أَرانا اللُبُّ أَنّا في ضَلالٍ

أَرانا اللُبُّ أَنّا في ضَلالٍ

وَأَنّا موطِنونَ بِشَرِّ دارِ

وَأَنّا موطِنونَ بِشَرِّ دارِ

Reason has shown us that we are astray,

Illusion led us to believe we had strayed

And that we dwell in the worst of abodes.

And made our home in the abode of evil

نُدارُ عَلى الَّذي نَهوى سِواهُ

نُدارُ عَلى الَّذي نَهوى سِواهُ

بِحُكمِ اللَهِ في الفَلَكِ المُدارِ

بِحُكمِ اللَهِ في الفَلَكِ المُدارِ

We are turned toward one thing, though we desire another,

We resist whom we passionately desire

By God's decree, in the sphere set revolving.

By God's decree in the revolving sphere

وَما يُدريكَ وَالإِنسانُ غُمُرٌ

وَما يُدريكَ وَالإِنسانُ غُمُرٌ

وَقَد يُدرى خَليلُكَ وَهُوَ دارِ

وَقَد يُدرى خَليلُكَ وَهُوَ دارِ

And how can you know, when man is inexperienced,

While man is but brief existence

And your friend may be deceived, though he is aware?

Your friend may remain and dwell

لَعَلَّ مَفاصِلَ البِناءِ تُضحي

لَعَلَّ مَفاصِلَ البِناءِ تُضحي

طِلاءً لِلسَقيفَةِ وَالجِدارِ

طِلاءً لِلسَقيفَةِ وَالجِدارِ

Perhaps the structure's joints will become

Perhaps the joints of the building

Plaster for the roofed shelter and the wall.

Will be plaster for the pavilion and wall

يُرَجِّيَ الناسُ كُلُّهُمُ حُظوظاً

يُرَجِّيَ الناسُ كُلُّهُمُ حُظوظاً

وَلِلأَقدارِ فِعلٌ بِاِقتِدارِ

وَلِلأَقدارِ فِعلٌ بِاِقتِدارِ

All people hope for good fortune,

All people have hopes

Yet fate's decrees act with power.

But destiny acts with power

وَما رُتباتُهُم إِلّا غُروبٌ

وَما رُتباتُهُم إِلّا غُروبٌ

دَوائِبُ في طُلوعٍ وَاِنحِدارِ

دَوائِبُ في طُلوعٍ وَاِنحِدارِ

And their ranks are nothing but water buckets,

Their positions are but a setting

Ceaselessly at work, rising and falling.

In constant rise and fall

إِذا كانَ الَّذي يَأتي قَضاءً

إِذا كانَ الَّذي يَأتي قَضاءً

فَمُكثي لَيسَ يَنقُصُ عَن بِدارِ

فَمُكثي لَيسَ يَنقُصُ عَن بِدارِ

If what is to come is decreed,

If what comes is fate

Then my waiting is no worse than haste.

My waiting takes nothing from beginning