1. كَم آمِنٍ لِلمَنونِ لاهٍ

    عَنِ الرَدى باتَ مُطمَئِنّا

    How many a man, feeling safe from death, heedless

    of doom, has spent the night at ease,

  2. صَبَّحَهُ وافِدُ المَنايا

    فَعايَنَ المَوتَ حينَ عَنّا

    only to be visited at dawn by death's envoy,

    and to behold death when it appeared.

  3. حَتّى إِذا ما قَضى بَكاهُ

    حَميمُهُ مُعوِلاً مُرِنّا

    At last, when he died, he was mourned

    by his close friend, wailing and crying aloud.

  4. وارَوهُ في لَحدِهِ وَسَنّوا

    عَلَيهِ قَيدَ التُرابِ سَنّا

    They buried him in his grave, and poured

    over him the fetter of earth.

  5. وَاِنتَهَبوا مالَهُ وَشَنّوا ال

    غاراتِ فيما حَواهُ شَنّا

    They plundered his wealth and launched the

    raids upon what he had amassed.

  6. لِمِثلِ هَذا فَكُن مُعِدّا

    ما قَد أُعِدَّ الهُداةُ مِنّا

    For a fate like this, then, make ready

    what the guides among us have prepared.

  7. وَاِرتَقِبِ المَوتَ فَهوَ حَتمٌ

    يَختَرِمُ الطِفلَ وَالمُسِنّا

    And watch for death, for it is inevitable:

    it snatches away the child and the aged.