مَنَعُوهُthey denied him ماءَwater of الفراتِthe Euphrates وظَلُّواand they continued
مَنَعُوهُ ماءَ الفراتِ وظَلُّوا
يَتَعاطَوْنَهُthey partook of it زُلالاًsweet and clear نُقَاخاpure
يَتَعاطَوْنَهُ زُلالاً نُقَاخا
They denied him the water of the Euphrates and kept
They prevented him from the waters of the Euphrates while they were drinking it fresh and clear
drinking it, sweet and pure.
By my father 'Itrah the prophet and my mother
بأبيwith my father as ransom عِترةَthe kin of النَّبِيّthe Prophet وأُمّيand my mother
بأبي عِترةَ النَّبِيّ وأُمّي
سَدَّblocked عنهمagainst them مُعانِدٌa stubborn foe أَصْماخاear canals
سَدَّ عنهم مُعانِدٌ أَصْماخا
I would ransom the Prophet’s kin with my father and mother;
An obstinate enemy blocked it from them
a stubborn foe blocked ears from hearing them.
The best of creation as a child, as a youth
خَيْرُthe best of ذاthis الخَلْقِcreation صِبْيَةًas children وَشَباباًand as youths
خَيْرُ ذا الخَلْقِ صِبْيَةً وَشَباباً
وكُهولاًand as mature men وَخَيرُهُمْand the best of them أشياخاas elders
وكُهولاً وَخَيرُهُمْ أشياخا
The best of this creation as children and youths,
And as elders, and the best of them are the old
and as mature men, and the best of them as elders.
They took the chest of the pride of glory as soon as they became hostile and left the battlefields bloody
أخَذواthey took صَدْرَthe forefront of مفخرِthe pride of العزّglory مُذْsince كاbegins 'they were'
أخَذوا صَدْرَ مفخرِ العزّ مُذْ كا
نواcompletes 'they were' وخلّواand they left لِلعالَمينَfor the worlds المِخاخاthe marrow
نوا وخلّوا لِلعالَمينَ المِخاخا
They claimed the forefront of glorious pride ever since they
The pure ones, wherever they were, pockets
came to be, and left the marrow to the worlds.
Where pockets cannot avoid getting dirty
النَّقِيُّونَthe pure حيثُwherever كانواthey were جيوباin their bosoms
النَّقِيُّونَ حيثُ كانوا جيوبا
حيثُwhere لاnot تأمنare safe from الجيوبُbosoms اتّساخاsoiling
حيثُ لا تأمن الجيوبُ اتّساخا
Pure in their bosoms wherever they were,
They get used to living in the wilderness when people get used to their spoils and good cooking
where bosoms are not safe from stain.
They were created generous, not stingy
يَألَفُونَthey are accustomed to الطَّوَىhunger إِذاwhen ألفbecame accustomed to الناbegins 'the people'
يَألَفُونَ الطَّوَى إِذا ألف النا
سُcompletes 'the people' اشتواءًroasting مِنْfrom فَيْئِهِمْtheir spoils واطّبَاخاand cooking
سُ اشتواءً مِنْ فَيْئِهِمْ واطّبَاخا
They are accustomed to hunger, while other
And a generous person does not become stingy
people are accustomed to roasting and cooking from their spoils.
The people of virtue inherited virtue as old men
خُلِقواthey were created أسْخِياءَgenerous لاnot مُتَساخِيbegins 'affecting generosity'
خُلِقوا أسْخِياءَ لا مُتَساخِي
نَcompletes 'affecting generosity' وليسand is not السَّخِيُّthe generous person مَنْone who يَتَساخَىaffects generosity
نَ وليس السَّخِيُّ مَنْ يَتَساخَى
They were created generous, not merely
And youth, honor him for that inheritance
affecting generosity; the generous man is not one who affects it.
By their love he becomes proud and lofty, he who had
أهْلُpeople of فَضْلٍexcellence تَناسَخواthey inherited in succession الفَضْلَexcellence شِيباًas gray-haired elders
أهْلُ فَضْلٍ تَناسَخوا الفَضْلَ شِيباً
وَشباباًand as youths أكْرِمْhow noble! بِذاكَthat انْتِساخاinheritance
وَشباباً أكْرِمْ بِذاكَ انْتِساخا
People of excellence, inheriting excellence, gray-haired
Been among people a strutting braggart
and young—how noble that inheritance!
O son of the prophet's daughter, honor through him a son
بِهَواهُمْthrough love of them يَزْهُوtakes pride وَيَشْمَخُand stands tall مَنْone who قَدْalready
بِهَواهُمْ يَزْهُو وَيَشْمَخُ مَنْ قَدْ
كانَwas فيamong النَّاسِthe people زَاهِياًproud شَمَّاخاlofty
كانَ في النَّاسِ زَاهِياً شَمَّاخا
Love of them brings pride and stature to one who had
And by the staffs of his grandfather, staffs
been proud and lofty among men.
And the son of the one who supported the prophet and befriended him
يابْنO son of بِنتِthe daughter of النَّبِيّthe Prophet أكرِمْhow noble! بِهِhe ابْناًas a son
يابْن بِنتِ النَّبِيّ أكرِمْ بِهِ ابْناً
وَبِأسْنَاخِand the roots of جَدّهِhis grandfather أسْنَاخاas roots
وَبِأسْنَاخِ جَدّهِ أسْنَاخا
O son of the Prophet’s daughter—how noble a son he is!
And bid him farewell at Ghadir and became his brother
And how noble his grandfather’s ancestral roots!
And the son of the one who was a pillar against the enemies
وّابْنَand son of مَنْone who وَازَرَsupported النَّبِيَّthe Prophet وَوَالاand was loyal to
وّابْنَ مَنْ وَازَرَ النَّبِيَّ وَوَالا
هُhim وَصَافاهُand befriended him sincerely فيat الغَديرِGhadir وَوَاخَىand formed brotherhood
هُ وَصَافاهُ في الغَديرِ وَوَاخَى
And son of him who aided the Prophet and was loyal to
And a smasher in the face of their horrors
him, was his true friend at Ghadir, and became his brother.
A striker with the sword under the shadow of war
وَابْنَand son of مَنْone who كانَwas لِلْكَريهةِinto battle ركّاbegins 'a frequent rider'
وَابْنَ مَنْ كانَ لِلْكَريهةِ ركّا
باًcompletes 'a frequent rider' وفيand in وَجْهِthe face of هَوْلِهاits terror رَسّاخاfirmly rooted
باً وفي وَجْهِ هَوْلِها رَسّاخا
And son of him who rode time and again into battle,
And a charger in the midst of the fray
firmly rooted in the face of its terror.
The one whose blood his supporters prolong shedding
لِلطُّلَىof necks تحتَbeneath قَسْطَلِthe dust-cloud of الحَرْبِwar ضَرّاbegins 'a frequent smiter'
لِلطُّلَى تحتَ قَسْطَلِ الحَرْبِ ضَرّا
باًcompletes 'a frequent smiter' ولِلهامِand of skulls فيin الوَغَىthe fray شَدّاخاa crusher
باً ولِلهامِ في الوَغَى شَدّاخا
A smiter of necks beneath the dust-cloud of war,
Drawing it fresh and fragrant
and a crusher of skulls in the fray.
It is not upon you that his anklet of gold chimed
ذوpossessor of الدّماءِthe blood التيwhich يُطيلُprolongs مواليdevotees
ذو الدّماءِ التي يُطيلُ موالي
هhis اخْتِظاباًdyeing themselves بِطيبِهاwith its fragrance والْتِطَاخاand smearing themselves
ه اخْتِظاباً بِطيبِها والْتِطَاخا
He whose blood his devotees long use
But it is upon the people the chime
to dye and smear themselves with its sweet fragrance.
ماnot عَليكُمْupon you أناخَlowered كَلْكَلَهُits breast الدَّهbegins 'Time'
ما عَليكُمْ أناخَ كَلْكَلَهُ الدَّه
رُcompletes 'Time' ولكنْand yet عَلىupon الأنامِhumankind أنَاخاit knelt
رُ ولكنْ عَلى الأنامِ أنَاخا
It was not upon you that Time laid its breast,
but upon humankind it knelt.
Partial English translation: 27 of 30 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1