إِذا مُتُّ فَاِنعَيني بِخَفقٍ مَثالِثٍ

إِذا مُتُّ فَاِنعَيني بِخَفقٍ مَثالِثٍ

وَصَرخَةِ نايٍ وَاِصطِفاقِ مَزاهِرِ

وَصَرخَةِ نايٍ وَاِصطِفاقِ مَزاهِرِ

When I die, lament me to the thrum of lutes’ third strings,

When I die, then bid me farewell with a thrice fluttering heart,

And a reed flute’s cry and the clash of tambourines.

The wail of a reed-flute and the clashing of flowers.

وَلا تَعقِري غَيرَ العُقارِ لِتَنضَحي

وَلا تَعقِري غَيرَ العُقارِ لِتَنضَحي

ثَرى جَدَثي مِن سَيرِها المُتَجادِرِ

ثَرى جَدَثي مِن سَيرِها المُتَجادِرِ

And slaughter nothing but wine, that you may sprinkle

Crush naught but sweet herbs to let their juices

The soil of my grave with its cascading flow.

Flow o’er the sod that doth my body cover.

وَقَولي كَذا قَد كانَ ظاهِرُ فِعلِهِ

وَقَولي كَذا قَد كانَ ظاهِرُ فِعلِهِ

وَكُفّي فَعِندَ اللَهِ عِلمُ السَرائِرِ

وَكُفّي فَعِندَ اللَهِ عِلمُ السَرائِرِ

And say: such indeed was his outward conduct;

And say: “Such was the outward life he led,

And desist, for with God lies knowledge of inner secrets.

But God alone knows what a man concealeth.”

فَإِن كانَ رَبّي في المَعادِ مُسائِلي

فَإِن كانَ رَبّي في المَعادِ مُسائِلي

وَحوسِبتُ عَن فِعلِ الذُنوبِ الكَبائِرِ

وَحوسِبتُ عَن فِعلِ الذُنوبِ الكَبائِرِ

For if my Lord should question me at the Resurrection,

If on the Day of Doom, my Lord should ask me

And I am called to account for committing grave sins,

And reckon with me for major sins,

أَقولُ تَرَشَّفتُ المُدامَ وَلَم أَقُل

أَقولُ تَرَشَّفتُ المُدامَ وَلَم أَقُل

طَعَنتُ اِبنَ عَبدِ القيسِ طِعنَةَ ثائِرِ

طَعَنتُ اِبنَ عَبدِ القيسِ طِعنَةَ ثائِرِ

I shall say: I sipped wine, but never said,

I will say: “I tasted wine but told no lie,

“I stabbed Ibn ʿAbd al-Qays with an avenger’s thrust.”

Nor stabbed ʿAbd al-Qays with a fateful blow."