أَمّاas for اليَقينُcertainty فَإِنَّناthen indeed we سَكنُdwellers in البِلىdecay
أَمّا اليَقينُ فَإِنَّنا سَكنُ البِلى
وَلَناand we have هُناكَthere جَماعَةٌa company فُرّاطُforerunners
وَلَنا هُناكَ جَماعَةٌ فُرّاطُ
This much is certain: we are dwellers in decay,
and there we have a company who have gone before us.
وَلِكُلِّand for every دَهرٍage حَليَّةٌan adornment مِنamong أَهلِهِits people
وَلِكُلِّ دَهرٍ حَليَّةٌ مِن أَهلِهِ
ماnot فيهِمُamong them جَنَفٌinjustice وَلاand no إِفراطُexcess
ما فيهِمُ جَنَفٌ وَلا إِفراطُ
And every age has an adornment among its people,
in whom there is neither injustice nor excess.
وَالغيدُand graceful women مُختَلِفٌdiffering مَواضِعُthe positions of حَليهاtheir jewelry
وَالغيدُ مُختَلِفٌ مَواضِعُ حَليها
وَتَناءَتِand are far apart الأَحجالُthe anklets وَالأَقراطُand the earrings
وَتَناءَتِ الأَحجالُ وَالأَقراطُ
And graceful women's jewels are worn in different places,
and the anklets and earrings lie far apart.
كَمhow often لاحَتِgleamed الأَشراطُthe Ashrat stars فيin جِنحِthe depths of الدُجىnight's darkness
كَم لاحَتِ الأَشراطُ في جِنحِ الدُجى
فَمَتّىthen when تَبينُappear لِبَعثِناfor our resurrection أَشراطُsigns
فَمَتّى تَبينُ لِبَعثِنا أَشراطُ
How often have the Ashrat stars gleamed in the depths of night!
Then when will signs of our resurrection appear?
وَكَأَنَّand as though هَذاthis الخَلقَhumankind أَهلُthe inhabitants of جَهَنَّمHell
وَكَأَنَّ هَذا الخَلقَ أَهلُ جَهَنَّم
وَلَهُمand for them مِنَof المَوتِdeath الزُؤامِdreadful سِراطُa bridge
وَلَهُم مِنَ المَوتِ الزُؤامِ سِراطُ
And it is as though humankind were Hell's inhabitants,
and theirs is a bridge of dreadful death.
لَوif لَمnot تَكُنyou were مِثلَlike الجَماعَةِthe crowd زائِفاًcounterfeit
لَو لَم تَكُن مِثلَ الجَماعَةِ زائِفاً
لَمnot يَشجُكَdistress you الدينارُthe dinar (gold coin) وَالقيراطُand the qirat (monetary unit)
لَم يَشجُكَ الدينارُ وَالقيراطُ
Were you not counterfeit like the crowd,
the dinar and the qirat would not distress you.