كَم آمِنٍ لِلمَنونِ لاهٍ
عَنِ الرَدى باتَ مُطمَئِنّا
How many a man, thinking himself safe from death, heedless
How many a man, feeling safe from death, heedless
of destruction, has passed the night at ease—
of doom, spent the night at ease,
صَبَّحَهُ وافِدُ المَنايا
فَعايَنَ المَوتَ حينَ عَنّا
only for death’s messenger to visit him at dawn,
was visited in the morning by death's envoy,
and he beheld death the moment it appeared.
and beheld death when it appeared,
حَتّى إِذا ما قَضى بَكاهُ
حَميمُهُ مُعوِلاً مُرِنّا
Then, once he had breathed his last, he was mourned
until, when he breathed his last, he was mourned
by his beloved, wailing in ringing lament.
by his close friend, wailing and keening.
وارَوهُ في لَحدِهِ وَسَنّوا
عَلَيهِ قَيدَ التُرابِ سَنّا
They laid him in his grave-niche and poured
They buried him in his grave and poured
over him earth’s fetter in a steady stream.
over him the fetter of earth, gently pouring it down.
وَاِنتَهَبوا مالَهُ وَشَنّوا ال
غاراتِ فيما حَواهُ شَنّا
They plundered his wealth and launched
And they plundered his wealth and launched the
raid after raid upon all he had amassed.
raids on what he had amassed, raid after raid.
لِمِثلِ هَذا فَكُن مُعِدّا
ما قَد أُعِدَّ الهُداةُ مِنّا
For such an end, then, be preparing
For the like of this, then, make ready
for that for which the guides among us were prepared.
what has already been prepared by the guides among us.
وَاِرتَقِبِ المَوتَ فَهوَ حَتمٌ
يَختَرِمُ الطِفلَ وَالمُسِنّا
And await death, for it is inevitable:
And await death, for it is inevitable:
it snatches away the child and the aged alike.
it carries off the child and the aged.
Sol 6.1