1. كَم آمِنٍ لِلمَنونِ لاهٍ

    عَنِ الرَدى باتَ مُطمَئِنّا

    How many a man, thinking himself safe from death, heedless

    of destruction, has passed the night at ease—

  2. صَبَّحَهُ وافِدُ المَنايا

    فَعايَنَ المَوتَ حينَ عَنّا

    only for death’s messenger to visit him at dawn,

    and he beheld death the moment it appeared.

  3. حَتّى إِذا ما قَضى بَكاهُ

    حَميمُهُ مُعوِلاً مُرِنّا

    Then, once he had breathed his last, he was mourned

    by his beloved, wailing in ringing lament.

  4. وارَوهُ في لَحدِهِ وَسَنّوا

    عَلَيهِ قَيدَ التُرابِ سَنّا

    They laid him in his grave-niche and poured

    over him earth’s fetter in a steady stream.

  5. وَاِنتَهَبوا مالَهُ وَشَنّوا ال

    غاراتِ فيما حَواهُ شَنّا

    They plundered his wealth and launched

    raid after raid upon all he had amassed.

  6. لِمِثلِ هَذا فَكُن مُعِدّا

    ما قَد أُعِدَّ الهُداةُ مِنّا

    For such an end, then, be preparing

    for that for which the guides among us were prepared.

  7. وَاِرتَقِبِ المَوتَ فَهوَ حَتمٌ

    يَختَرِمُ الطِفلَ وَالمُسِنّا

    And await death, for it is inevitable:

    it snatches away the child and the aged alike.