Poem about death by Abul ‘Ataahiyah – English – Arabic

قصيدة الموت لأبي العتاهية
POEM ABOUT DEATH BY ABUL ‘ATAAHIYAH
Abu Is–haq Isma’eel ibn Al–Qasim “Abul ‘Ataahiyah”; 130 AH – 211 AH
أبو إسحاقإسماعيل بن إلقاسم“أبوإلعتاهية“،١٣٠–٢١١هـ.
1. Death takes away a man’s brother and his father
2. And the father of the children will not remain nor his children
3. Perhaps one who is mentioned by a people Goes absent, (dies) and is
forgotten
4. And when a man uses up his years The years wear him down
5. And suddenly his closest ones cry for him And suddenly the people rise
and say: attend to him
6. Ask him, Speak to him, Move him, Ask him (to read shahada!)
7. But when the people lose hope for him, they say: turn him,
8. Turn him, turn his face, stretch him, close his eyes,
9. Hurry him to a departure, hurry up, do not delay him,
10. Lift him up, wash him, shroud him, embalm him!
11. And when he is wrapped in the shrouds, they say:
12. Carry him out, take him out, over the wood of death (coffin), escort him!
13. When they pray over him, it is said: bring him and bury him
14. When they entrusted him to the earth as a pledge, they left him
15. They left him under a pile of dirt, they weighed him down, burdened him
16. They distanced him, they crushed him, they isolated him, singled him out
17. They bid him farewell, they parted from him
18. They surrendered him, they left him behind
19. And they turned away from him and left him as if they did not know him
20. And as if the people weren’t concerned about his condition.
21. People construct from the buildings what they do not inhabit
22. People gather from the wealth what they do not consume
23. People seek from the world what they do not attain
24. Whoever does not make the people his leader, they abandon him