يا سَعدُ إِنَّ أَبا سَعدٍ لَحادِثُهُ

يا سَعدُ إِنَّ أَبا سَعدٍ لَحادِثُهُ

أَمسى الحِمامُ يُسَمّى عِندَهُ فَرَجا

أَمسى الحِمامُ يُسَمّى عِندَهُ فَرَجا

O Sa'd, such is Abu Sa'd's affliction

O Saad! Indeed Abu Saad's mind

that death is now called relief in his eyes.

Has come to think of pigeons as naught but vulva

وَالروحُ شَيءٌ لَطيفٌ لَيسَ يُدرِكُهُ

وَالروحُ شَيءٌ لَطيفٌ لَيسَ يُدرِكُهُ

عَقلٌ وَيَسكُنُ مِن جِسمِ الفَتى حَرَجا

عَقلٌ وَيَسكُنُ مِن جِسمِ الفَتى حَرَجا

And the spirit is a subtle thing, not grasped

And the soul is a subtle thing beyond the grasp

by any mind; it inhabits a narrow space within a young man's body.

Of reason, though it dwells within a man's frame

سُبحانَ رَبِّكَ هَل يَبقى الرَشادُ لَهُ

سُبحانَ رَبِّكَ هَل يَبقى الرَشادُ لَهُ

وَهَل يُحِسُّ بِما يَلقى إِذا خَرَجا

وَهَل يُحِسُّ بِما يَلقى إِذا خَرَجا

Glory be to your Lord! Does sound judgment remain with it?

Glory to your Lord! Does awareness remain with one

And does it feel what it encounters when it departs?

Who encounters what he encounters when he sets forth?

وَذاكَ نورٌ لِأَجسادٍ يُحَسِّنُها

وَذاكَ نورٌ لِأَجسادٍ يُحَسِّنُها

كَما تَبَيَّنتَ تَحتَ اللَيلَةِ السُرُجا

كَما تَبَيَّنتَ تَحتَ اللَيلَةِ السُرُجا

And that is a light for bodies, beautifying them,

That is a light which beautifies the bodies it occupies

as you have discerned the lamps beneath the night.

As you have seen beneath a lamp in the dark of night

قالَت مَعاشِرُ يَبقى عِندَ جُثَّتِهِ

قالَت مَعاشِرُ يَبقى عِندَ جُثَّتِهِ

وَقالَ ناسٌ إِذ لاقى الرَدى عَرَجا

وَقالَ ناسٌ إِذ لاقى الرَدى عَرَجا

Some groups said it remains beside its corpse,

Some of his circle said it stays with his corpse

and others said it ascended when it encountered death.

Others, that it goes when one encounters the path

وَلَيسَ في الإِنسِ مِن نَفسٍ إِذا قُبِضَت

وَلَيسَ في الإِنسِ مِن نَفسٍ إِذا قُبِضَت

سافَ الَّذينَ لَدَيها طِيَبَها الأَرِجا

سافَ الَّذينَ لَدَيها طِيَبَها الأَرِجا

And there is no soul among humankind, when taken in death,

And there is no soul, once grasped,

whose fragrant scent those beside it have smelled.

That yearns for those left in its perfumed wake

وَأَسعَدُ الناسِ بِالدُنيا أَخو زُهدٍ

وَأَسعَدُ الناسِ بِالدُنيا أَخو زُهدٍ

نافى بَنيها وَنادوا إِذ مَضى دَرَجا

نافى بَنيها وَنادوا إِذ مَضى دَرَجا

And the happiest of people in this world is an ascetic,

And the man most fortunate in this life is one with renunciation

who shunned its sons; when he passed on, they cried, 'He has died.'

Who forsook it and was called as he climbed the stairs