عَجِبتُ لِجازِعٍ باكٍ مُصابِ

بِأَهلٍ أَو حَميمٍ ذي اِكتِئابِ

I wondered at the mourner crying, struck

I marveled at the anxious weeper, struck by calamity,

By loss of loved one or intimate in despair

Over family or a close friend, heavy with sorrow,

يَشُقُّ الجَيبَ يَدعو الوَيلَ جَهلاً

كَأَنَّ المَوتَ بِالشَيءِ العُجابِ

Rending his clothes, calling out woe in ignorance

Rending his collar, crying out "Woe!" in ignorance,

As if death were a wondrous thing

As if death were some strange, wondrous thing.

وَسَلوى اللَهِ فيهِ الخَلقَ حَتّى

نَبِيِّ اللَهِ مِنهُ لَم يُحابِ

Yet God consoled all creation about it

Yet God’s solace in this touches all creation;

Even the Prophet of God was not spared it

Even the Prophet of God was not favored to escape it.

لَهُ مَلَكٌ يُنادي كُلَّ يَومٍ

لَدوا لِلموتِ وَاِبنوا لِلخَرابِ

For him there is an angel crying out each day

An angel belonging to Him calls out every day:

"Hasten to death and build for ruin!"

"Beget children for death, and build for ruin."