أُمورٌmatters تَستَخِفُّmake light بِهاof them حُلومٌsound minds
أُمورٌ تَستَخِفُّ بِها حُلومٌ
وَماand not يَدريknows الفَتىthe young man لِمَنِfor whom الثُبورُruin
وَما يَدري الفَتى لِمَنِ الثُبورُ
Matters that sound minds make light of,
Yet a man knows not whom ruin awaits.
كِتابُthe Book of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad وَكِتابُand the Book of موسىMoses
كِتابُ مُحَمَّدٍ وَكِتابُ موسى
وَإِنجيلُand the Gospel of اِبنِthe son of مَريَمَMary وَالزَبورُand the Psalms
وَإِنجيلُ اِبنِ مَريَمَ وَالزَبورُ
The Book of Muhammad and the Book of Moses,
And the Gospel of Mary's son, and the Psalms,
نَهَتadmonished أُمَماًnations فَماbut not قَبِلَتaccepted وَبارَتand proved fruitless
نَهَت أُمَماً فَما قَبِلَت وَبارَت
نَصيحَتُهاtheir counsel فَكُلُّso all القَومِthe people بورُruined
نَصيحَتُها فَكُلُّ القَومِ بورُ
Admonished nations, but they would not heed; fruitless was
Their counsel, so all the people are ruined.
وَداراًand two abodes ساكِنٍof a dweller وَحَياةُand the life قَومٍof a people
وَداراً ساكِنٍ وَحَياةُ قَومٍ
كَجِسرٍlike a bridge فَوقَهُover it اِتَّصَلَcontinued unbroken العُبورُthe crossing
كَجِسرٍ فَوقَهُ اِتَّصَلَ العُبورُ
And a dweller's two abodes, and a people's life,
Are like a bridge over which passage goes on unbroken.
يُعَطَّلُis left vacant مَنزِلٌa dwelling وَيُزارُand is visited قَبرٌa grave
يُعَطَّلُ مَنزِلٌ وَيُزارُ قَبرٌ
وَماand not تَبقىendure الدِيارُthe dwellings وَلاand neither القُبورُthe graves
وَما تَبقى الدِيارُ وَلا القُبورُ
A dwelling is left vacant, and a grave is visited,
Yet neither dwellings nor graves endure.
حِمامٌdeath فاتِكٌruthless فَهَلِso is there اِنتِصارٌvictory
حِمامٌ فاتِكٌ فَهَلِ اِنتِصارٌ
وَكِسرٌand breaking دائِمٌceaseless فَمَتىso when الجُبورُthe mending
وَكِسرٌ دائِمٌ فَمَتى الجُبورُ
Ruthless death—is there any victory?
And ceaseless breaking—when will mending come?
وَمُلكٌand dominion كَالرِياحِlike the winds جَرَتblew قَبولٌan east wind
وَمُلكٌ كَالرِياحِ جَرَت قَبولٌ
فَلَمbut did not تَلبَثlinger وَأَعقَبَتand followed الدَبورُthe west wind
فَلَم تَلبَث وَأَعقَبَت الدَبورُ
And dominion is like the winds: an east wind blew,
But did not linger, and the west wind followed.
أُصولٌfoundations قَدalready بُنَينَwere built عَلىupon فَسادٍcorruption
أُصولٌ قَد بُنَينَ عَلى فَسادٍ
وَتَقوىand reverence for اللَهِGod سوقٌa market لاnever تَبورُfails
وَتَقوى اللَهِ سوقٌ لا تَبورُ
Foundations have been built upon corruption,
And reverence for God is a market that never fails,
لِيَطَّلِعَso that he may look المَليكُthe Sovereign عَلَيكَupon you فيهاin it
لِيَطَّلِعَ المَليكُ عَلَيكَ فيها
وَأَنتَwhile you عَلىin the face of نَوائِبِهاits calamities صَبورُsteadfastly patient
وَأَنتَ عَلى نَوائِبِها صَبورُ
So that the Sovereign may look upon you there,
While you remain patient amid its calamities.