أمَا رأوْا تقلُّبَ الدنيا بِنَا

أمَا رأوْا تقلُّبَ الدنيا بِنَا

وفتكهَا بِمَنْ إليهَا أخْلَدَا

وفتكهَا بِمَنْ إليهَا أخْلَدَا

Have they not seen how the world tosses us about,

Have they not seen the world's ups and downs with us,

and how it slays whoever puts his trust in it?

And its havoc on those who settled in it?

كم نَسَفَتْ أيدِي الخطوب جَبَلاً

كم نَسَفَتْ أيدِي الخطوب جَبَلاً

وصيَّرَتْ لُجّةَ بَحْرٍ ثَمَدَا

وصيَّرَتْ لُجّةَ بَحْرٍ ثَمَدَا

How many a mountain have the hands of calamity swept away,

How the blows of fate have torn down mountains,

and turned a sea's deep waters into a shallow pool!

And turned a vast sea into a wasteland.

وكم أعَادَتْ ذَا ثَرَاءٍ مُعْدَماً

وكم أعَادَتْ ذَا ثَرَاءٍ مُعْدَماً

وذا قَبِيلٍ وعَدِيدٍ مُفْرَدَا

وذا قَبِيلٍ وعَدِيدٍ مُفْرَدَا

And how many a wealthy man has it made destitute,

How it has impoverished the wealthy,

and one with a clan and many followers, alone!

And left a large tribe as just one man.

عَلِمْتُ مَا لم يَعْلَمُوا ونَظَرتْ

عَلِمْتُ مَا لم يَعْلَمُوا ونَظَرتْ

عَيْنَاي دَهْرِي مَصْدَراً ومَوْرِدَا

عَيْنَاي دَهْرِي مَصْدَراً ومَوْرِدَا

I learned what they did not know, and beheld

I have learned what they do not know, and my eyes

with my eyes my lifetime, its departures and arrivals.

Have seen the source and course of my fate.

فما رأيتُ غيرَ ظلٍّ زائلٍ

فما رأيتُ غيرَ ظلٍّ زائلٍ

كلٌّ يَمُدُّ نَحْوَهُ جَهْلاً يَدَا

كلٌّ يَمُدُّ نَحْوَهُ جَهْلاً يَدَا

So I saw nothing but a vanishing shadow,

So I saw naught but a fleeting shadow,

toward which everyone, in ignorance, stretches out a hand.

With each extending toward it a hand of ignorance.