اقلا علي اللوم فيما جنى الحب

فإن عذاب المستهام به عذب

You two, lessen your reproach of me for what love has wrought,

for the torment of one enraptured by it is sweet.

وصلت غرامي بالدموع وعاقدت

جفوني على هجر الكرى الانجم الشهب

I joined my passion to tears, and a pact bound

my eyelids to the bright stars in forsaking sleep.

تقاسمن مني ناظرا ضمنت له

دواعي الهوى ان لا يجف له غرب

They shared an eye of mine, for which a pledge was made

by love's urgings that its tears would never run dry.

فليت هواهم حمّل القلب وسعه

فيقوى له أوليت ما كان لي قلب

If only love for them had burdened my heart within its strength,

so it could bear it—or if only I had no heart!

فأبعد بطيب العيش عني فليس لي

به طائل ان لم يكن بيننا قرب

Then keep life's sweetness far from me, for I find

no benefit in it if there is no closeness between us.

الا في ذمام الله عيس تحملت

بسرب مهاً للدمع في اثرها سرب

Lo, in God's keeping are pale camels that set out

with a herd of oryx, a stream of tears in their wake.

وكنا وردنا العيش صفوا فاقبلت

حوادث أيام بها كدر الشرب

We had drunk of life unclouded, then came

the calamities of days, which muddied the draught.

عدمناك من دهر خؤون لأهله

إذا ما انقضى خطب له راعنا خطب

May we be rid of you, O time, treacherous to your people!

Whenever one of its calamities ends, another terrifies us.

على ان رزء الناس يخلق حقبة

ورزء بني طه تجدده الحقب

Though people's losses fade with time,

the ages renew the loss of the sons of Taha.

حدا لهم ركب الفناء ايائهم

وسار بمغبوط الثناء لهم ركب

Their proud defiance [reading uncertain] drove their caravan toward death,

and a caravan journeyed bearing them enviable praise.

لحى الله يا أهل العراق صنيعكم

فقد طأطأت هاماتها بكم العرب

May God curse your deeds, O people of Iraq!

For, because of you, the Arabs have bowed their heads.

دعوتم حسيناً للعراق ولم تزل

تسير إليه منكم الرسل والكتب

You summoned Husayn to Iraq, and ceaselessly

your messengers and letters traveled to him.

ان اقدم الينا يا بن بنت محمد

فأنك ان وافيت يلتئم الشعب

"Come to us, O son of Muhammad's daughter,

for, if you come, the rift will be healed."

فلما أتاكم واثقاً بعهودكم

إليه إذا مرعى وفائكم جدب

But when he came to you, trusting your pledges

to him—behold, the pasture of your loyalty was barren.

فلم يحظ الا بالقنا من قراكم

وضاق عليه فيكم المنزل الرحب

He received nothing of your hospitality but spears,

and the spacious dwelling among you grew narrow for him.

فلم أر أشقى منكم إذ غدرتم

بآل علي كي تسود بكم حرب

I have seen none more wretched than you, for you betrayed

the house of Ali, so that Harb might rule through you.

فلله أجسام من النور كونت

تحكم في أغصانها الطعن والضرب

To God belong those bodies fashioned from light,

over whose branches thrusts and blows held sway.

فيا يوم عاشوراء أوقدت في الحشا

من الحزن نيراناً مدى الدهر لا تخبو

O day of Ashura, you kindled within the breast

fires of sorrow that will never die down through all time.

وقد كنت عيدا قبل يجني بك الهنا

فعدت قذى الأجفان يجنى بك الكرب

And once you were a festival, yielding joy;

then you became grit in the eyelids, yielding anguish.

قضى ابن رسول الله فيك على الظما

وقد نهلت منه المهندة القضب

The son of God's Messenger died thirsty upon you,

while sharp Indian-forged swords drank from him.

وحفت به سمر القنا فكأنه

لدى الحرب عين والرماح لها هدب

And brown spear-shafts encircled him, as though he were

an eye amid battle, with spears for its lashes.

فكم قد اريقت فيك من آل أحمد

دماء لسادات وكم هتكت حجب

How much was spilled upon you from the house of Ahmad—

blood of noble lords! And how many veils were torn!

وعبرى أذاب الشجو جامد دمعها

تنوح وللأشجان في قلبها ندب

And a tearful woman, whose frozen tears grief has melted,

laments, with sorrow's scars within her heart.

إذا عطلت اجيادها من حليها

تحلت بدمع سقطه اللؤلؤ الرطب

When her neck is stripped of her jewels,

she adorns herself with tears whose drops are fresh pearls.

تعاتب صرعى لو يساعدها القضا

إذا وثبوا غضبي وعنها العدى ذبوا

She reproaches the slain; if fate would come to her aid,

then they would leap up in anger and drive the foes away from her.