أي طرف منا يبيت قريرا — Ahmed Alattar

أي طرفٍ منا يبيت قريراً

لم تفجر أنهاره تفجيرا

Which eye among us can spend the night at peace,

without its streams of tears bursting forth in torrents?

أي قلبٍ يستر من بعد ما كا

ن لقلب الهادي النبي سرورا

What heart can hide [its grief] after him who was

a joy to the heart of the guiding Prophet?

آه وا حسرتا عليه وقد أخ

رج عن دار جده مقهورا

Ah, alas for him, when he was driven

from his grandfather's home, oppressed!

كاتبوه فجاءهم يقطع البي

داء يطوي سهولها والوعورا

They wrote to him; he came to them, crossing

the wilderness, traversing its plains and rugged heights.

أخلفوه ما عاهدوا اللَه من قب

ل وجاءوا إذ ذاك ظلماً وزورا

They broke the pledge to him they had made to God

before, and then brought injustice and falsehood.

فأتاهم محذراً ونذيراً

فأبى الظالمون إلا كفورا

He came to them admonishing and warning,

but the wrongdoers would accept nothing but ingratitude.

وأصروا واستكبروا ونسوا يو

ماً عبوساً على الورى قمطريرا

They persisted, grew arrogant, and forgot a

day grim and dreadfully harsh upon humankind.

لست أنسى إذا قام في صحبه ين

ثر من فيه لؤلؤاً منثورا

I do not forget when he stood among his companions, scattering

pearls from his mouth,

قائلاً ليس للعدو بغيةً غي

ري ولا بد أن أردى عفيرا

saying, 'The enemy seeks none other

than me; I must fall slain and dust-covered.

إذهبوا فالدجى ستير وما الوق

ت هجيراً ولا السبيل خطيرا

Go: the darkness conceals you, and the hour

is not scorching, nor is the road perilous.'

فأجابوه حاش للَه بل نف

ديك والموت فيك ليس كثيرا

They answered him, 'God forbid! Rather, we would

ransom you; dying for your sake is no great price.

لا سلمنا إذن إذا نحن أسلم

ناك وتراً بين العدى موتورا

May we never be safe if we surrender

you, alone and bereft, among the enemies!

أنخليك في العدو وحيداً

ونولي الأدبار عنك نفورا

Would we leave you alone amid the enemy,

and turn our backs on you, fleeing?

لا أرانا الإله ذلك واختا

روا بدار البقاء ملكاً كبيرا

May God never let us see that!' They chose

a mighty dominion in the abode of eternity.

بذلوا الجهد في جهاد الأعادي

وغدا بعضهم لبعض ظهيرا

They spent their utmost strength battling the enemies,

and each became a support to the others.

ورموا حزب آل حرب بحرب

مأزق كان شره مستطيرا

They assailed the party of the House of Harb with war,

a perilous clash whose havoc spread far and wide.

كم أراقوا منهم دماً وكأي

من كمي قد دمروا تدميرا

How much of their blood they shed, and how many

armored warriors they utterly destroyed!

فدعاهم داعي المنون فسروا

فكأن المنون جاءت بشيرا

Death's herald summoned them, and they rejoiced,

as though death had come bearing glad tidings.

فأجابوه مسرعين إلى القت

ل وقد كان حظهم موفورا

They answered him, hastening toward

death; abundant was their portion.

فلئن عانقوا السيوف ففي مق

عد صدقٍ يعانقون الحورا

Though they embraced swords, in a seat

of truth they embrace the heavenly maidens.

ولئن غودروا على الترب صرعى

فسيجزون جنة وحريرا

Though they were left slain upon the dust,

they shall be rewarded with a garden and silk.

وغداً يشربون كأساً دهاقاً

ويلقون نظرةً وسرورا

Tomorrow they shall drink a brimming cup,

and be met with a glance and joy.

كان هذا لهم جزاء من اللَه

وقد كان سعيهم مشكورا

This was their recompense from God,

and their striving was appreciated.

فغدا السبط بعده في عراص ال

طف يبغي من العدو نصيرا

Then the Prophet's grandson stood afterward upon the grounds of

al-Taff, seeking a helper from among the enemy.

كان غوثاً للعالمين فأمسى

مستغيثاً يا للورى مستجيرا

He had been a refuge for all the worlds, yet became

a seeker of aid—O humankind!—pleading for protection.

فأتاه سهم مشوم به أنق

ض جديلاً على الصعيد عفيرا

An ill-omened arrow struck him, and he fell

stricken upon the ground, covered in dust.

فأصاب الفؤاد منه لقد أخ

طأ من قد رماه خطأ كبيرا

It struck his heart; grievously did he err

who shot him—an enormous wrong.

فأتاه شمر وشمر عن سا

عد أحقاد صدره تشميرا

Then Shimr came to him and laid bare the forearm

of the rancor in his breast, baring it utterly.

وارتقى صدره اجتراء على اللَ

ه وكان الخب اللثيم جسورا

He mounted his chest, brazenly defying

God; the crafty, vile man was audacious.

وحسين يقول إن كنت من يج

هل قدري فاسأل بذاك خبيرا

And Husayn said, 'If you are one who does not

know my worth, ask someone who knows it well.'

فيرى رأسه الشريف وعلا

ه على الرمح وهو يشرق نورا

Then he beholds his noble head and raises

it upon the spear, while it shines with light.

ذبح العلم والنقي إذا براه

وغدا الحق بعده مقهورا

He slaughtered the illustrious, pure one when he cut him down,

and truth became oppressed after him.

عجباً كيف يذبح السيف من قد

كان سيفاً على العدى مشهورا

How strange that the sword should slaughter one who

had been a drawn sword against the enemies!

عجباً كيف تلفح الشمس شمساً

ليس ينفك ضوؤها مستنيرا

How strange that the sun should scorch a sun

whose light never ceases to shine!

عجباً للسماء كيف استقرت

ولبدر السماء يبدوا منيرا

How strange that heaven held firm,

and that heaven's full moon appeared radiant!

كيف من بعده يضيء أليس ال

بدر من نور وجهه مستعيرا

How can it shine after him? Does not the

full moon borrow from the light of his face?

غادروه على الثرى وهو ظل

اللَه في أرضه يقاسي الحرورا

They left him upon the earth, though he was God's shadow

upon His earth, suffering the scorching heat.

ثم رضوا بالعاديات صدوراً

لأناس في الناس كانوا صدورا

Then with charging steeds they crushed the breasts

of men who had been foremost among humankind.

قرعوا ويلهم ثغرو رجال

بهم ذو الجلال يحمي الثغورا

They struck—woe to them!—the mouths of men

through whom the Lord of Majesty guarded the frontiers.

هجروا في الهجير أشلاء قومٍ

أصبح الذكر بعدهم مهجورا

They abandoned in the midday heat the remains of people

after whom remembrance became forsaken.

أظلم الكون بعدهم حيث قد كا

نوا مصابيح للورى وبدورا

The universe darkened after them, for they had

been lamps and full moons for humankind.

استباحوا ذاك الجناب الذي قد

كان حصناً للمستجير وسورا

They violated that sanctuary which had

been a fortress and a wall for those seeking protection.

أضرموا في الخيام ناراً تلظى

فسيصلون في الجحيم سعيرا

They kindled a blazing fire in the tents;

they shall burn in the blazing fire of hell.

بعد أن أبرزوا النساء سباياً

نادبات ولا يجدن مجيرا

After they brought the women forth as captives,

lamenting and finding no protector,

مبديات الأسى على من بسيف ال

ظلم قد بات نحره منحورا

they voiced their grief for him whose throat, by the sword of

injustice, had been cut.

من يعد الحنوط من يتولى

غسل قومٍ قد طهروا تطهيرا

Who will prepare the funerary perfumes? Who will undertake

the washing of people who had been thoroughly purified?

من يصلي على المصلين من يد

فن تحت التراب تلك البدورا

Who will pray over those who prayed? Who will bury

those full moons beneath the earth?

من يقيم العزاء حزناً على من

رزؤهم أحزن البشير النذيرا

Who will hold mourning, grieving for those

whose loss grieved the bearer of glad tidings, the warner?

من لأسد قد جزروا كالأضاحي

يشتكون الظما وكانوا بحورا

Who will stand for lions slaughtered like sacrificial beasts,

complaining of thirst, though they had been seas?

من لزين العباد إذا صفدوه

بقيود وأوثقوه أسيرا

Who will stand for Zayn al-Ibad when they shackled him

with chains and bound him as a prisoner?

عجباً تجتري العبيد على من

كان للنسا سيداً وأميرا

How strange that slaves should dare defy one who

was a lord and prince to women!

من لطود هوى وكان عظيما

من لغصن ذوي وكان نصيرا

Who will stand for a mountain that fell, once mighty?

Who for a branch that withered, once a helper?

من لبدر أضحى له اللحد برجا

من للشمس قد كورت تكويرا

Who for a full moon whose grave became its celestial mansion?

Who for a sun utterly folded away?

من لجسم في الترب بات تريبا

من لرأس فوق السنان أديرا

Who for a body that lay dust-covered in the dust?

Who for a head borne about upon a spearpoint?

وجباهٌ ما عفرت لسوى اللضه

على الترب عفرت تعفيرا

And foreheads that had bowed into dust to none but God

were rubbed into the earth's dust.

وخدود شريفةٍ لم تصعر

قط للناس وسدوها الصخورا

And noble cheeks that had never turned away in pride

from people—they laid them upon rocks.

ووجوهٌ مصونةٌ هتكوها

وأباحوا حجابها المستورا

Protected faces they violated,

and laid bare their concealing veil.

وبيوت برفعها أذن اللَه

غدت بعد ساكنيها دثورا

And houses God had permitted to be raised

became ruins after their inhabitants.

يا له فادحاً تضعضع ركن الد

دين من عظمه ورزءاً خطيرا

Oh, what a calamity! The pillar of the

faith shook under its enormity—what a grievous loss!

ومصاباً ساء النبي ومولا

نا علياً وشبراً وشبيرا

A calamity that grieved the Prophet and our master

Ali, and Shabbar and Shabbir;

وخطوباً يطوي الجديد ولا يفتأ

في الناس حزنها منشورا

calamities over which time rolls on, yet still

their grief remains spread among the people,

أو يقوم المهدي حامي حمى الإس

لام ساقي الأعداء كأساً مريرا

until al-Mahdi rises, defender of the sanctuary of

Islam, making enemies drink a bitter cup.

رب بلغه ما يؤمله واف

تح له من لدنك فتحاً يسيرا

Lord, grant him what he hopes for, and open

for him, from Yourself, an easy victory.

ليت شعري متى نرى داعي اللَه

إلى الحق والسراج المنيرا

Would that I knew when we shall see God's caller

to the truth, the radiant lamp!

أو ما آن أن يرى ظاهراً في

يده سيف جده مشهورا

Has the time not come for him to appear, in

his hand his grandfather's sword unsheathed?

أو ا آن أن يرى ولواء الن

نصر من فوق رأسه منشورا

Has the time not come for him to be seen, with the banner of

victory unfurled above his head?

أو ما آن أن يحور فيستأ

صل من كان ظن أن لا يحورا

Has the time not come for him to return and uproot

those who thought he would never return?

أو ما آن أن يعود به الإس

لام بعد الخمول غضا نضيرا

Has the time not come for him to restore

Islam, fresh and flourishing after obscurity?

أو ما آن أن نروح ونغدو

في ابتهاج والعيش يغدو قريرا

Has the time not come for us to go at dusk and dawn

in joy, as life becomes tranquil?

أو ما آن أن ينادي مناديه

عن اللَه في الأنام بشيرا

Has the time not come for his herald to proclaim,

on God's behalf, glad tidings among humankind?

ذاك يوم للمؤمنين سرور

وعلى الكافرين كان عسيرا

That is a day of joy for the believers,

and a grievous one for the unbelievers.

يا بني الوحي والألى فيهم قد

أنزل اللَه هل أتى والطورا

O children of revelation, those concerning whom

God revealed 'Has There Come' and 'The Mount,'

دونكم منسليلكم أحمد در

راً نظيماً ولؤلؤاً منثورا

Receive, from your descendant Ahmad, pearls

strung in order, and pearls scattered freely.

يبتغي منكم به جنة لم

ير فيها شمساً ولا زمهريرا

He seeks from you, through this, a garden in which he has not

seen sun or bitter cold.

خسر المادحون غيركم وال

مدح فيكم تجارةً لن تبورا

Those who praise others than you have lost; but

praise of you is a trade that will never fail.

وعليكم من ربكم صلوات

عطر الكون نشرها تعطيرا

And upon you be blessings from your Lord,

whose spreading fragrance has richly perfumed the universe.