إذا كان بعد الحياة الممات

إذا كان بعد الحياة الممات

ومن بعد جمع الجميع الشتات

ومن بعد جمع الجميع الشتات

If death comes after life,

If death comes after life,

and after all are gathered comes dispersal;

And dispersal after the gathering of all,

وبعد الكفات التي نحن فيها

وبعد الكفات التي نحن فيها

لنا غيرها في التراب كفات

لنا غيرها في التراب كفات

and after the abode that now contains us,

And after the shelter in which we dwell,

another abode awaits us in the dust;

We have another shelter in the earth,

ومن بعد فرش الحرير الصفا

ومن بعد فرش الحرير الصفا

وساد وأما الفراش السفات

وساد وأما الفراش السفات

and after beds of silk, bare rock

And after silk bedding, smooth stones

is the pillow, while dust is the bed—

Serve as pillows, while dust is the bed—

فكيف اللذاذة في طيب عيشٍ

فكيف اللذاذة في طيب عيشٍ

وفينا بأنفسنا الموعظات

وفينا بأنفسنا الموعظات

how can there be delight in the sweetness of life

Then how can there be pleasure in a pleasant life,

when within our own selves lie admonitions?

When admonitions lie within our very selves?

يموت أبو المرء قدامه

يموت أبو المرء قدامه

ويتبعه النسل والأمهات

ويتبعه النسل والأمهات

A person’s father dies before his eyes,

A man's father dies before him,

and offspring and mothers follow him.

And offspring and mothers follow him.

وينشا الفتى مثل عود ذوت

وينشا الفتى مثل عود ذوت

فأغصانه والعروق السعات

فأغصانه والعروق السعات

The young man grows like a sapling whose

And the youth grows like a tree with withered

branches and far-spreading roots have withered.

Branches and wide-spreading roots.

وقد مات منه لعمري بعض

وقد مات منه لعمري بعض

وكيف لبعض تكون الحياة

وكيف لبعض تكون الحياة

Part of him has already died—by my life—

And, by my life, part of him has already died;

so how can any part of him possess life?

And how can a part have life?

تهدمن أضراسه وانحنى

تهدمن أضراسه وانحنى

وماتت على خده الشعرات

وماتت على خده الشعرات

His molars have crumbled and bent,

His molars have crumbled, and he has stooped,

and the hairs upon his cheek have died.

And the hairs upon his cheek have died.