وَما هَذِهِ الدُنيا سِوى كَرِّ لَحطَةٍ

وَما هَذِهِ الدُنيا سِوى كَرِّ لَحطَةٍ

يُعَدُّ بِها الماضي وَما لَم يَحِن بَعدُ

يُعَدُّ بِها الماضي وَما لَم يَحِن بَعدُ

And this world is nothing but a moment’s recurrence,

This world is but a momentary stay

by which the past and what has not yet come are reckoned.

Wherein the past is counted, and the rest yet delayed

هِيَ الزَمَنُ المَوجودُ لا شَيءَ غَيرَهُ

هِيَ الزَمَنُ المَوجودُ لا شَيءَ غَيرَهُ

وَما مَرَّ وَالآتي عَديمانِ يا دَعدُ

وَما مَرَّ وَالآتي عَديمانِ يا دَعدُ

It is the time that exists; there is nothing besides it,

It is time present, naught else in any way

and what has passed and what is to come are both nonexistent, O Daʿd.

What's passed and what's to come are alike gone and mislaid