لا يَجزَعَنَّ مِنَ المَنِيَّةِ عاقِلٌ

لا يَجزَعَنَّ مِنَ المَنِيَّةِ عاقِلٌ

فَالنَعشُ مَن نُعِشَ الفَتى أَن يَعثُرا

فَالنَعشُ مَن نُعِشَ الفَتى أَن يَعثُرا

Let no rational soul be dismayed by death;

Let no wise man be dismayed by death.

for the bier is what lifts a young man when he falls.

For the bier takes its name from the youth being lifted lest he stumble.

وَالعَيشُ مِن عَشِيَ البَصيرُ أَصابَهُ

وَالعَيشُ مِن عَشِيَ البَصيرُ أَصابَهُ

قَلبٌ وَإِسكانٌ فَسَمِّ لَتَدثُرا

قَلبٌ وَإِسكانٌ فَسَمِّ لَتَدثُرا

And “life” comes from “the clear-sighted grew dim”: it has suffered

And “life” comes from “the sighted man grew dim-sighted”; it underwent

a reversal and a stilling—so name it a thing in which to shroud oneself.

A transposition and a suppressed vowel—so name it thus; you shall perish.

وَالدَفنُ دِفءٌ في الشِتاءِ وَظُلَّةٌ

وَالدَفنُ دِفءٌ في الشِتاءِ وَظُلَّةٌ

في القَيظِ حُقَّ لِمِثلِها أَن يُؤَثَرا

في القَيظِ حُقَّ لِمِثلِها أَن يُؤَثَرا

Burial is warmth in winter and shade

And burial is warmth in winter, and a canopy

in summer's blaze—a shelter rightly to be preferred.

In summer’s heat; such shelter rightly deserves to be preferred.

أَعني بِذالِكَ أَنَّهُ لي مُؤمِنٌ

أَعني بِذالِكَ أَنَّهُ لي مُؤمِنٌ

مِن كُلِّ رُزءٍ في حَياتي أَثَرا

مِن كُلِّ رُزءٍ في حَياتي أَثَرا

By this I mean that it safeguards me

By that I mean that it keeps me safe

from every calamity that left its mark upon my life.

From every affliction that left its mark upon my life.

إِنَّ الَّذي نَظَمَ الأَنامَ قَضى لَهُ

إِنَّ الَّذي نَظَمَ الأَنامَ قَضى لَهُ

بِسُلوكِهِ النَكَباتِ حَتّى يُنثَرا

بِسُلوكِهِ النَكَباتِ حَتّى يُنثَرا

Indeed, He who strung creation together decreed that it

Indeed, He who strung humankind together decreed for it

thread its way through afflictions until scattered apart.

To thread its way through calamities until it is scattered.

وَالرَبُّ لَم يَزدَد وَلا هُوَ ناقِصٌ

وَالرَبُّ لَم يَزدَد وَلا هُوَ ناقِصٌ

ما قَلَّ مُلكُ إِلهِنا فَيُكَثَّرا

ما قَلَّ مُلكُ إِلهِنا فَيُكَثَّرا

The Lord has neither increased nor is He diminished;

And the Lord has not grown greater, nor is He diminished.

our God's dominion has never waned, that it should be multiplied.

Our God’s dominion has not dwindled, that it should be increased.