نادَيتُ سُكّانَ القُبورِ فَأُسكِتوا

نادَيتُ سُكّانَ القُبورِ فَأُسكِتوا

وَأَجابَني عَن صَمتِهِم تُربُ الحَصى

وَأَجابَني عَن صَمتِهِم تُربُ الحَصى

I called out to the dwellers of the graves, and they were silenced.

I called out to the inhabitants of the graves, but they were silenced

And the dust of the pebbles answered me about their silence.

And the dust of pebbles answered me about their muteness, saying:

قالَت أَتَدري ما فَعَلتُ بِساكِني

قالَت أَتَدري ما فَعَلتُ بِساكِني

مَزَّقتُ لَحمَهُمُ وَخَرَّقتُ الكِسا

مَزَّقتُ لَحمَهُمُ وَخَرَّقتُ الكِسا

It said: Do you know what I did to my dwellers?

“Do you know what I did to those dwelling within?

I tore their flesh apart and rent their garments.

I tore their flesh and shredded their garments

وَحَشَوتُ أَعيُنَهُم تُراباً بَعدَما

وَحَشَوتُ أَعيُنَهُم تُراباً بَعدَما

كانَت تَأَذّى بِاليَسيرِ مِنَ القَذا

كانَت تَأَذّى بِاليَسيرِ مِنَ القَذا

And I filled their eyes with dust, after

And I stuffed their eyes with dirt after

they had been pained by the slightest speck of grit.

They had been pained by the slightest thing

أَمّا العِظامُ فَإِنَّني مَزَّقتُها

أَمّا العِظامُ فَإِنَّني مَزَّقتُها

حَتّى تَبايَنَتِ المَفاصِلُ وَالشوا

حَتّى تَبايَنَتِ المَفاصِلُ وَالشوا

As for the bones, I indeed tore them apart,

As for the bones, I shredded them

until the joints and limbs separated.

Until the joints and summits were indistinguishable

قَطّعتُ ذا زادٍ مِن هَذا كَذا

قَطّعتُ ذا زادٍ مِن هَذا كَذا

فَتَرَكتُها رمَماً يَطوفُ بِها البَلا

فَتَرَكتُها رمَماً يَطوفُ بِها البَلا

I cut the one with provisions away from this one, like so.

I cut this one’s provisions and that one’s as well

So I left them as crumbling remains, with decay circling around them.

Leaving them as ruins buffeted by tribulation”