لاdo not تُكرِمواhonor (you all) جَسَديmy body إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle حَلَّbefalls بيupon me
لا تُكرِموا جَسَدي إِذا ما حَلَّ بي
رَيبُcalamity المَنونِdeath فَلاfor there is no فَضيلَةَmerit لِلجَسَدfor the body
رَيبُ المَنونِ فَلا فَضيلَةَ لِلجَسَد
Do not honor my body when I am overtaken
by death's calamity, for the body has no merit.
كَالبُردِlike a cloak كانَit was عَلىupon اللَوابِسِthe wearers نافِقاًin demand
كَالبُردِ كانَ عَلى اللَوابِسِ نافِقاً
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen فَنِيَتfaded away بَشاشَتُهُits freshness كَسَدbecame unsaleable
حَتّى إِذا فَنِيَت بَشاشَتُهُ كَسَد
Like a cloak, it was in demand among wearers,
until its freshness faded and it would no longer sell.
أَرواحُناour souls ظُلِمَتwere wronged فَتِلكَand those are بُيوتِهاtheir dwellings
أَرواحُنا ظُلِمَت فَتِلكَ بُيوتِها
دُرُسٌruins خَوَينَthey became empty مِنَof الضَغائِنِgrudges وَالحَسَدand envy
دُرُسٌ خَوَينَ مِنَ الضَغائِنِ وَالحَسَد
Our souls were wronged; those are their dwellings—
ruins, emptied of grudges and envy.
واروهُbury it (you all) مِنfrom قَبلِbefore الفَسادِdecay فَإِنَّهُfor it is
واروهُ مِن قَبلِ الفَسادِ فَإِنَّهُ
جِسمٌa body إِذاwhen فُقِدَتis lost حَرارَتُهُits warmth فَسَدit decays
جِسمٌ إِذا فُقِدَت حَرارَتُهُ فَسَد
Bury it before decay sets in, for it is
a body that decays when its warmth is lost.
لاdo not تَغبِطواenvy (you all) رَجُلاًa man عَلىfor ماwhat نالَهُhe attained it
لا تَغبِطوا رَجُلاً عَلى ما نالَهُ
إِنeven if باتَpasses the night قَدalready سادَhas ruled الرِجالَmen وَلَمand has not يُسَدbeen ruled
إِن باتَ قَد سادَ الرِجالَ وَلَم يُسَد
Do not envy a man for what he has attained,
even if he passes the night as men's master, himself ruled by none.
فَحَوادِثُfor the calamities الأَيّامِthe days غَيرُnot تَوارِكٍsparing
فَحَوادِثُ الأَيّامِ غَيرُ تَوارِكٍ
نَسرَthe Eagle النُجومِthe stars وَلاnor السَمّاكَal-Simak وَلاnor الأَسَدthe Lion
نَسرَ النُجومِ وَلا السَمّاكَ وَلا الأَسَد
For the calamities of time spare neither
the stars' Eagle, nor al-Simak, nor the Lion.