أَركانُ دُنيانا غَرائِرُ أَربَعٌ

أَركانُ دُنيانا غَرائِرُ أَربَعٌ

جُعِلَت لِمَن هُوَ فَوقَنا أَركانا

جُعِلَت لِمَن هُوَ فَوقَنا أَركانا

Our world's pillars are four sacks,

The pillars of this world are four strange truths

made into pillars for whoever is above us.

Set for Him who is above us as pillars

وَاللَهُ صَيَّرَ لِلبِلادِ وَأَهلِها

وَاللَهُ صَيَّرَ لِلبِلادِ وَأَهلِها

ظَرفَينِ وَقتاً ذاهِباً وَمَكانا

ظَرفَينِ وَقتاً ذاهِباً وَمَكانا

And God has made, for the lands and their people,

And Allah has made for every land and its people

two containers: passing time and place.

Two circumstances, time that passes and place

وَالدَهرُ لا يَدري بِمَن هُوَ كائِنٌ

وَالدَهرُ لا يَدري بِمَن هُوَ كائِنٌ

فيهِ فَكَيفَ يُلامُ فيما كانا

فيهِ فَكَيفَ يُلامُ فيما كانا

And time knows nothing of those who exist

And fate does not know who will be

within it; how then can it be blamed for what has happened?

In it so how can it be blamed for what has been

وَالمَرءُ لَيسَ بِزاهِدٍ في غادَةٍ

وَالمَرءُ لَيسَ بِزاهِدٍ في غادَةٍ

لَكِنَّهُ يَتَرَقَّبُ الإِمكانا

لَكِنَّهُ يَتَرَقَّبُ الإِمكانا

And a man is not indifferent to a lovely young woman,

A man is not ascetic in youth

but he waits for the opportunity.

But he awaits possibility

وَالحَيُّ تُخلِقُ جِسمَهُ حَرَكاتُهُ

وَالحَيُّ تُخلِقُ جِسمَهُ حَرَكاتُهُ

فَيَكِلُّ وَهوَ يُحاذِرُ الإِسكانا

فَيَكِلُّ وَهوَ يُحاذِرُ الإِسكانا

And the living man's movements wear his body out;

The living, their bodies are moved by their actions

so he grows weary, yet fears being stilled.

So they weaken while avoiding stillness

نَبكي وَنَضحَكُ وَالقَضاءُ مُسَلَّطٌ

نَبكي وَنَضحَكُ وَالقَضاءُ مُسَلَّطٌ

ما الدَهرُ أَضحَكَنا وَلا أَبكانا

ما الدَهرُ أَضحَكَنا وَلا أَبكانا

We weep and laugh, while fate holds sway;

We cry and laugh while fate reigns

time has neither made us laugh nor made us weep.

Not time that made us laugh or cry

نَشكو الزَمانَ وَما أَتى بِجِنايَةٍ

نَشكو الزَمانَ وَما أَتى بِجِنايَةٍ

وَلَوِ اِستَطاعَ تَكَلُّماً لَشَكانا

وَلَوِ اِستَطاعَ تَكَلُّماً لَشَكانا

We complain of time, though it has committed no crime;

We complain of time though it brought no injustice

and could it speak, it would complain of us,

If it could speak it would complain of us

مُتَوافِقينَ عَلى المَظالِمِ رُكِّبَت

مُتَوافِقينَ عَلى المَظالِمِ رُكِّبَت

فينا وَقارَبَ شَرَّنا أَزكانا

فينا وَقارَبَ شَرَّنا أَزكانا

agreeing on the injustices ingrained

In agreement over wrongs committed against us

in us; and our purest comes close to our worst.

In us, nearing the worst of us

يَمضي بِنا الفَتَيانِ ما أَخَذا لَنا

يَمضي بِنا الفَتَيانِ ما أَخَذا لَنا

نَفساً عَلى حالٍ وَلا تَرَكانا

نَفساً عَلى حالٍ وَلا تَرَكانا

The two youths carry us onward; they have never taken from us

Taking us, the youth passed, not leaving

a soul in any circumstance, nor have they left us.

A soul as it was or sparing us

وَأَرى الجُدودَ حَبَت قُرَيشاً مُلكَها

وَأَرى الجُدودَ حَبَت قُرَيشاً مُلكَها

وَذَوَتهُ عَمداً عَن بَني مِلكانا

وَذَوَتهُ عَمداً عَن بَني مِلكانا

And I see that fortunes granted Quraysh its dominion,

I see ancestry loved Quraysh, its kingdom

and deliberately withheld it from the sons of Milkan.

And glory, supporting the Bani Mlikan