The sound of bell tells us that nothing is certain because everything changes and nothing stays the same forever.
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Kiyoshi koya
OSAKA JAPAN
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This is my feeble attempt at capturing the poetic impact of the recital that brought the ghosts of the heike to tears (although I believe it might have been a different verse they actually heard).

I guess everyone knowing Heikemonogatari is aware that this is the part of the very first line which codenses a Buddhist conception penetrating through all the following scenes in the text. My personal (only personal) interpretation is that every existence, living or non-living, is destined to vanish in vain in this world, so nothing keeps itself unchanged or wins its victory forever on earth because the world is constantly in a state of alterlation, no matter how regrettable you might feel for the loss of who and what is losing him/her/its-self against your attachment for them. You may cry for them, but stay calm with this notion in all ends. The line expresses this notion allegorically by "bell" in the Gion temple and its sound. I wonder why the asker asks only this part of the phrase, for you may easily find an explanation in most dictioinaries.But as a matter of translation, it's interesting to know that it can be rephrased in a lot of different ways by translators.

My attempt would be "Time never allows every existence in the world to keep its destine unalterable eternally." Might be better ones.

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