Original Poem in Arabic
أَما يَردَعُ المَوتُ أَهلَ النُهى
وَيَمنَعُ عَن غِيِّهِ مَن غَوى
أَما عالِمٌ عارِفٌ بِالزَمانِ
يَروحُ وَيَغدو قَصيرَ الخُطا
فَيا لاهِياً آمِناً وَالحِمامُ
إِلَيهِ سَريعٌ قَريبُ المَدى
يُسَرُّ بِشَيءٍ كَأَن قَد مَضى
وَيَأمَنُ شَيئاً كَأَن قَد أَتى
إِذا مامَرَرتَ بِأَهلِ القُبورِ
تَيَقَّنتَ أَنَّكَ مِنهُم غَدا
وَأَنَّ العَزيزَ بَها وَالذَليلَ
سَواءٌ إِذا أُسلِما لِلبِلى
غَريبَينِ مالَهُما مُؤنِسٌ
وَحيدَينِ تَحتَ طِباقِ الثَرى
فَلا أَمَلٌ غَيرَ عَفوِ الإِلَهِ
وَلا عَمَلٌ غَيرُ ماقَد مَضى
فَإِن كانَ خَيراً فَخَيراً تَنالُ
وَإِن كانَ شَرّاً فَشَرّاً تَرى
Translation
Does death not deter the wise,
And prevent the misguided from their straying?
Is there no one who understands the ways of time,
Who walks with short, cautious steps?
O, heedless one, living carefree and secure,
While death is swift and near at hand.
You find joy in something as if it has already passed,
And feel safe in something as if it has already come.
When you pass by the dwellers of the graves,
You realize that soon you will be one of them.
And that the mighty and the lowly,
Are equal once they are surrendered to decay.
Both strangers with no one to comfort them,
Both alone beneath the layers of the earth.
There is no hope but in the mercy of God,
And no deeds except those that have passed.
If they were good, then good is what you will gain,
And if they were evil, then evil is what you will see.
