ما لِلقُبورِ كَأَنَّما لا ساكِنٌ

ما لِلقُبورِ كَأَنَّما لا ساكِنٌ

فيها وَقَد حَوَتِ العُصورَ الماضِيَه

فيها وَقَد حَوَتِ العُصورَ الماضِيَه

What ails the graves, as though no one dwelt

What is with graves, as if no one lives in them,

What ails the graves? It is as if no one dwells

within them, though they have held the ages past?

Though they contain past ages gone by.

Inside, though they have encompassed the ages past.

طَوَتِ المَلايِّنِ الكَثيرَةَ قَبلَنا

طَوَتِ المَلايِّنِ الكَثيرَةَ قَبلَنا

وَلَسَوفَ تَطوينا وَتَبقى خالِيَه

وَلَسَوفَ تَطوينا وَتَبقى خالِيَه

They enfolded many millions before us,

They contained many millions before us,

They have folded away the many millions before us,

and surely they will enfold us and remain empty.

And they will contain us while remaining empty.

And they will fold us too, yet remain empty.

أَينَ المَها وَعُيونُها وَفُتونُها

أَينَ المَها وَعُيونُها وَفُتونُها

أَينَ الجَبابِرُ وَالمُلوكُ العاتِيَه

أَينَ الجَبابِرُ وَالمُلوكُ العاتِيَه

Where are the oryx-like beauties, their eyes and their allure?

Where are the proud beauties and their charms?

Where are the gazelles, their eyes, and their allure?

Where are the tyrants and the arrogant kings?

Where are the tyrants and the arrogant kings?

Where are the tyrants and the arrogant kings?

زالوا مِنَ الدُنيا كَأَن لَم يولَدوا

زالوا مِنَ الدُنيا كَأَن لَم يولَدوا

سَحَقَتهُمُ كَفُّ القَضاءِ القاسِيَه

سَحَقَتهُمُ كَفُّ القَضاءِ القاسِيَه

They vanished from the world as though they had never been born;

They have vanished from the world as if never born,

They departed the world as if they were never born,

the cruel hand of fate crushed them.

Crushed by the palm of merciless fate.

Crushed by the cruel hand of Fate.

إِنَّ الحَياةَ قَصيدَةٌ أَعمارُنا

إِنَّ الحَياةَ قَصيدَةٌ أَعمارُنا

أَبياتُها وَالمَوتُ فيها القافِيَه

أَبياتُها وَالمَوتُ فيها القافِيَه

Indeed, life is a poem; our lifetimes

Indeed life is a poem, our ages

Indeed, life is a poem, and our years

are its verses, and death within it is the rhyme.

Are its verses, and death its rhyme.

Are its verses, while death is the rhyme.

مَتِّع لِحاظَكَ في النُجومِ وَحُسنِها

مَتِّع لِحاظَكَ في النُجومِ وَحُسنِها

فَلَسَوفَ تَمضي وَالكَواكِبُ باقِيَه

فَلَسَوفَ تَمضي وَالكَواكِبُ باقِيَه

Feast your eyes on the stars and their beauty,

Delight your gaze in the stars and their beauty,

Feast your eyes upon the stars and their beauty,

for you will surely pass away, while the stars remain.

For they will remain when you have passed away.

For you will pass on, while the stars remain.