٌ قَدِ انْقَضَى
وَفِيand on وَجْهِthe face of أُخْرَىanother دَوْلَةٌa dynasty وَرِجَالُand men
وَفِي وَجْهِ أُخْرَى دَوْلَةٌ وَرِجَالُ
For on one of its pages is an age gone by,
And on the face of another, a dynasty and men.
Sol 6.1