أصبحتُ جَمَّ بَلابِلِ الصَّدْرِ

أصبحتُ جَمَّ بَلابِلِ الصَّدْرِ

وأَبِيتُ مُنْطَوياً على الجَمْرِ

وأَبِيتُ مُنْطَوياً على الجَمْرِ

I have grown burdened by the many cares within my breast,

I have become laden with anguish in my breast,

and spent the night folded in upon the embers.

And spend the night curled upon embers.

إِنْ بُحْتُ يوماً طُلَّ فيه دَمي

إِنْ بُحْتُ يوماً طُلَّ فيه دَمي

ولَئِنْ كَتَمْتُ يَضِقْ بهِ صَدْرِي

ولَئِنْ كَتَمْتُ يَضِقْ بهِ صَدْرِي

If one day I speak openly, my blood will go unavenged because of it;

If I speak out one day, my blood will be shed unavenged;

yet if I conceal it, my breast constricts around it—

And if I conceal it, my breast grows tight with it,

مِمّا جَنَاهُ على أَبي حَسَنٍ

مِمّا جَنَاهُ على أَبي حَسَنٍ

عُمَرٌ وصاحبُه أبو بَكْرِ

عُمَرٌ وصاحبُه أبو بَكْرِ

because of what was perpetrated against Abu Hasan

Because of what was inflicted upon Abu Hasan

by ʿUmar and his companion, Abu Bakr.

By Umar and his companion Abu Bakr.

طلبَ النّبِيُّ صَحِيفَةً لَهُمُ

طلبَ النّبِيُّ صَحِيفَةً لَهُمُ

يُمْلي لِيَأْمَنَهُمْ مِنَ الغَدْرِ

يُمْلي لِيَأْمَنَهُمْ مِنَ الغَدْرِ

The Prophet requested a written sheet for them,

The Prophet requested a sheet for them,

so he could dictate and be safe from their treachery.

To dictate, so he might be safe from their treachery.

فأَبَوا عليهِ وقالَ قائلُهمْ

فأَبَوا عليهِ وقالَ قائلُهمْ

قُوموا بنا قَدْ فَاهَ بالهُجْرِ

قُوموا بنا قَدْ فَاهَ بالهُجْرِ

But they refused him, and their spokesman said:

But they refused him, and their spokesman said,

“Rise, let us go—he has spoken deliriously.”

“Rise with us; he has indeed spoken deliriously.”

ومَضَوا إلى عَقْدِ الخِلافِ وما

ومَضَوا إلى عَقْدِ الخِلافِ وما

حَضَروهُ إلاَّ داخلَ القَبْرِ

حَضَروهُ إلاَّ داخلَ القَبْرِ

They went off to seal the caliphate, and never

And they went to seal the pact of discord, and did not

attended him except once he was inside the grave.

Attend him until he was within the grave.

جَعَلُوكَ رابعَهُمْ أَبا حَسَنٍ

جَعَلُوكَ رابعَهُمْ أَبا حَسَنٍ

ظَلَمُوا وَرَبِّ الشّفْعِ والوَتْرِ

ظَلَمُوا وَرَبِّ الشّفْعِ والوَتْرِ

They made you fourth among them, O Abu Hasan;

They made you fourth among them, O Abu Hasan;

they wronged you—by the Lord of the Even and the Odd.

They wronged you—by the Lord of the even and the odd!

وعلى الخِلافَةِ سابَقُوكَ ومَا

وعلى الخِلافَةِ سابَقُوكَ ومَا

سَبَقُوكَ في أُحُدٍ ولا بَدْرِ

سَبَقُوكَ في أُحُدٍ ولا بَدْرِ

They vied with you for the caliphate, though they never

And they raced you for the caliphate, but did not

outstripped you at Uhud or Badr.

Outstrip you at Uhud or Badr.

غَمّتْ مُصِيبَتُكَ الهُدَى فَغَدَا ال

غَمّتْ مُصِيبَتُكَ الهُدَى فَغَدَا ال

إسْلامُ لا يَدْرِي بِمَا يَدْرِي

إسْلامُ لا يَدْرِي بِمَا يَدْرِي

The calamity that befell you veiled right guidance, and al-

Your calamity shrouded guidance, and now

Islam came no longer to know what it knew.

Islam knows not what it knows.

وتَشَعّبَتْ طُرُقُ الضَّلالِ فَلَو

وتَشَعّبَتْ طُرُقُ الضَّلالِ فَلَو

لاكُمْ مَشَوا بالشِّرْكِ والكُفْرِ

لاكُمْ مَشَوا بالشِّرْكِ والكُفْرِ

The paths of error branched apart; and were it

And the paths of error branched out; were it

not for you, they would have walked in polytheism and unbelief.

Not for you, they would have walked in polytheism and unbelief.

أَنْتُمْ أَدِلاَّءُ الهُدَى وبكمْ

أَنْتُمْ أَدِلاَّءُ الهُدَى وبكمْ

قَدْ سِيرَ في بَرٍّ وفي بَحْرِ

قَدْ سِيرَ في بَرٍّ وفي بَحْرِ

You are the guides to true guidance; through you

You are the guides to the right path, and through you

journeys have been made over land and sea;

Journeys have been made by land and by sea.

ودَعَائِمُ التّقْوى وقَادَتُها

ودَعَائِمُ التّقْوى وقَادَتُها

للفَوْزِ يومَ الحَشْرِ والنّشْرِ

للفَوْزِ يومَ الحَشْرِ والنّشْرِ

and you are the pillars of piety and its leaders

And you are the pillars of piety and its leaders,

toward salvation on the Day of Gathering and Resurrection;

Toward salvation on the Day of Gathering and Resurrection.

والعَارِفُو سِيما الوُجُوهِ على ال

والعَارِفُو سِيما الوُجُوهِ على ال

أعْرافِ مَعْرِفَةً بلا نُكْرِ

أعْرافِ مَعْرِفَةً بلا نُكْرِ

and those who recognize the faces by their marks upon al-

And those who recognize the marks of faces upon the

Aʿrāf, with certain recognition and no denial.

Heights, with recognition that never fails.

ومُقَاسِمُ النيرانِ أنتَ لَمِنْ

ومُقَاسِمُ النيرانِ أنتَ لَمِنْ

أَخَذُوا العُهُودَ بعالَمِ الذَّرِ

أَخَذُوا العُهُودَ بعالَمِ الذَّرِ

You are the apportioners of the fires for those who

And you, apportioner of the fires, are indeed among

accepted the covenants in the Realm of Primordial Particles.

Those who took the covenants in the realm of particles.

فتقولُ يا نارُ اتْرُكي ليَ ذَا

فتقولُ يا نارُ اتْرُكي ليَ ذَا

ولِذَا خُذِي فَتَدينُ للأَمْرِ

ولِذَا خُذِي فَتَدينُ للأَمْرِ

Then you say, “O Fire, leave this one to me,

Then you say, “O Fire, leave this one to me,

and take that one”—and it submits to the command.

And for that one, take”—and it submits to the command.