ماwhat فاتَhas passed فاتَhas passed وَلَيسَand not تَعلمyou know ماwhat الَّذيthat which
ما فاتَ فاتَ وَلَيسَ تَعلم ما الَّذي
يَأتيكَcomes to you مِنfrom قِبَلthe direction of الزَمانthe time المُقبلto come
يَأتيكَ مِن قِبَل الزَمان المُقبل
What has passed has passed, and you do not know what
What's past is past, you know not what's to come
will come to you from the time ahead.
From time ahead, what fate has yet to show.
لَمdid not تَلقَyou meet إِلّاexcept مُدرِكاًa witness أَوor آخِراًa later man
لَم تَلقَ إِلّا مُدرِكاً أَو آخِراً
يَرويhe recounts وَيَنقلand he transmits مُخبِراًreporting عَنfrom أَولan earlier one
يَروي وَيَنقل مُخبِراً عَن أَول
You have met only a witness or a later man
You've heard what those before could see and tell,
who recounts and transmits, reporting from an earlier one.
What's first or last, their witness and their woe.
وَإِذاand if تَأَملتyou contemplated الثَرىthe dust أَلفَيتَهُyou found it
وَإِذا تَأَملت الثَرى أَلفَيتَهُ
غُررbrows المُلوكof kings تُداسare trampled تَحتَbeneath الأَرجُلِthe feet
غُرر المُلوك تُداس تَحتَ الأَرجُلِ
And if you contemplate the dust, you will find it to be
Look on the earth, and see what's there to learn -
the brows of kings, trampled beneath feet.
The gems of kings lie trampled in the dirt.