لا تشتُموا مُلتحدًا في موتِهِ

لا تشتُموا مُلتحدًا في موتِهِ

بتَضَرُّعٍ للهِ حتّى يَرْحمَا

بتَضَرُّعٍ للهِ حتّى يَرْحمَا

Do not insult an atheist after his death

Do not insult an atheist in his death

by beseeching God to show mercy.

With prayers to God that He may have mercy

تترحَّمونَ علىْ الّذي بدُعائِكمْ

تترحَّمونَ علىْ الّذي بدُعائِكمْ

ما ازدادَ إلّا غِلظةً وتهَكُّما:

ما ازدادَ إلّا غِلظةً وتهَكُّما:

You pray for mercy upon one who, through your prayers,

You have mercy on him whom with your prayers

has grown only harsher and more mocking:

Increased nothing but stubbornness and silence

أقبحْ بِها من رفقةٍ لمْ يكفِها

أقبحْ بِها من رفقةٍ لمْ يكفِها

الشيطانُ بيْ كيْلا تهابَ جَهنَّما

الشيطانُ بيْ كيْلا تهابَ جَهنَّما

How vile a company! Not enough for them was

Worse than a company that Satan could not satisfy

the devil in me to keep them from fearing Hell.

Lest they fear hellfire

لا تُشعِلوهُ بلِ اطفئوهُ فإنّه

لا تُشعِلوهُ بلِ اطفئوهُ فإنّه

حطَبٌ لهَا ولغيرِها لنْ يُطعَما

حطَبٌ لهَا ولغيرِها لنْ يُطعَما

Do not set him alight; rather, extinguish him, for he

Do not fuel it, rather extinguish it, for it is

is firewood for it, and will be fed to no other.

Firewood for it and others, it will not be fed

وادعوا لهُ من صوبَهمْ قدْ يمَّما

وادعوا لهُ من صوبَهمْ قدْ يمَّما

كيْ يشرَبوا كأسًا ويُحيوا مأْتَما

كيْ يشرَبوا كأسًا ويُحيوا مأْتَما

And summon for him those toward whom he had turned,

And pray for him from those poisoned

so they may drink a cup and hold a mourning gathering.

That they may drink a cup and enliven a feast

ثمَّ اجعلُوا حولَ الضّريحِ حدائقًا

ثمَّ اجعلُوا حولَ الضّريحِ حدائقًا

واجْرُوا نُهورًا بينَها ونسَائِما

واجْرُوا نُهورًا بينَها ونسَائِما

Then make gardens around the tomb,

Then make gardens around the grave

and let rivers and breezes flow among them,

And make rivers flow between them and breezes

كيْ لا يُرىْ وجهُ التُّرابِ مُحدِّثا

كيْ لا يُرىْ وجهُ التُّرابِ مُحدِّثا

عمّا رأىْ تحتَ الثّرى مُتألِّما

عمّا رأىْ تحتَ الثّرى مُتألِّما

so the face of the soil is not seen speaking

So the face of dust is not seen

in anguish about what it saw beneath the earth.

Speaking of what he saw under the soil in pain

فإذا الترابُ روَىْ عليهِ ترَحَّمُوا

فإذا الترابُ روَىْ عليهِ ترَحَّمُوا

حتّى يصيرَ إليهِ ذاكَ شتائِما

حتّى يصيرَ إليهِ ذاكَ شتائِما

Then, if the soil tells its tale, pray for mercy upon him,

When the dust is watered over him, have mercy

until, to him, that becomes abuse.

Until to him come those insulting

ثمَّ ادفنوا منْ بعدِهِ آراءهُ

ثمَّ ادفنوا منْ بعدِهِ آراءهُ

في تربةِ النّسيانِ كيْ لا تُعلَما

في تربةِ النّسيانِ كيْ لا تُعلَما

Then bury his views after him

Then bury after him his opinions

in the soil of oblivion, so they remain unknown,

In the soil of oblivion, so they are not known

كيْلا يُعذّبَ ذكرُهُ منْ بعدِهِ

كيْلا يُعذّبَ ذكرُهُ منْ بعدِهِ

إنْ ملّ رأيٌ بيتَه أو عُمِّما

إنْ ملّ رأيٌ بيتَه أو عُمِّما

lest his memory bring torment after his passing,

Lest his memory be tortured thereafter

if a view tires of its home or is widely spread.

If an opinion centered on him or generalized

فالرأيُ إنْ لمْ يُكْتمِ لنْ يَكْتُما

فالرأيُ إنْ لمْ يُكْتمِ لنْ يَكْتُما

سرَّ الّذِي برحيلهِ قد يُتِّما

سرَّ الّذِي برحيلهِ قد يُتِّما

For a view, if not concealed, will not conceal

For the opinion, if not hidden, will not hide

the secret of one orphaned by his departure.

The secret that with his departure may be completed

فإذا تبيّنَ بعضُهمْ آراءَهُ

فإذا تبيّنَ بعضُهمْ آراءَهُ

لانتْ جوارحُهُ وزادَ ترحُّمَا

لانتْ جوارحُهُ وزادَ ترحُّمَا

Then, if any of them understands his views,

So when some of them realize his opinions

his limbs soften, and he prays for mercy all the more,

His limbs weaken and his mercy increases

حتّى يكونا في العذابِ معًا فرِفْ

حتّى يكونا في العذابِ معًا فرِفْ

قًا إنّ صاحبَكُم أرادَ جَهنَّما

قًا إنّ صاحبَكُم أرادَ جَهنَّما

until both are together in torment—so be gen-

Until they are both in torment together, so gently

tle: indeed, your companion wanted Hell.

Your friend wished for hell

لمْ يقبلِ الرّحمنَ حيًّا ميِّتا

لمْ يقبلِ الرّحمنَ حيًّا ميِّتا

حتّى يُساوىْ بالّذِي قدُ أسّلَما

حتّى يُساوىْ بالّذِي قدُ أسّلَما

He did not accept the All-Merciful, living or dead,

The Merciful did not accept alive or dead

so as to be equated with one who embraced Islam.

Until equal with those who submitted

إنّا لنرجوْ رحمةً مِنْ ربِّنا

إنّا لنرجوْ رحمةً مِنْ ربِّنا

لمُصَدِّقٍ حتّى إذا هوَ أجْرَما

لمُصَدِّقٍ حتّى إذا هوَ أجْرَما

We do indeed hope for mercy from our Lord

We hope for mercy from our Lord

for a believer, even if he has sinned,

For the truthful even when he sins

لا للّذينَ بربِّهمْ كفرُوا وهمْ

لا للّذينَ بربِّهمْ كفرُوا وهمْ

ممّن عليهِمْ ربّهم قدْ أنعما

ممّن عليهِمْ ربّهم قدْ أنعما

not for those who disbelieved in their Lord, though they

Not for those who disbelieved in their Lord and they

are among those upon whom their Lord has bestowed blessings.

Are of those whom their Lord favored