لَئِن صَبَرَ الحَجّاجُ ما مِن مُصيبَةٍ

لَئِن صَبَرَ الحَجّاجُ ما مِن مُصيبَةٍ

تَكونُ لِمَرزوءٍ أَجَلَّ وَأَوجَعا

تَكونُ لِمَرزوءٍ أَجَلَّ وَأَوجَعا

Though al-Hajjaj bears it patiently, there is no affliction

If al-Hajjaj has borne this patiently, no calamity

that could be graver or more painful to one bereaved

could be more grievous and painful for one bereaved

مِنَ المُصطَفى وَالمُصطَفى مِن ثِقاتِهِ

مِنَ المُصطَفى وَالمُصطَفى مِن ثِقاتِهِ

خَليلَيهِ إِذ بانا جَميعاً فَوَدَّعا

خَليلَيهِ إِذ بانا جَميعاً فَوَدَّعا

than the loss of the chosen one and the one chosen from among his confidants—

than losing the chosen one and the one chosen from his trusted men—

his two intimates—when both departed and bade farewell.

his two dear companions, when they departed together and bade farewell.

وَلَو رُزِئَت مِثلَيهِما هَضبَةُ الحِمى

وَلَو رُزِئَت مِثلَيهِما هَضبَةُ الحِمى

لَأَصبَحَ ما دارَت مِنَ الأَرضِ بَلقَعا

لَأَصبَحَ ما دارَت مِنَ الأَرضِ بَلقَعا

Were the uplands of al-Hima bereft of two such as they,

And were the hill of the protected pasture bereaved of two like them,

all the land around them would become a barren waste.

all the land it encompassed would become a barren waste.

جَناحا عَتيقٍ فارَقاهُ كِلاهُما

جَناحا عَتيقٍ فارَقاهُ كِلاهُما

وَلَو كُسِرا مِن غَيرِهِ لَتَضَعضَعا

وَلَو كُسِرا مِن غَيرِهِ لَتَضَعضَعا

They were the two wings of a noble man; both departed from him,

Two wings of a noble bird—both have left him;

and had they been broken from any other man, he would have collapsed.

and had they been broken off another, he would have crumbled.

وَكانا وَكانَ المَوتُ لِلناسِ نُهيَةً

وَكانا وَكانَ المَوتُ لِلناسِ نُهيَةً

سِناناً وَسَيفاً يَقطُرُ السُمَّ مُنقَعا

سِناناً وَسَيفاً يَقطُرُ السُمَّ مُنقَعا

The two were—and death is humankind’s ultimate bound—

And they were—death being the end for all people—

a spearhead and a sword, dripping concentrated poison.

a spearhead and a sword dripping potent, steeped poison.

فَلا يَومَ إِلّا يَومُ مَوتِ خَليفَةٍ

فَلا يَومَ إِلّا يَومُ مَوتِ خَليفَةٍ

عَلى الناسِ مِن يَومَيهِما كانَ أَفجَعا

عَلى الناسِ مِن يَومَيهِما كانَ أَفجَعا

No day, save the day of a caliph’s death,

So no day, save the day of a caliph's death,

was ever more harrowing to the people than their two days.

was more grievous for the people than their two days of death.

وَفَضلاهُما مِمّا يُعَدُّ كِلاهُما

وَفَضلاهُما مِمّا يُعَدُّ كِلاهُما

عَلى الناسِ مِن يَومَيهِما كانَ أَوسَعا

عَلى الناسِ مِن يَومَيهِما كانَ أَوسَعا

And both men’s bounty, in all that is reckoned,

And both their bounties, among all that is reckoned,

was more far-reaching among the people than their two days were.

were more far-reaching for people than the grief of their two days of death.

فَلا صَبرَ إِلّا دونَ صَبرٍ عَلى الَّذي

فَلا صَبرَ إِلّا دونَ صَبرٍ عَلى الَّذي

رُزِئتَ عَلى يَومٍ مِنَ البَأسِ أَشنَعا

رُزِئتَ عَلى يَومٍ مِنَ البَأسِ أَشنَعا

There is no endurance that does not fall short of your endurance in bearing what

So all patience falls short of patience for the loss

you suffered on two days—the most hideous in calamity:

you suffered on a day of most dreadful distress,

عَلى اِبنِكَ وَاِبنِ الأُمِّ إِذ أَدرَكَتهُما ال

عَلى اِبنِكَ وَاِبنِ الأُمِّ إِذ أَدرَكَتهُما ال

مَنايا وَقَد أَفنَينَ عاداً وَتُبَّعا

مَنايا وَقَد أَفنَينَ عاداً وَتُبَّعا

for your son and your mother’s son, when there overtook them the—

for your son and your mother's son, when they were overtaken by the

Fates, which had already annihilated ʿĀd and Tubbaʿ.

fates of death, which had already destroyed ʿAd and Tubbaʿ.

وَلَو أَنَّ يَومَي جُمعَتَيهِ تَتابَعا

وَلَو أَنَّ يَومَي جُمعَتَيهِ تَتابَعا

عَلى جَبَلٍ أَمسى حُطاماً مُصَرَّعا

عَلى جَبَلٍ أَمسى حُطاماً مُصَرَّعا

Had those two Fridays followed one upon the other

And had the days of his two Fridays come in succession

upon a mountain, by evening it would have lain a shattered ruin.

upon a mountain, it would have become rubble, laid low.

وَلَم يَكُنِ الحَجّاجُ إِلّا عَلى الَّذي

وَلَم يَكُنِ الحَجّاجُ إِلّا عَلى الَّذي

هُوَ الدينُ أَو فَقدِ الإِمامِ لِيَجزَعا

هُوَ الدينُ أَو فَقدِ الإِمامِ لِيَجزَعا

Al-Hajjaj would grieve for nothing except what

And al-Hajjaj would not—save over what

concerned the Faith, or the loss of the Imam.

concerns the faith, or the loss of the Imam—give way to grief.

وَما راعَ مَنعِيّاً لَهُ مِن أَخٍ لَهُ

وَما راعَ مَنعِيّاً لَهُ مِن أَخٍ لَهُ

وَلا اِبنٍ مِنَ الأَقوامِ مِثلاهُما مَعا

وَلا اِبنٍ مِنَ الأَقوامِ مِثلاهُما مَعا

No brother of his, announced dead to him, ever appalled him,

No brother of his, announced dead to him, had ever so alarmed him,

nor any son among all peoples, as those two together did.

nor a son among men—no two together like these.

فَإِن يَكُ أَمسى فارَقَتهُ نَواهُما

فَإِن يَكُ أَمسى فارَقَتهُ نَواهُما

فَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ مِن غُصَّةٍ قَد تَجَرَّعا

فَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ مِن غُصَّةٍ قَد تَجَرَّعا

If evening now finds him parted from them by their distant departure,

So if their departure has now left him bereft,

then every mortal has swallowed some choking grief.

every man has swallowed a share of choking grief.

فَلَيتَ البَريدَينِ اللَذَينِ تَتابَعا

فَلَيتَ البَريدَينِ اللَذَينِ تَتابَعا

بِما أَخبَرا ذاقا الذُعافَ المُسَلَّعا

بِما أَخبَرا ذاقا الذُعافَ المُسَلَّعا

Would that the two couriers who came one after the other

Would that the two couriers who came in succession

with the news they bore had tasted lacerating deadly poison.

with their tidings had tasted deadly poison laced with bitter salaʿ.