1. The fire wept to hide the flames
While the coal pretended in the dictionary
١. بكى النارَ سَتْراً على المَوْقِدِ
وغار يغالطُ في المُنجِدِ
2. He loved and protected his passion
He went astray and was afraid to profess
٢. أحبَّ وصان فَورَّى هوىً
أضلَّ وخاف فلم يَنشُد
3. Far from the reproacher he lived
Self-sufficient without needing bliss
٣. بعيد الإصاخة عن عاذلٍ
غنيُّ التفرّدِ عن مُسعدِ
4. Bearing in his weak heart
Patient without water though very thirsty
٤. حمولٌ على القلب وهو الضعيفُ
صبورٌ عن الماء وهو الصَّدِي
5. Dignified, though not because he was decisive
Whenever his old age starts transgressing
٥. وقورٌ وما الخُرقُ من حازمٍ
متى ما يَرُحْ شيبُه يغتدي
6. And oh heart, if songs led you
How many times did you not spend wisely?
٦. ويا قلبُ إن قادك الغانياتُ
فكم رسَنٍ فيك لم ينقدِ
7. Wake up, it is as if I was ordered
By their sweet mouths from my cistern
٧. أفقْ فكأني بها قد أُمِرَّ
بأفواهها العذْبُ من مَوْردي
8. And what her love whitened
The days have blackened from my misery
٨. وسُوِّدَ ما ابيضَّ من ودّها
بما بيّض الدهرُ من أَسودي
9. And gray hair was not the first of time's betrayal
But one of its usual habits
٩. وما الشيبُ أولُ غدرِ الزمان
بَلَى من عوائده العوَّدِ
10. May God make my share that does not flow
What I deserve and more than I hope
١٠. لَحَا اللّهُ حظِّيَ كم لا يجودُ
بما أَستحقّ وكم أَجتدى
11. And how I excuse my sickly living
I condemn my day and hope for my tomorrow
١١. وكم أتعلَّلُ عيشَ السقيم
أذمِّمُ يومي وأرجُو غدي
12. If my days sleep before death
And I miss attaining it while sitting
١٢. لئن نام دهرِيَ دون المُنَى
وأصبح عن نَيلها مُقعِدي
13. And even if I do not praise its actions
I have the example of Ahmed's sons
١٣. ولم أك أحمَدُ أفعالَه
فلي أُسوةٌ ببني أحمدِ
14. The best of all people and their best
When good is born no good is born
١٤. بخير الورى وبني خيرِهم
إذا وَلَدُ الخيرِ لم يُولَدِ
15. And the most generous living person standing
And dead resting in a grave
١٥. وأكرمِ حيٍّ على الأرض قام
ومَيْتٍ توسّد في مَلحَدِ
16. And a house too small for other houses
And Ali lying long in his niche
١٦. وبيتٍ تَقاصَرُ عنه البيوتُ
وطال عَليّاً على الفرقَدِ
17. The angels hover around him
And he wakes to the abode of revelation
١٧. تحومُ الملائكُ من حولِهِ
ويُصبحُ للوَحْيِ دارَ النَّدِي
18. Come ask Quraish and blame them
Who deserves blame or disproof?
١٨. ألا سَلْ قريشاً ولُمْ منهُمُ
من استوجبَ اللومَ أو فنِّدِ
19. And say after long misguidance
Why do you not thank the guided leader?
١٩. وقل ما لكم بعد طول الضلا
ل لم تشكروا نعمة المرشدِ
20. He came in a vacant time and walked straight
With you deviants from the goal
٢٠. أتاكم على فَترةٍ فاستقام
بكم جائرين عن المَقصدِ
21. He left, praised, to his Lord
And whoever makes his path is praised
٢١. وولَّى حميداً إلى ربّه
ومَن سَنَّ ما سنَّهُ يُحمَدِ
22. And after him He made authority
To Haydar with trusted narration
٢٢. وقد جعلَ الأمرَ من بعده
لحيدَرَ بالخبر المُسنَدِ
23. And named him a master with the witness of those
Who, if following truth, would not reject
٢٣. وسمَّاه مولىً بإقرارِ مَنْ
لو اتَّبعَ الحقَّ لم يَجْحَدِ
24. So you were filled with jealousy of his superiority
Yet the best of people should be envied
٢٤. فملتم بها حسدَ الفضل عنه
ومن يكُ خيرَ الورى يُحسَدِ
25. And you said with that the council has ruled
But the truth belongs to the singular
٢٥. وقلتم بذاك قضى الاجتماعُ
ألا إنما الحقُّ للمفرَدِ
26. It hurts Hashim and the Prophet
That Taym and Adi toy with it
٢٦. يعزُّ على هاشمٍ والنبيِّ
تلاعُبُ تَيْمٍ بها أو عَدِي
27. And Ali's inheritance is for his children
If the verse of inheritance is not corrupted
٢٧. وإرثُ عليٍّ لأولاده
إذا آيةُ الإرثِ لم تُفسَد
28. So some of them sit worried
While others rose without fortune
٢٨. فمن قاعدٍ منهُمُ خائف
ومِن ثائرٍ قامَ لم يُسعَدِ
29. Tyranny with the most restraining of souls prevailed over them
Over the best master of masters
٢٩. تَسلَّطُ بغياً أكفُّ النفا
ق منهم على سيِّدٍ سيِّدِ
30. They were not distracted from the station of prayer
Or rebuked among the mosque's buildings
٣٠. وما صُرِفوا عن مقام الصلاةِ
ولا عُنِّفوا في بُنَى المسجِدِ
31. Their father and mother are those who taught
So reduce or add to their glories
٣١. أبوهم وأمهُمُ مَن علم
تَ فانقُصْ مَفاخِرَهم أو زِدِ
32. I see the religion after Hussein's day
Sick, death waiting to ambush
٣٢. أرى الدِّينَ من بعدِ يومِ الحسين
عليلاً له الموتُ بالمَرصدِ
33. And before it there was no polytheism like it
If you compare to the improbable
٣٣. وما الشِّرك للّه من قبله
إذا أنت قستَ بمستبعَدِ
34. And the family of Harb did no wrong, but
They returned misguidance to the misguided
٣٤. وما آل حربٍ جَنَوا إنما
أعادوا الضلال على من بُدِي
35. Whoever Fatima opposed will know
What agony tomorrow he will wear
٣٥. سيعلم مَن فاطمٌ خصمُهُ
بأيّ نكالٍ غداً يرتدي
36. And whoever hurt Ahmad, oh his grandson
How will he atone by killing you?
٣٦. ومَنْ ساءَ أحمدَ يا سِبطَهُ
فباءَ بقتلك ماذا يدي
37. My soul is your ransom, and who can
Ransom a slave if his Master ransomed him?
٣٧. فداؤك نفسي ومَنْ لي بذا
ك لو أن مولىً بعبدٍ فُدِي
38. I wish my blood that was spilt from you
Would bring the dead back to life and I would be the ransom
٣٨. ولَيتَ دمي ما سَقَى الأرضَ منك
يقوتُ الرَّدَى وأكون الرَّدِي
39. I wish I had gone first and was the martyr
Before you, oh owner of the altar
٣٩. وليتَ سَبقتُ فكنتُ الشهيدَ
أمامَك يا صاحبَ المَشهَدِ
40. Maybe time will heal the hearts of your enemies, filled
With anger against you, tomorrow
٤٠. عسى الدهرُ يَشفِي غداً من عدا
ك قلبَ مَغيظٍ بهم مُكمَدِ
41. Maybe the might of truth will overcome the impossible
Maybe weakness will be defeated by determination
٤١. عسى سطوةُ الحقّ تعلو المُحالَ
عسى يُغلَبُ النقصُ بالسؤدُدِ
42. And though God has done it, still
I see my liver after did not cool
٤٢. وقد فعَلَ اللّهُ لكنني
أرى كبِدي بعدُ لم تبرُدِ
43. I hear the call of your rising one
That every seeker of help will join
٤٣. بسمعي لقائمكم دعوةٌ
يُلبِّي لها كلُّ مستنجَدِ
44. I am the slave while you are my hopes' tie
If the saying is tied in the heart
٤٤. أنا العبدُ وَالاَكُمُ عَقدُهُ
إذا القولُ بالقلبِ لم يُعقَدِ
45. My love and my religion are both in you
Though I was born in Persia
٤٥. وفيكم ودادي ودِيني معاً
وإن كان في فارسٍ مولدي
46. I corrected my straying with you and was guided
And without you I would not be guided
٤٦. خَصَمْتُ ضلالي بكم فاهتديتُ
ولولاكُمُ لم أكن أهتدي
47. You have clothed me when I was
In the hands of idolatry as a sheathed sword
٤٧. وجردتموني وقد كنتُ في
يد الشِّرك كالصارم المغمَدِ
48. And my poetry remains from a sympathetic woman
Transmitting herlaments to singers
٤٨. ولا زال شعرِيَ من نائحٍ
يُنَقَّل فيكم إلى مُنشِدِ
49. And if supporting you by the tongue has evaded me
Then supporting you by the hand has
٤٩. وما فاتني نصرُكم باللسان
إذا فاتني نصرُكم باليدِ