كَأَنّاas though we وَإِنand although كُنّاwe are نِياماًasleep عَنِheedless of الرَدىdeath
كَأَنّا وَإِن كُنّا نِياماً عَنِ الرَدى
غَداًtomorrow تَحتَbeneath أَحجارِstones الصَفيحِflat stone slabs المُنَضَّدِstacked
غَداً تَحتَ أَحجارِ الصَفيحِ المُنَضَّدِ
As though—although we sleep heedless of death—
It is as though we, though slumbering heedless of death,
tomorrow we shall lie beneath stones of close-laid slabs.
Were to lie tomorrow beneath the stacked slabs of stone.
نُرَجّيwe hope for خُلودَeverlastingness العَيشِlife حيناًfatal folly وَضِلَّةًand delusion
نُرَجّي خُلودَ العَيشِ حيناً وَضِلَّةً
وَلَمand not نَرَwe have seen مِنamong آبائِناour forefathers مِنany مُخَلَّدِone made immortal
وَلَم نَرَ مِن آبائِنا مِن مُخَلَّدِ
For a time, deluded, we hope that life will last forever,
We hope for everlasting life, in fatal folly and delusion,
though among our forefathers we have seen no one made immortal.
Yet we have seen none of our forefathers made immortal.
لَناfor us فِكرَةٌreflection فيon أَوَّليناour forebears وَعِبرَةٌand a lesson
لَنا فِكرَةٌ في أَوَّلينا وَعِبرَةٌ
بِهاthrough it يَقتَديtakes example ذوone possessed of العَقلِreason فيهاin it وَيَهتَديand finds guidance
بِها يَقتَدي ذو العَقلِ فيها وَيَهتَدي
In those before us lie matter for reflection and a lesson
In our forebears we find cause for reflection and a lesson,
by which the rational may take example and find guidance.
Through which the discerning take example and find guidance.
وَلَكِنَّناand yet we نَأتيwe turn to العَمىblindness وَعُيونُناwhile our eyes
وَلَكِنَّنا نَأتي العَمى وَعُيونُنا
إِلَيهِtoward it رَوانٍgazing هاكَذاjust so عَنout of تَعَمُّدِdeliberate intent
إِلَيهِ رَوانٍ هاكَذا عَن تَعَمُّدِ
Yet we approach blindness while our eyes
Yet we embrace blindness, while our eyes
are fixed upon it—thus, deliberately.
Gaze toward it—just so, deliberately.
كَأَنّاas though we سَفاهاًfoolishly لَمnot نُصَبwe were afflicted بِمُصيبَةٍby a calamity
كَأَنّا سَفاهاً لَم نُصَب بِمُصيبَةٍ
وَلَمand not نَرَwe have seen مِنّاfrom among us مَيِّتاًa dead person جَوفَinside مُلحَدِa burial niche
وَلَم نَرَ مِنّا مَيِّتاً جَوفَ مُلحَدِ
As though, in our folly, no calamity had ever struck us,
As though, in folly, no calamity had struck us,
and we had never seen one of our dead within a grave niche.
And we had never seen one of our own dead inside a grave.
بَلىindeed كَمhow many أَخٍa brother ليof mine ذيpossessed of صَفاءٍpure affection حَثَوتُهُI covered him with earth
بَلى كَم أَخٍ لي ذي صَفاءٍ حَثَوتُهُ
عَلىin spite of الرَغمِunwillingness مِنّيon my part مُلحَدَthe burial niche of الرَمسِthe grave بِاليَدِwith the hand
عَلى الرَغمِ مِنّي مُلحَدَ الرَمسِ بِاليَدِ
Yes—how many a pure-hearted brother of mine have I buried,
Indeed, how many a true-hearted brother of mine have I buried,
against my will, in the grave’s niche with my own hand.
Against my will, in the grave's niche, with my own hand.
أُهيلُI heap عَلَيهِover him التُربَearth مِنfrom كُلِّevery جانِبٍside
أُهيلُ عَلَيهِ التُربَ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ
أَرىI regard ذاكَthat مِنّيfrom me حَقَّthe rightful زادِjourney-provision of المُزَوَّدthe one provisioned
أَرى ذاكَ مِنّي حَقَّ زادِ المُزَوَّد
I pour the earth upon him from every side,
I heap earth over him from every side,
seeing this as the fitting provision I can give one sent on his way.
Deeming this the rightful provision I give the one sent on his way.
وَقَدand indeed كُنتُI used to أَفديهِransom him وَأَحذَرُand fear نَأيَهُhis absence
وَقَد كُنتُ أَفديهِ وَأَحذَرُ نَأيَهُ
وَأَفزَعُand be alarmed إِمّاif باتَhe spent the night غَيرَnot مُمَهَّدِcomfortably bedded
وَأَفزَعُ إِمّا باتَ غَيرَ مُمَهَّدِ
Yet once I would have ransomed him, and dreaded his going far away,
And once I would have given my life for him, and feared his absence,
and panicked lest he spend the night with no bed made ready.
And worried if he spent a night without a comfortable bed.
لِكُلِّfor every أَخيone afflicted with ثُكلٍbereavement عَزاءٌconsolation وَأُسوَةٌand an example
لِكُلِّ أَخي ثُكلٍ عَزاءٌ وَأُسوَةٌ
إِذاif كانَhe is مِنamong أَهلِthe people of التُقىpiety فيin مُحَمَّدِMuhammad
إِذا كانَ مِن أَهلِ التُقى في مُحَمَّدِ
For every brother in bereavement there are solace and an exemplar—
For everyone bereaved there is consolation and an example,
in Muhammad, if he is among the people of piety.
In Muhammad, if he is among the God-fearing.
Sol 6.1