١٢٢. وَتَبِعَ جِنَازَةً فَسَمِعَ رَجُلًا يَضْحَكُ فَقَالَ كَأَنَّ الْمَوْتَ فِيهَا عَلَى غَيْرِنَا كُتِبَ وَكَأَنَّ الْحَقَّ فِيهَا عَلَى غَيْرِنَا وَجَبَ وَكَأَنَّ الَّذِى نَرَى مِنَ الْأَمْوَاتِ سَفْرٌ عَمَّا قَلِيلٍ إِلَيْنَا رَاجِعُونَ. نُبَوِّئُهُمْ أَجْدَاثَهُمْ وَنَأْكُلُ تُرَاثَهُمْ كَأَنَّا مُخَلَّدُونَ بَعْدَهُمْ ثُمَّ قَدْ نَسِينَا كُلَّ وَاعِظٍ وَوَاعِظَةٍ وَرُمِينَا بِكُلِّ فَادِحٍ وَجَائِحَةٍ.

122. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, was accompanying a funeral when he heard someone laugh. Then he said : Is it that death has been ordained only for others? Is it that right is obligatory only on others? Is it that those whom we see departing on their journey of death will come back to us? We lay them down in their graves and then enjoy their estate (as if we will live for good after them). We have ignored every preacher, man or woman, and have exposed ourselves to every catastrophe.

122. (Dans un convoi funèbre, il entend le rire d’un homme; il commente): C’est comme si la mort ne nous atteignait pas, si les obligations ne nous concernent pas et si les morts sont des voyageurs qui bientôt seront parmi nous! Nous les faisons descendre dans leurs tombes, nous profitons de leur héritage comme si nous étions immortels après eux! Puis nous oublierons toute prédication et toute homélie et nous serons touchés par toute affaire accablante et toute épidémie!

Nahj al-Balāgha

Chapter #122