عَمَلٌwork كَلاlike no عَمَلٍwork وَوَقتٌand time فائِتٌpassing away
عَمَلٌ كَلا عَمَلٍ وَوَقتٌ فائِتٌ
وَيَدٌand a hand إِذاwhen مَلَكَتit took possession رَمَتit cast away ماتَملِكُwhat it owns
وَيَدٌ إِذا مَلَكَت رَمَت ماتَملِكُ
Work as though no work, and time slipping away;
And a hand that, when it possesses, casts away what it owns.
وَشُخوصُand figures أَقوامٍof peoples تَلوحُappear فَأَمَّةٌthen a nation
وَشُخوصُ أَقوامٍ تَلوحُ فَأَمَّةٌ
قَدِمَتhas arrived مِجَدَّدَةًrenewed وَأُخرىand another تَهلِكُperishes
قَدِمَت مِجَدَّدَةً وَأُخرى تَهلِكُ
And the figures of peoples appear: then one nation
Has arrived renewed, while another perishes.
أَمّاas for الجُسومُthe bodies فَلِلتُرابِthen to dust مَآلُهاtheir final return
أَمّا الجُسومُ فَلِلتُرابِ مَآلُها
وَعَيَيتُand I am at a loss بِالأَرواحِconcerning souls أَنىwhere تَسلُكُthey go
وَعَيَيتُ بِالأَرواحِ أَنى تَسلُكُ
As for bodies, their final return is to dust;
And I am at a loss about souls: where do they go?