إِذاwhen غَيَّبونِيَthey bury me لَمnot أُبالِI care مَتىwhen هَفاblew gently
إِذا غَيَّبونِيَ لَم أُبالِ مَتى هَفا
نَسيمُa breeze شَمالٍnorth أَوor نَسيمُa breeze جَنوبِsouth
نَسيمُ شَمالٍ أَو نَسيمُ جَنوبِ
When they bury me, I shall not care when there blows
When they bury me, no matter when, North wind or South wind blowing,
a northern breeze or a southern breeze.
Misfortunes take turns oppressing me, I do not protect myself,
تَنوبُbeset الرَزاياthe calamities أَعظُميmy bones لاnot أَصونُهاI protect them
تَنوبُ الرَزايا أَعظُمي لا أَصونُها
بِمُتَّخَذٍwith something fashioned مِنfrom عَرعَرٍjuniper وَتَنوبِand fir
بِمُتَّخَذٍ مِن عَرعَرٍ وَتَنوبِ
Calamities will beset my bones; I shall not shield them
With tools made of brambles and palm fronds.
with something fashioned from juniper and fir.
Have they seen in my deathbed the crimes I committed,
فَهَلso, did ...? عايَنواthey saw فيin مَضجَعيmy resting place لِجَرائِميfor my crimes
فَهَل عايَنوا في مَضجَعي لِجَرائِمي
كَتائِبَbattalions مِنof زَنجٍZanj تَروعُstrike terror وَنوبِand Nubians
كَتائِبَ مِن زَنجٍ تَروعُ وَنوبِ
Have they, then, seen in my resting place, on account of my crimes,
Legions of demons frightening and wailing?
terrifying battalions of Zanj and Nubians?
Does the earth whose color has whitened
وَهَلand does ...? يَجعَلُmake الأَرضَthe earth الَّتيwhich اِبيَضَّturned white لَونُهاits color
وَهَل يَجعَلُ الأَرضَ الَّتي اِبيَضَّ لَونُها
كَلَونِlike the color of الحِرارِthe lava fields الحُمسِpitch-black لَونُthe color of ذُنوبِsins
كَلَونِ الحِرارِ الحُمسِ لَونُ ذُنوبِ
And can the earth, whose color is white, be made
Take on the color of red-hot sins?
the color of pitch-black lava fields by the color of sins?
The soil says how many have I covered for mankind,
يَقولُsays الثَرىthe soil كَمhow many رَمَّdecayed تَحتِيَbeneath me لِلوَرىfor mortals
يَقولُ الثَرى كَم رَمَّ تَحتِيَ لِلوَرى
وَسائِدُpillows هامٍheads أَوor مُهودُcradles جُنوبِsides
وَسائِدُ هامٍ أَو مُهودُ جُنوبِ
The soil says: How many have rotted beneath me—mortals’
Pillows of anxiety or blankets of grief.
pillows for heads, or cradles for sides!
And if I have not brought good, I hope
وَإِنّيand indeed I وَإِنand though لَمnot آتِI have done خَيراًgood أَعُدُّهُI count it
وَإِنّي وَإِن لَم آتِ خَيراً أَعُدُّهُ
لَآمَلُI surely hope إِرواءًa quenching of thirst بِخَيرِwith the best ذَنوبِa bucketful of water
لَآمَلُ إِرواءً بِخَيرِ ذَنوبِ
And I, though I have done no good that I can count,
To bring solace with the good from sins.
surely hope to have my thirst quenched with the finest bucketful.
Partial English translation: 11 of 12 Arabic lines translated.