فَتراهُمُ صَرْعَى وقَدْ صَعَقَتْهُمُ

بكُؤوسِها في عدَّةِ الأَمْواتِ

You see them lying dead, thunderstruck

By her cups, among the ranks of the dead.

يا حَبّذَا هُمْ مَيِّتِينَ وحَبّذَا

ذاكَ المَمَاتُ لَهُمْ فَخَيْرُ مَمَاتِ

Would that they were dead! Would that

That death for them were the best of deaths!

مَوْتٌ تَنَافَسُهُ الملوكُ ويُشْتَرَى

بِعَقَائِلٍ تُلْدٍ ومُطّرَفَاتِ

A death for which kings vie, and which is bought

With lineages long, and gilded trappings.

مَوْتٌ أَعَزُّ مِنَ الحَياةِ عَلَيهمُ

وأَلَذُّ في الأَفْوَاهِ واللّهَواتِ

A death nobler than life itself to them,

And sweeter on the tongue, by God!