مَنِwhoever اِدَّعىclaimed الخَيرَgoodness مِنamong قَومٍa people فَهُمthen they are كُذُبٌliars
مَنِ اِدَّعى الخَيرَ مِن قَومٍ فَهُم كُذُبٌ
لاno خَيرَgoodness فيin هَذِهِthis الدُنياworld وَلاnor خِيَرُgood people
لا خَيرَ في هَذِهِ الدُنيا وَلا خِيَرُ
Those among any people who claim goodness are liars.
There is no goodness in this world, nor any good people.
وَسيرَةُand the course الدَهرِof time ماnot تَنفَكُّceases مُعجِبَةًastonishing
وَسيرَةُ الدَهرِ ما تَنفَكُّ مُعجِبَةً
كَالبَحرِlike the sea تَغرَقُdrown فيin ضَحضاحِهاits shallows السِيَرُlife stories
كَالبَحرِ تَغرَقُ في ضَحضاحِها السِيَرُ
And time’s course never ceases to astonish,
Like the sea: life stories drown in its shallows.
نَمتارُwe procure provisions مِنfrom أُمِّناour mother الغَبراءِdust-colored حاجَتَناwhat we need
نَمتارُ مِن أُمِّنا الغَبراءِ حاجَتَنا
وَلِلبَسيطَةِand for the earth مِنfrom أَجسادِناour bodies مِيَرُprovisions
وَلِلبَسيطَةِ مِن أَجسادِنا مِيَرُ
We obtain the provisions we need from our dust-colored mother,
And the earth’s provisions come from our bodies.
كَمhow often غَيَّرَتناshe has changed us بِأَمرٍthrough an event خُطَّwas inscribed حادِثُهُits occurrence
كَم غَيَّرَتنا بِأَمرٍ خُطَّ حادِثُهُ
وَرَبُّناand our Lord اللَهُGod لَمnot تُلمِمbefall بِهِupon Him الغِيَرُvicissitudes
وَرَبُّنا اللَهُ لَم تُلمِم بِهِ الغِيَرُ
How often she has changed us through an event whose occurrence was inscribed,
Yet our Lord, God, has not been touched by vicissitudes.