جدت ابن آدم أخطب الخطباء

جدت ابن آدم أخطب الخطباء

لو لم تمت ما كنت في الأحياء

لو لم تمت ما كنت في الأحياء

The grave of Adam's son is the most eloquent of orators.

I found the son of Adam the most eloquent of orators

Had you not died, you would not have been among the living.

If you had not died you would not have lived

فالموت علته الحياة ونحن ما

فالموت علته الحياة ونحن ما

زلنا بها نجتي على الأبناء

زلنا بها نجتي على الأبناء

For death is caused by life, and we have not

So death gave life its value and we still

Ceased, through it, to wrong our children.

Strive for it for our children

لو خير المخلوق قبل وجوده

لو خير المخلوق قبل وجوده

ما صيغ من طين ولا من ماء

ما صيغ من طين ولا من ماء

Had the creature been given a choice before its existence,

If the best of creation had a choice before his existence

It would not have been fashioned from clay or from water.

He would not have been molded from clay or water

قف بالقبور وسائل الأجداث عن

قف بالقبور وسائل الأجداث عن

رمم وشاهد صحة الأنباء

رمم وشاهد صحة الأنباء

Stand by the graves and ask the tombs about

Stand at the graves and ask the buried

Decayed remains, and witness the truth of the reports.

About the truth of the news

تطأ التراب ولا عليك كأنما

تطأ التراب ولا عليك كأنما

هو لم يكن جزأ من الآباء

هو لم يكن جزأ من الآباء

You tread upon the dust, heedless, as though

Step on the dust as if it had never

It had not been part of the forefathers.

Been a part of your ancestors

فكلاكما متكون من ضوه

فكلاكما متكون من ضوه

ومركب من تلكم الأجزاء

ومركب من تلكم الأجزاء

For both of you are formed from [its light?],

You are both made of the same elements

And composed of those very parts.

And composed of those parts

هذا المشاهد والذي في علمه

هذا المشاهد والذي في علمه

خفيت حقيقته عن الحكماء

خفيت حقيقته عن الحكماء

This is what is seen; as for that which they seek to understand,

This reality is hidden from the wise

Its true nature has remained hidden from the sages.

Despite witnessing it