لَيسَthere is not لِشَيءfor anything غَيرَother than تَقوىpiety جَداءbenefit
لَيسَ لِشَيء غَيرَ تَقوى جَداء
وَكُكُّand every (apparent typo) شَيءٍthing عُمرُهُits lifetime لِلفَناءfor extinction
وَكُكُّ شَيءٍ عُمرُهُ لِلفَناء
Nothing but piety is of any avail.
Nothing but piety brings reward
And everything's life is destined for extinction.
And everything’s lifetime leads to decay
وَالملكُand sovereignty فيamong الأَقوامِthe peoples مُستَودعٌheld in trust
وَالملكُ في الأَقوامِ مُستَودعٌ
عارِيَّةa loan فَالشَرطُso the condition فيهِin it الأَداءrepayment
عارِيَّة فَالشَرطُ فيهِ الأَداء
And sovereignty among peoples is held in trust,
And kingship over people is entrusted
a loan, whose condition is repayment.
On loan without condition to convey
إِنَّindeed أَباAbu بَكرٍBakr هُوَhe الغَيثُthe rain إِذwhen
إِنَّ أَبا بَكرٍ هُوَ الغَيثُ إِذ
لَمdid not تَشمَلِcover الأَرضُthe earth سَحابٌa cloud بِماءwith water
لَم تَشمَلِ الأَرضُ سَحابٌ بِماء
Indeed, Abu Bakr is the rain when
Abu Bakr is rain when no
no cloud has covered the earth with water.
Clouds blanket the land with showers
تاللَهِby God لاnot يُدرِكُrival أَيّامَهُhis days
تاللَهِ لا يُدرِكُ أَيّامَهُ
ذوone with طُرَّةٍa forelock حافٍbarefoot وَلاnor ذوone with حِذاءshoes
ذو طُرَّةٍ حافٍ وَلا ذو حِذاء
By God, none can rival his days—
By God, none can attain his days
neither a barefoot man with a forelock nor one wearing shoes.
Unshod or barefoot, that strives and cowers
مَنwhoever يَسعَstrives كَيin order to يُدرِكَrival أَيّامَهُhis days
مَن يَسعَ كَي يُدرِكَ أَيّامَهُ
يَجتَهِدِexerts himself الشَدَّswift running بِأَرضٍover ground فَضاءopen
يَجتَهِدِ الشَدَّ بِأَرضٍ فَضاء
Whoever strives to rival his days
Who can attain his days however they strain
must strain in running across open ground.
Roaming the bare wilderness in vain
المَرءُthe man يَسعىstrives وَلَهُand he has راصِدٌone lying in wait
المَرءُ يَسعى وَلَهُ راصِدٌ
تُنذِرُهُwarns him العَينُthe eye وَثَوبُand the cloak الضَرّاءadversity
تُنذِرُهُ العَينُ وَثَوبُ الضَرّاء
A man strives, yet a watcher lies in wait for him.
Man strives though fate forestalls him
The eye and the cloak of adversity warn him.
And the eye, garb of misery, gives warning plain
يَهرمُhe grows old أَوor يَقتُلُhe kills أَوor يَقهَرُهُoverpowers him
يَهرمُ أَو يَقتُلُ أَو يَقهَرُهُ
يَشكوهُhe complains of it سُقمٌan illness لَيسَthere is not فيهِin it شِفاءhealing
يَشكوهُ سُقمٌ لَيسَ فيهِ شِفاء
He grows old, or kills, or is overpowered
He grows old or dies or defeat oppresses him
by an illness he laments, for which there is no cure.
Or a malady without cure causes him pain
لِلمَجدِfor glory فيin مَنزِلِهِhis dwelling بادِياًplainly visible
لِلمَجدِ في مَنزِلِهِ بادِياً
حَوضٌa basin رَفيعٌlofty لَمhas not يَخُنهُfailed it الإِزاءthe inlet
حَوضٌ رَفيعٌ لَم يَخُنهُ الإِزاء
Glory has in his dwelling, plainly visible,
For glory in its abode manifest
a lofty basin whose inlet has not failed it.
A lofty pool no diminution can stain
المُعطيthe giver of الجُردِthe sleek horses بِأَرسانِهاwith their halters
المُعطي الجُردِ بِأَرسانِها
وَالناعِجاتِand the white she-camels المُسرِعاتِswift-moving النَجاءrapid travel
وَالناعِجاتِ المُسرِعاتِ النَجاء
The giver of sleek horses with their halters,
The Giver of steeds with armored host
and white she-camels, swift of pace.
And she-camels hastening with quick refrain