Poetic Verses on Death
Here are some poignant poetic verses reflecting on the theme of death:
- We rely on medicine when we fall ill,
But can any remedy cure us of death?
We choose our doctors, but can any physician
Delay what fate has already determined?
Our breaths are but a reckoning,
And our regrets merely signify annihilation.
- Do I hope to live while in every hour,
The dead pass by, shaking their coffins?
Am I not like them, except that I possess
Fragments of nights that I still endure?
- This death is loathed by
All who tread upon the earth,
And if they reflect with reason,
They would see it as the ultimate respite.
- He who escapes his fate for a while
Will soon find it again in some of life’s twists.
- He who does not die in joy will age in sorrow;
Death has its cup, and every person must taste it.
- The soul weeps for this world, knowing
That happiness lies in abandoning its pursuits.
There is no home for man after death
Except the one he built prior to his end.
If he constructs it with goodness, his abode is delightful,
But if with evil, he will face despair.
We gather wealth for the heirs awaiting inheritance,
And our homes become ruins of time.
Where are the kings who once held rule,
Now only served by the cup of death?
How many cities across the horizons were built,
Only to fall into ruin, vanquished by death?
Do not lean towards this world and what it contains,
For death will undoubtedly consume both us and it.
For every soul, even those in denial,
There are hopes that strengthen them.
The individual stretches them out, but time retracts them,
The soul spreads them wide, while death folds them up.
Indeed, noble traits are pure morals;
Religion is their cornerstone, and reason is their guide.
- Even Solomon did not attain eternal life;
The winds served him, and both nomads and townsfolk.
The earth bowed to him, and armies protected him,
Yet death came to him with neither eye nor trace.
Always persist in your sins and remain unaware,
And multiply your disobedience, all the while claiming innocence.
- Ever oblivious, do not weep as if you are eternal,
For I see you between the mourners and the departing.
- Be born for death, and construct for ruin;
For all of you will ultimately turn to dust.
To whom shall we build, when we are but dust?
We are created from dust, and to it we will return.
Oh death, why do you not accept a ransom?
You come, not sparing nor showing favoritism.
As if you have charged straight at my old age,
Just as old age has rushed upon my youth.
- How many a healthy person has gone to sleep at ease,
Yet the fates come upon him suddenly while he rests.
No escape when death arrives unannounced,
Nor can one find a trick to evade it.
Death does not spare the wealthy their riches,
Nor does it leave the destitute longing for wealth.
- Death is relentless; there is no refuge from it.
When the time comes, he who carried one’s shroud rides it.
We nurse aspirations and hope for outcomes,
Yet death is ever closer than what we envision.
We build towering palaces in the skies,
While deep down, we know we shall die and leave them in ruins.
- Do not be complacent about death in a blink or breath,
Even if you shield yourself with guards and sentries.
For the arrows of death will surely penetrate,
Ao matter how fortified one may be.
Why does your religion permit you to desecrate it,
While your attire is cleansed from sin?
You seek salvation, yet have not walked its paths;
For ships cannot sail on dry land.
- Death is certain to arrive; prepare for its coming.
The wise occupy themselves with the remembrance of death.
So how can one indulge in life or take pleasure,
When from dust he was formed, and to dust he returns?
- I remember death but do not fear it;
Indeed, my heart has grown calloused like stone.
I pursue this world as if I am eternal,
While death chases closely behind.
How fitting for death to be a reminder,
For to whom it is destined, it must come.
The fates surround him, waiting to pounce,
No escape from death shall he find.
- Oh, you who yearn for the comforts of a pleasant life,
You will be repelled whether you wish it or not.
For mortality disturbs the free from
Their homeland, just as it drives birds from their nests.
- Be alert to that which is inevitable;
For death is the appointment of all souls.
Would you relish being among a people
Who have provisions while you remain without?
- You were born with your mother weeping,
While the crowd rejoices in joy.
Strive for the day that when they weep for you,
You shall be the one smiling and joyous.
- Oh son of Adam, do not let comfort mislead you;
For your life is numbered, a fleeting breath.
You are but like a plant in its time of bloom,
Each moment brings it closer to harvest.
If you escape all misfortunes that may arise,
At the completion of your days, you will indeed be gathered.
- I see people weeping for those who have passed before them,
Yet the death of those they mourn is near.
Death is merely a deferred decree,
Waiting for the hour when it will be summoned forth.
- For the night, no matter how long, must yield to dawn;
And similarly, life must eventually lead to the grave.
- Death is a door, and all people will enter;
Oh, how I wonder what lies beyond death?
The abode of bliss if you act in accordance with
What satisfies the Divine; if neglected, then the fire awaits.
When men bear children,
And their bodies succumb to age,
And maladies become their frequent companions,
These are the crops that approach their harvest.
- Where is escape from destiny,
In the east or west?
Look and discover a way out,
Or a refuge or an escape.
Submit to God’s decree and be content,
And await His sign.
For gray hairs warned you the day
You saw your own head turning white.
- None of what you see will retain its allure;
Only God remains, while wealth and children fade.
Wealth did not save Hormuz on any day,
And immortality eluded the ‘Aad tribe, although they sought it.
Even Solomon, whose winds obeyed him,
Along with mankind and the jinn, faced the end.
Where are the kings who were once entitled to their glory,
As each traveler sought their kingdoms?
There is a pool ahead that awaits all, without falsehood;
Inevitably, one must drink from it, like those before.
- For everything that reaches completion faces reduction;
So do not let the sweetness of life deceive you.
Such are the affairs, as you have seen them as kingdoms,
For whoever rejoices in time also experiences its hardships.
This world preserves nothing for anyone,
Nor does anything endure in its state.
- While one remains at ease, delighting in the company of family,
Seemingly admiring this refined life,
Theic globe unfolds around him, and swiftly, he meets his end.
Having risen to a third morning, he lies motionless,
Unresponsive, devoid of spirit or breath.
Those who weep for him find no solace in the shadows,
Which grow thicker with the earth and decay.
How little he prepared of what he hoarded,
Except for fragrant oils and wrappings for his body,
And a few handfuls of dirt that cover them up.
- Where are the towers built in immortal stone,
What of its people, what of their day, what of their demise?
Remnants of the past linger, but they ultimately leave; time erodes.
- Do you hope for survival? This is impossible;
Only God, exalted and glorious, endures forever.
If anything were to last, it would be the deeds of the virtuous,
For even the prophets did not escape death.
Souls perish, but forms remain;
And at the day of reckoning comes the recompense.
- People hope to live long and enjoy their lives,
Yet prolonged existence may bring harm.
Beauty fades, yet in its wake,
Sours the sweet nectar we once cherished.
Days conspire against him, until he sees nothing that pleases.
- Even the doctor, with his healing and medicines,
Cannot shield against misfortunes that befall him.
What can a physician do when struck by the ailment
That he once cured with ease?
- We have tread paths marked for us;
And those on such paths inevitably follow them.
Whosoever meets with death in a given land,
Shall not perish in any other territory.
- Indeed, we rejoice in days as we pass through them;
And with each day that passes, we draw closer to our end.
So labor for yourself before death swiftly arrives,
For true gain and loss are found in deeds.
Poems on Death
Among the compositions inspired by death, we highlight the following:
Poem: No Guards Can Avert Death
By Abu al-Atahiya:
Neither guards nor sentinels can stave off death;
Death cannot be overcome by spirits or humans.
When death beckons, whether terrors or sorrows,
None will flee; they must all answer its call.
Death comes to all that humanity creates,
And to converge with loss, all that they nurture.
Shall I hasten to meet this death while I still have breath?
O fearful of death, if you ever knew of it,
Tears would run for eternity from your eyes.
Would you not tremble before the day
When you become immersed in the agonies of death?
Would you not quake at the bitter cup you will sip,
While thought entangles you with the cocktail of death?
Beware, beware of the allure of this world and its pleasures,
For death lurks there, a beast awaiting creation.
Even if creatures in this world strive
To shield you from death’s approach, they cannot.
Death awaits, a fountain you seek to shun,
Yet soon enough, you will plunge into its depths.
Why have I witnessed the children of this world so enchanted,
As if this world were a wedding feast meant for them?
When I describe their worldly delights, they laugh,
But when I describe their afterlife, their faces frown.
Why have I seen humanity and its siblings,
As if they are oblivious to God’s divine book?
Poem: The Rites of Death
By Salman Farraj:
From which place does death arrive,
From which time does it call out?
Its voice rises, only to fade away,
It rises once more, only to vanish again.
From any place, from any time,
The discourse continues, words that never cease.
We utter words that challenge the lexicon of death,
Yet silence knows no rituals, silence wears no adornment.
How often does speech arise, yet dwindle,
Above silence, and death prevails.