لوعةٌ ما تزحزحُ

لوعةٌ ما تزحزحُ

وجوى ليس يبرحَ

وجوى ليس يبرحَ

A burning grief that will not budge,

An anguish that does not subside,

and anguish that will not leave,

A passion that does not depart,

وشجى ما أزال

وشجى ما أزال

أغبق منه وأصبحُ

أغبق منه وأصبحُ

and sorrow of which I never cease

A grief I have not yet removed,

to drink at dusk and dawn.

More confounded than it, though morn arrives,

وأسىً كلما خبا

وأسىً كلما خبا

ضوؤه عاد يقدحُ

ضوؤه عاد يقدحُ

And sorrow—whenever it dims,

And a sorrow whenever it wanes,

its glow returns, striking sparks.

Its light returns to be kindled,

وحسود يحاول ال

وحسود يحاول ال

جد من حيث يمزحُ

جد من حيث يمزحُ

And an envious man who pursues

And enviers attempting but no

serious ends through his joking.

Way where they jest,

فهو ياسو إذا حضر

فهو ياسو إذا حضر

ت وان غبت يجرح

ت وان غبت يجرح

He soothes me when I am present,

Thus he is miserable if present

and wounds me when I am absent.

And hurts if absent,

فمداج مواربٍ

فمداج مواربٍ

ومبين مصرح

ومبين مصرح

A dissembling, evasive man,

So deviant and evasive

yet also frank and outspoken.

And evident and frank,

كأبن آوى يعوي

كأبن آوى يعوي

ورايء وكالكلب ينبحُ

ورايء وكالكلب ينبحُ

Like a jackal, he howls

Like a son who howls

behind me, and barks like a dog.

And behind, like a dog that barks,

عجبي والخطوب

عجبي والخطوب

تبرح فينا وتسنح

تبرح فينا وتسنح

I marvel—while calamities

My wonder is trouble persists in us and lodges,

pass among us to left and right,

And turns of fate sometimes thrust and sometimes gore,

وصروف الزمان

وصروف الزمان

ترمح حيناً وتنطحُ

ترمح حيناً وتنطحُ

and time's reversals

For my students, for the comfort of

sometimes kick and sometimes butt—

Living and death, I go,

لطلابي لراحة ال

لطلابي لراحة ال

عيش والموت أروحُ

عيش والموت أروحُ

at my quest for ease in

Tell the unjust profit

living, when death is more restful.

Through praise if he continues praising,

قل لباغي ربحٍ

قل لباغي ربحٍ

بمدحٍ إذا ظل يمدحُ

بمدحٍ إذا ظل يمدحُ

Say to one seeking gain

Praise the Prophet's family, O unjust,

through praise, when he keeps praising:

Through it profit profits,

مدح آل النبي يابا

مدح آل النبي يابا

غي الربح أربحُ

غي الربح أربحُ

Praise of the Prophet's family, O seeker

Through them salvation is granted

of gain, is more rewarding.

Tomorrow when fates are apportioned

من بهم تمنح النجاة

من بهم تمنح النجاة

غداً حين تمنحُ

غداً حين تمنحُ

Those through whom salvation is granted

And through them matters are corrected

tomorrow, when it is granted;

Which cannot otherwise be corrected,

وبهم تصلح الأمو

وبهم تصلح الأمو

ر التي ليس تصلحُ

ر التي ليس تصلحُ

and through them are set right the affairs

No eloquent one but by them

that otherwise cannot be set right.

Is more eloquent than he,

ما فصيح إلا وهم

ما فصيح إلا وهم

بالعلى منه أفصحُ

بالعلى منه أفصحُ

No eloquent speaker exists but they

They surpassed explaining the prohibition

are more eloquent than he in nobility.

With an advice none can explain,

سبقوا شرح ذي النهى

سبقوا شرح ذي النهى

بنهيّ ليس تشرحُ

بنهيّ ليس تشرحُ

They surpassed the wise man's exposition

To the dispossessed they are

with wisdom beyond explanation.

The most generous hands and most giving,

هم على المعدمين

هم على المعدمين

أوسع ايدٍ وأفسحُ

أوسع ايدٍ وأفسحُ

To the destitute they are

Whenever weighed against them

the most open-handed and generous.

They are weightier,

كلما ووزنوا به

كلما ووزنوا به

فهمُ منه أرجح

فهمُ منه أرجح

Whenever they are weighed against another,

The birds of fire in the deserts

they outweigh him.

Birds whose cries ever resonate,

طير النار في الحشا

طير النار في الحشا

طائر ظل يصدح

طائر ظل يصدح

A bird of fire within my breast,

Crying woefully, not knowing

a bird that keeps on singing,

That I for them lament,

ناح شجواً وما درى

ناح شجواً وما درى

أنني منه أنوحُ

أنني منه أنوحُ

wailed in sorrow, unaware

I am more woeful in spirit than they

that I lament more deeply than it.

And more compassionate and wounded,

أنا أشجى منه فؤاداً

أنا أشجى منه فؤاداً

وأضنى وأقرحُ

وأضنى وأقرحُ

I am more sorrowful at heart than it,

I have a heart whose fire

more wasted and more wounded.

Every day salt and burning,

لي فؤادٌ بناره

لي فؤادٌ بناره

كل يوم ملوح

كل يوم ملوح

I have a heart that, in its fire,

And desolate in the horizon's expanse

is scorched each day;

Are my scorches detailed,

وحشا بالمدى مدى

وحشا بالمدى مدى

حرقاتي تشرح

حرقاتي تشرح

and innards that knives—the knives

For al-Husayn whom the affairs

of my burning agonies—cut open.

With his mention overflow,

للحسين الذي الشؤ

للحسين الذي الشؤ

ون بذكراه تسفح

ون بذكراه تسفح

For Husayn, for whom the tear ducts

The son of one who stood by guidance

shed tears at his remembrance;

When standing advising,

لابن من قام بالنصي

لابن من قام بالنصي

حة إذ قام ينصح

حة إذ قام ينصح

for the son of him who rose with counsel,

The slaughtered, slaughtered of

when he rose to give counsel.

Thirst, as he is slaughtered,

الذبيح الذبيح من

الذبيح الذبيح من

عطشٍ وهو يذبحُ

عطشٍ وهو يذبحُ

The slaughtered one, slaughtered by

One who saw the Prophet's son

thirst while being slaughtered.

In his blood, how he swims

من رأى ابن النبي

من رأى ابن النبي

في دمه كيف يسبح

في دمه كيف يسبح

Who saw the Prophet's descendant—

Aspiring, his gaze towards

how he swam in his blood,

His family when he aspires,

طامحاً طرفه إلى

طامحاً طرفه إلى

أهله حين يطمحُ

أهله حين يطمحُ

his gaze straining toward

Blinking his eye,

his family as he lifted his gaze,

While in Karbala's woes, opening,

يطبق العين و

يطبق العين و

هو في كرباتٍ ويفتحُ

هو في كرباتٍ ويفتحُ

closing his eyes, while

In me is an ardor for al-Husayn

in agony, and opening them?

That agonizes my heart and wounds,

بي جويّ للحسين

بي جويّ للحسين

يولم قلبي ويقرح

يولم قلبي ويقرح

Within me is anguish for Husayn

A hero whose like

that pains my heart and wounds it.

No bed has ever contained,

أبطحيٌ ما إن حوى

أبطحيٌ ما إن حوى

مثله قسط أبطح

مثله قسط أبطح

A man of al-Abtah: never has

Honors glimpse from

any tract of al-Abtah held his equal.

His face when they glimpse,

تلمح المكرمات من

تلمح المكرمات من

طرفه حين تلمحُ

طرفه حين تلمحُ

You glimpse noble virtues in

What grave through the slain

his gaze whenever you look.

Became filled, triumphant,

أي قبرٍ بالطف

أي قبرٍ بالطف

أضحى به الطف بنجح

أضحى به الطف بنجح

What a grave at al-Taff!

By my father the slain, discarded

Through it, al-Taff has come to prosper.

To exaltation, in it discarded,

بأبي الطف مطرحاً

بأبي الطف مطرحاً

للعلى فيه مطرحُ

للعلى فيه مطرحُ

May my father ransom al-Taff, a resting place

The earth's expanse by it

where greatness has its resting place.

Grieves while the interior rejoices,

ظاهر الأرض منه

ظاهر الأرض منه

محزن والبطن تفرحُ

محزن والبطن تفرحُ

The earth's surface, because of him,

The journey was pleasant with the slain, and they became

is sorrowful, while its depths rejoice.

From a slain poured

مالسفر بالطف أمسوا

مالسفر بالطف أمسوا

حلولاً وأصبحوا

حلولاً وأصبحوا

What of the travelers who, at al-Taff, spent the evening

On its sides, the birds wings,

encamped, and met the morning—

And a fallen whose

من صريع على

من صريع على

جوانبه الطير جُنح

جوانبه الطير جُنح

one struck down, over

Dirt covers and discards,

whose flanks birds hover, wings inclined;

So may Allah greet

وطريحٍ على محا

وطريحٍ على محا

سنه الترب يطرحُ

سنه الترب يطرحُ

and one laid low, upon whose

My callers protected by them when they met,

beautiful features dust is thrown?

How ugly! Unless the people rode

فلحى اللَه مستب

فلحى اللَه مستب

يحي حماهم وقد لحوا

يحي حماهم وقد لحوا

May God curse those who violated

More ugly than it,

their sanctuary; they are indeed accursed.

The House of the Prophet,

ما قبيحٌ ألا وما ار

ما قبيحٌ ألا وما ار

تكب القوم أقبحُ

تكب القوم أقبحُ

No ugly deed exists but what

Why from you do I sway?

these people committed is uglier.

Successful those who

آل بيت النبي

آل بيت النبي

مالي عنكم تزحزحُ

مالي عنكم تزحزحُ

Family of the Prophet's house,

Remained in your guidance and succeeded,

I do not turn away from you.

I in that have no peer

أفلح الساكنون

أفلح الساكنون

ظل هداكم وانجحوا

ظل هداكم وانجحوا

Successful are those who dwell

That I strive and work for,

in your guidance's shade; they have prospered.

Perhaps Allah will pardon my

أنا في ذاك لا سوى

أنا في ذاك لا سوى

ذاك أسعى وأكدحُ

ذاك أسعى وأكدحُ

It is in that, and in nothing but

Sins and forgive.

that, that I strive and toil.

فعسى اللَه عن ذنو

فعسى اللَه عن ذنو

بي يعفو ويصفح

بي يعفو ويصفح

So may God, for my sins,

grant pardon and forgiveness.