ما لِلقُبورِ كَأَنَّما لا ساكِنٌ

فيها وَقَد حَوَتِ العُصورَ الماضِيَه

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

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

Though they contain past ages gone by.

Inside, though they have encompassed the ages past.

طَوَتِ المَلايِّنِ الكَثيرَةَ قَبلَنا

وَلَسَوفَ تَطوينا وَتَبقى خالِيَه

They contained many millions before us,

They have folded away the many millions before us,

And they will contain us while remaining empty.

And they will fold us too, yet remain empty.

أَينَ المَها وَعُيونُها وَفُتونُها

أَينَ الجَبابِرُ وَالمُلوكُ العاتِيَه

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?

زالوا مِنَ الدُنيا كَأَن لَم يولَدوا

سَحَقَتهُمُ كَفُّ القَضاءِ القاسِيَه

They have vanished from the world as if never born,

They departed the world as if they were never born,

Crushed by the palm of merciless fate.

Crushed by the cruel hand of Fate.

إِنَّ الحَياةَ قَصيدَةٌ أَعمارُنا

أَبياتُها وَالمَوتُ فيها القافِيَه

Indeed life is a poem, our ages

Indeed, life is a poem, and our years

Are its verses, and death its rhyme.

Are its verses, while death is the rhyme.

مَتِّع لِحاظَكَ في النُجومِ وَحُسنِها

فَلَسَوفَ تَمضي وَالكَواكِبُ باقِيَه

Delight your gaze in the stars and their beauty,

Feast your eyes upon the stars and their beauty,

For they will remain when you have passed away.

For you will pass on, while the stars remain.