يَعِزُّ عَلَيَّ قَبرٌ بَعدَ مَهدٍ

يَعِزُّ عَلَيَّ قَبرٌ بَعدَ مَهدٍ

وَرَكضُ النَعشِ مِن قَبلِ الحِصانِ

وَرَكضُ النَعشِ مِن قَبلِ الحِصانِ

It pains me: a grave after a cradle,

A grave is hard for me after a cradle

and the bier's racing before the horse,

And the bier’s gallop before the steed

وَأَن أَخَذَ المُغَسَّلُ ما نَواهُ

وَأَن أَخَذَ المُغَسَّلُ ما نَواهُ

سَماحُكَ لِلطَبيبِ وَلِلخِتانِ

سَماحُكَ لِلطَبيبِ وَلِلخِتانِ

and that the corpse-washer took what

That the undertaker took what he intended

your generosity had intended for the physician and for circumcision.

Your pardon to the doctor and the circumciser

لَئِن قوسِمتَ في ثَمَراتِ نَفسٍ

لَئِن قوسِمتَ في ثَمَراتِ نَفسٍ

جَناها ذا الحِمامُ وَأَيُّ جانِ

جَناها ذا الحِمامُ وَأَيُّ جانِ

If indeed you have been made to share the fruits of a soul,

If you are divided in the fruits of a soul

which this Death reaped—and what a reaper!—

Whose crop the turtledove reaped, and what a cropper!

فَكُلُّ الناسِ سارَ بِلا اِرتِيادٍ

فَكُلُّ الناسِ سارَ بِلا اِرتِيادٍ

وَبَينَ يَدَيكَ رُوّادُ الجِنانِ

وَبَينَ يَدَيكَ رُوّادُ الجِنانِ

then everyone journeys without scouting ahead,

So all the people went on without hesitation

while before you are scouts of Paradise.

While paradise visitors are before you