زُر خَيرَ قَبرٍ بِالعِراقِ يُزارُ

زُر خَيرَ قَبرٍ بِالعِراقِ يُزارُ

وَاِعصِ الحِمارَ فَمَن نَهاكَ حِمارُ

وَاِعصِ الحِمارَ فَمَن نَهاكَ حِمارُ

Visit the best grave in Iraq, a grave people come to visit.

Visit the finest grave visited in Iraq.

And disobey the ass—for whoever forbids you is an ass.

And disobey the donkey, for whoever forbids you is a donkey.

لِمَ لا أَزورُكَ يا حُسَينُ لَكَ الفِدا

لِمَ لا أَزورُكَ يا حُسَينُ لَكَ الفِدا

قَومي وَمَن عَطَفَت عَلَيهِ نِزارُ

قَومي وَمَن عَطَفَت عَلَيهِ نِزارُ

Why should I not visit you, O Husayn? As your ransom,

Why should I not visit you, O Husayn? May your ransom be

my people, and all whom Nizār enfolds.

my people and those to whom Nizar has shown affection.

وَلَكَ المَوَدَّةُ في قُلوبِ ذَوي النُهى

وَلَكَ المَوَدَّةُ في قُلوبِ ذَوي النُهى

وَعَلى عَدُوِّكَ مَقتَةٌ وَدَمارُ

وَعَلى عَدُوِّكَ مَقتَةٌ وَدَمارُ

For you, love dwells in the hearts of the wise;

And yours is love in the hearts of the wise,

and for your enemy: loathing and ruin.

and upon your enemy, loathing and ruin.

يا اِبنَ الشَهيدِ وَيا شَهيداً عَمُّهُ

يا اِبنَ الشَهيدِ وَيا شَهيداً عَمُّهُ

خَيرُ العُمومَةِ جَعفَرُ الطَيّارُ

خَيرُ العُمومَةِ جَعفَرُ الطَيّارُ

O son of the martyr, O martyr whose uncle

O son of the martyr, and O martyr whose uncle is

is the best of uncles—Jaʿfar al-Ṭayyār.

the finest of paternal uncles—Ja‘far the Flyer.

عَجَباً لِمَصقولٍ أَصابَكَ حَدُّهُ

عَجَباً لِمَصقولٍ أَصابَكَ حَدُّهُ

في الوَجهِ مِنكَ وَقَد عَلاكَ غُبارُ

في الوَجهِ مِنكَ وَقَد عَلاكَ غُبارُ

How wondrous—a polished sword whose edge struck you

How astonishing that a polished blade's edge struck you

in the face, while dust had covered you.

in your face, while dust had covered you!