لَوif أَنَّthat عَبداًa servant لَهُbelonging to him خَزائِنُtreasuries ماwhat
لَو أَنَّ عَبداً لَهُ خَزائِنُ ما
فيin الأَرضِthe earth ماnot عاشَhe lived خَوفَfor fear of إِملاقِdestitution
في الأَرضِ ما عاشَ خَوفَ إِملاقِ
If a servant possessed the treasuries of all that is
If a slave had treasures all over
on earth, he would not live, for fear of destitution.
the land, he wouldn't live in fear of poverty
ياO عَجَباًwonder كُلُّناall of us يَحيدُturns away عَنِfrom الthe
يا عَجَباً كُلُّنا يَحيدُ عَنِ ال
حَينِdeath وَكُلٌّand everyone لِحَينِهِwith his death لاقِwill meet
حَينِ وَكُلٌّ لِحَينِهِ لاقِ
How strange! We all turn away from
How strange we all deviate from
death, yet each will meet his own death.
the path - each to his own path clinging
كَأَنَّas though حَيّاًa living person قَدalready قامَrose نادِبُهُhis mourner
كَأَنَّ حَيّاً قَد قامَ نادِبُهُ
وَاِلتَفَّتِand became entwined الساقُthe leg مِنهُof him بِالساقِwith the leg
وَاِلتَفَّتِ الساقُ مِنهُ بِالساقِ
It is as though a living man's mourner had already risen,
As if a living man stood mourning
and his leg had become entwined with the other leg,
his friend, while death sneakily
وَاِستَلَّand drew out مِنهُfrom him حَياتَهُhis life مَلَكُangel الthe
وَاِستَلَّ مِنهُ حَياتَهُ مَلَكُ ال
مَوتِdeath خَفِيّاًunseen وَقيلَand it was said مَنwho راقِa healer
مَوتِ خَفِيّاً وَقيلَ مَن راقِ
and his life had been drawn out of him by the angel of
drew the life from him, and it was said: who detects?
death, unseen, and it was said: 'Who can heal?'
Partial English translation: 7 of 8 Arabic lines translated.