من ابنِ رسول اللَهِ وابنِ وَصِيِّهِ

من ابنِ رسول اللَهِ وابنِ وَصِيِّهِ

إلى مُدغلٍ في عُقدةِ الدين ناصبِ

إلى مُدغلٍ في عُقدةِ الدين ناصبِ

From the son of God’s Messenger, and the son of his appointed successor,

From the son of God's Messenger and the son of his appointed successor,

to a Nasibi who insinuates corruption into the bond of faith:

To one harboring deceit within the bond of faith, a hostile foe.

نشا بينَ طُنبورٍ ودُفٍّ ومِزهَرٍ

نشا بينَ طُنبورٍ ودُفٍّ ومِزهَرٍ

وفي حِجرِ شادٍ أو على صدر ضارب

وفي حِجرِ شادٍ أو على صدر ضارب

You grew up amid lute, tambourine, and harp,

He grew up amid a tanbur, a tambourine, and a lute,

in a singer’s lap or against a minstrel’s breast,

And in a singer's lap, or on an instrumentalist's chest;

ومن ظهر سكرانٍ إلى بطن قينةٍ

ومن ظهر سكرانٍ إلى بطن قينةٍ

على شُبَهٍ في مِلكِها وشوائبِ

على شُبَهٍ في مِلكِها وشوائبِ

from a drunkard’s loins into a songstress’s womb,

And from a drunkard's loins to a singing slave-girl's womb,

amid doubts about her ownership and every taint.

Amid doubts and taints concerning the ownership of her.

وقُلتَ بنو حَربٍ كسوكُم عمائماً

وقُلتَ بنو حَربٍ كسوكُم عمائماً

من الضَرب في الهامات حمرَ الذوائبِ

من الضَرب في الهامات حمرَ الذوائبِ

You said, “The sons of Harb clothed you in turbans

And you said, “The sons of Harb clothed you in turbans,

made of blows upon your heads, with blood-red tassels.”

Crimson-tailed from blows upon the heads.”

صدقت منايانا السيوفُ وإنّما

صدقت منايانا السيوفُ وإنّما

تموتون فوقَ الفَرشِ موتَ الكواعبِ

تموتون فوقَ الفَرشِ موتَ الكواعبِ

You spoke truly: swords are our appointed deaths, whereas

You spoke truly: swords are our doom; but only

you die upon your beds, the death of sheltered maidens.

Upon beds do you die, as young maidens die.

ونحنُ الأُلى لا يسرحُ الذمُّ بيننا

ونحنُ الأُلى لا يسرحُ الذمُّ بيننا

ولا تدّرى اعراضُنا بالمعايب

ولا تدّرى اعراضُنا بالمعايب

We are those among whom no blame roams free,

And we are those among whom blame never roams,

and our honor is never known for faults.

Nor is our honor assailed with faults.

إذا ما انتدوا كانوا شموسَ نَدِيِّهم

إذا ما انتدوا كانوا شموسَ نَدِيِّهم

وإن ركبوا كانوا بدورَ الركائب

وإن ركبوا كانوا بدورَ الركائب

Whenever they convened, they were the suns of their assembly;

Whenever they assembled, they were the suns of their council;

whenever they rode, the full moons of the cavalcade.

And when they rode, they were full moons among the mounts.

وإِن عَبَسُوا يوم الوغى ضَحِكَ الردى

وإِن عَبَسُوا يوم الوغى ضَحِكَ الردى

وإِن ضَحِكوا بكَّوا عيونَ النوائب

وإِن ضَحِكوا بكَّوا عيونَ النوائب

When they scowled on battle’s day, death itself laughed;

And if they frowned on battle's day, death laughed;

when they laughed, the eyes of calamity wept.

And if they laughed, they made misfortunes' eyes weep.

وما للغواني والوغى فتعوَّذوا

وما للغواني والوغى فتعوَّذوا

بقَرعِ المثاني من قراع الكتائب

بقَرعِ المثاني من قراع الكتائب

What have fair women to do with battle? So seek refuge

And what have fair women to do with battle? Seek refuge, then,

in plucking paired strings from the clash of battalions.

In striking lute strings, from the clash of battalions.

ويومَ حُنينٍ قلتَ حُزناً فخارَه

ويومَ حُنينٍ قلتَ حُزناً فخارَه

ولو كان يدري عَدَّها في المثالب

ولو كان يدري عَدَّها في المثالب

On the day of Hunayn, you said mournfully, “It was his boast”—

And of Hunayn's day you said, “We won its glory.”

had he understood, he would have counted it among his disgraces:

Yet had he known, he would have counted it among disgraces.

ابوه مُنادٍ والوصيُّ مُضاربٌ

ابوه مُنادٍ والوصيُّ مُضاربٌ

فقُل في مُنادٍ صَيِّتٍ ومُضاربِ

فقُل في مُنادٍ صَيِّتٍ ومُضاربِ

his father was merely a herald, while the appointed successor struck blows.

His father was a herald, and the appointed successor a fighter;

So speak of a loud-voiced herald—and of a fighter!

Then speak of a loud-voiced herald and a fighter.

وجئتُم مع الأولاد تبغونَ إرثَهُ

وجئتُم مع الأولاد تبغونَ إرثَهُ

فأبعِد بمحجوبٍ بحاجبِ حاجبِ

فأبعِد بمحجوبٍ بحاجبِ حاجبِ

You came with the children, seeking his inheritance;

And you came with the children, seeking his inheritance.

how far from it is one excluded by an heir who bars him!

How far removed, then, is one barred by an excluder's excluder!

وقلتم نَهَضنا ثائرينَ شعارُنا

وقلتم نَهَضنا ثائرينَ شعارُنا

بثارات زيدِ الخيرِ عندَ التحاربِ

بثارات زيدِ الخيرِ عندَ التحاربِ

You said, “We rose as avengers; our battle cry was

And you said, “We rose as avengers; our battle cry was

‘Vengeance for Zayd the Good!’ when combat met.”

For vengeance for Zayd the Good, when waging war.”

فهَلا بإبراهيم كان شِعارُكم

فهَلا بإبراهيم كان شِعارُكم

فَتَرجِعَ دعواكُم تَعِلَّةَ خائبِ

فَتَرجِعَ دعواكُم تَعِلَّةَ خائبِ

Then why was Ibrahim not your battle cry,

Then why was your battle cry not for Ibrahim?

so that your claim might become a disappointed man’s excuse?

So your claim becomes a disappointed man's pretext.

وزير النبيّ المصطفى ووصيّه

وزير النبيّ المصطفى ووصيّه

ومشبهه في شيمة وضرائب

ومشبهه في شيمة وضرائب

He is the Chosen Prophet’s minister and appointed successor,

The chosen Prophet's minister and his appointed successor,

his very likeness in character and innate qualities;

And his like in character and innate traits;

ومن قال في يوم الغدير محمد

ومن قال في يوم الغدير محمد

وقد خاف من غدر العداة النواصب

وقد خاف من غدر العداة النواصب

the man of whom Muhammad said on the Day of Ghadir,

And he of whom Muhammad spoke on the day of al-Ghadir,

fearing the treachery of the hostile Nasibis:

While fearing treachery from hostile enemies:

أما انني أولى بكم من نفوسكم

أما انني أولى بكم من نفوسكم

فقالوا بلى ريب المريب الموارب

فقالوا بلى ريب المريب الموارب

“Do I not have a greater claim over you than your own selves?”

“Am I not more entitled to you than your own selves?”

They answered, “Yes”—despite the contentious doubter’s misgivings.

They said, “Yes,” [without] the doubt of the evasive doubter.

فقال لهم من كنت مولاه منكمُ

فقال لهم من كنت مولاه منكمُ

فهذا اخي مولاه بعدي وصاحبي

فهذا اخي مولاه بعدي وصاحبي

Then he said to them, “Whoever among you has me as his master,

So he told them: “Whoever among you has me as his master—

this man, my brother, is his master after me and my companion.

This brother and companion of mine is his master after me.

أطيعوه طُرّاً فهو مني بمنزل

أطيعوه طُرّاً فهو مني بمنزل

كهارون من موسى الكليم المخاطب

كهارون من موسى الكليم المخاطب

Obey him, every one of you: he stands in relation to me

Obey him, all of you, for he stands in relation to me

as Aaron stood to Moses, the one addressed by God.”

As Harun did to Musa, whom God spoke to and addressed.”

وهارونكم أردى بغير جريرة

وهارونكم أردى بغير جريرة

نجومَ تُقىً مثل النجوم الكواكب

نجومَ تُقىً مثل النجوم الكواكب

Yet your Harun struck down, though they had committed no crime,

And your Harun slew, for no offense,

stars whose lives were ended like the stars of heaven.

Stars of piety, like the shining stars.

ومأمونكم سمّ الرضا بعد بيعة

ومأمونكم سمّ الرضا بعد بيعة

فآدت له شمّ الجبال الرواسب

فآدت له شمّ الجبال الرواسب

And your Ma’mun poisoned al-Rida after a pledge of allegiance

And your Ma'mun poisoned al-Rida after a pledge of allegiance,

which even the lofty, deep-rooted mountains had rendered to him.

So the lofty, deep-rooted mountains bowed for him.