وَالمُدنُ إِن رَجَعَ المُسا

وَالمُدنُ إِن رَجَعَ المُسا

فِرُ أَو إِذا خَرَجَ المُسافِر

فِرُ أَو إِذا خَرَجَ المُسافِر

And cities—if the travel-

And the cities—if the traveler returns,

er returns, or when the traveler departs—

Or if the traveler departs—

فَبِدايَةُ ما يُلتَقى

فَبِدايَةُ ما يُلتَقى

وَنِهايَةُ البَلَدِ المَقابِر

وَنِهايَةُ البَلَدِ المَقابِر

the first things one encounters,

Then the first thing one encounters

and the city’s outermost reaches, are cemeteries.

And the town's end are graveyards.

ما اِستَقبَلَتكَ وَوَدَّعَت

ما اِستَقبَلَتكَ وَوَدَّعَت

كَ المُدنُ إِلّا بِالمَقابِر

كَ المُدنُ إِلّا بِالمَقابِر

Cities have never welcomed you or bid you

They have neither welcomed you nor bidden farewell

farewell except with cemeteries.

To you—the cities—except with graveyards.