يسرّ بموت الناس سبعة أنفس

يسرّ بموت الناس سبعة أنفس

معايشهم فيما حوته المقابر

معايشهم فيما حوته المقابر

Seven souls are gladdened by people's deaths;

Seven souls rejoice at people's death

their livelihoods lie in what the graves contain:

Their livelihood lies in graves that enfold

مغسّلُ موتاهم ومعطي حنوطهم

مغسّلُ موتاهم ومعطي حنوطهم

وبائع أكفان وآخرُ حافر

وبائع أكفان وآخرُ حافر

the washer of their dead and the giver of their burial perfumes,

He who washes their dead and oils their shrouds

a seller of shrouds and another who digs,

And the vendor of burial sheets and the gravedigger

وصاحب ميراث يعاند والتي

وصاحب ميراث يعاند والتي

تنوح معا والعظم للعظم كاسر

تنوح معا والعظم للعظم كاسر

an obstinate heir, and the woman who

And an heir who quarrels and she who laments

wails, together with bone that breaks bone.

Keening over bones as bone-breaker crushes them

وما سرّهم من غيرهم سرّ غيرهم

وما سرّهم من غيرهم سرّ غيرهم

بهم ولهم والدائرات دوائر

بهم ولهم والدائرات دوائر

And what brought them joy through others brought others joy

The joy of some is no joy for others

through them and for them; fortunes turn in circles.

For them and through them life's wheel keeps turning