كَأَنَّما الأَجسادُ إِن فارَقَت

كَأَنَّما الأَجسادُ إِن فارَقَت

أَرواحَها صَخرٌ ثَوى أَو خُشُب

أَرواحَها صَخرٌ ثَوى أَو خُشُب

It is as though bodies, when they part from

As if bodies, when their souls depart,

their souls, were stone lying still, or wood.

Are rock where they repose or wooden planks.

وَما دَرى المَيتُ أَأَكفانُهُ

وَما دَرى المَيتُ أَأَكفانُهُ

مُخلِقَةٌ في رَمسِهِ أَم قُشُب

مُخلِقَةٌ في رَمسِهِ أَم قُشُب

Nor does the dead man know whether his shrouds

Nor does the dead man know if winding sheets

are threadbare in his grave or new.

Swathing him are brocade or narrow wraps.

شابَ عَلَينا أَمرَنا شائِبٌ

شابَ عَلَينا أَمرَنا شائِبٌ

وَقَد وَدِدنا أَنَّهُ لَم يَشُب

وَقَد وَدِدنا أَنَّهُ لَم يَشُب

A muddler has muddled our affairs for us,

Our case took on grey hairs though we hoped

and we have wished that he had not.

That it would not turn grey or show white locks.

طَوبى لِطَيرٍ تَلقُطُ الحَبَّةَ المُلقاةَ

طَوبى لِطَيرٍ تَلقُطُ الحَبَّةَ المُلقاةَ

أَو وَحشٍ تَقَفّى العُشُب

أَو وَحشٍ تَقَفّى العُشُب

Blessed are birds that pick up the grain cast down,

Happy the bird who snatches scattered grain

or wild beasts that seek out grass:

Or beast that crops the herbage growing free.

لا تَألَفُ الإِنسَ وَلا تَعرِفُ القَن

لا تَألَفُ الإِنسَ وَلا تَعرِفُ القَن

سَ وَلا تَسمو إِلَيها الأُشُب

سَ وَلا تَسمو إِلَيها الأُشُب

they do not consort with humankind, nor recognize

It knows not humankind, nor violence feels,

lineage; nor do entanglements reach up to them.

No war's bright banners lure it to its doom.

فَلا تَشُبُّ الحَربَ وَقّادَةً

فَلا تَشُبُّ الحَربَ وَقّادَةً

فَخامِدٌ في نَفسِهِ مَن يَشُبّ

فَخامِدٌ في نَفسِهِ مَن يَشُبّ

So they do not kindle war into a blaze;

So blessed who no urge to war feels growing

for whoever kindles it is himself extinguished.

Within his soul, but rests in inward peace.