المرأ يحسب أنه مأمون

والموت حق والفناء يقين

A man supposes that he is safe,

yet death is real, and extinction is certain.

لا تأمن الدنيا فان غرورها

خدع الأوائل والزمان خؤون

Do not trust this world, for its deceit

deceived those of old, and time is treacherous.

ما مر أن من زمانك لحظة

إلا وعمرك بالفنا مرهون

Not a single moment of your time has passed

without your life being pledged to extinction.

واذا غمرت بنعمة وبلذة

لا تنسينك حوادثا ستكون

And when you are immersed in blessing and pleasure,

let them not make you forget calamities yet to come.

واذا بكيت على فراق أحبة

فلتبك نفسك أيها المسكين

And when you weep over parting from loved ones,

then weep for yourself, O wretched one.

لا بد من يوم تفارق معشرا

كنت الوجيه لديهم وتهون

A day must come when you part from people

among whom you were honored, and you will be brought low.

والناس منهم شامت لم يكترث

فيما دهاك ومنهم محزون

And among the people, some gloat, caring nothing

for what has befallen you, while others grieve.

وترى من الهول الذي لأقله

تذري الدموع محاجر وعيون

And you will see horror, at the least of which

eye sockets and eyes shed tears.

فكأنه اليوم الذي في كربلا

يوم به طه النبي حزين

As though it were that day in Karbala,

a day when Taha the Prophet is sorrowful.

يوم به السبع الطباق لعظمه

قد دكها بعد الحراك سكون

A day so momentous that the seven layered heavens

were crushed by stillness after motion.

وتجليبت شمس الضحى بملابس

سوداتجلبب مثلهن الدين

And the morning sun wrapped itself in garments

of black; the faith donned their like.

يوم به فرد الزمان قد اغتدى

فردا وليس له هناك معين

A day when the peerless one of the age became

alone, with no helper there,

ما بين أعداء عليه تجمعت

منها الجنوانح ملؤهن ضغون

amid enemies gathered against him,

their breasts brimming with rancor.

طمع العدو بأن يسالم مذعنا

فأبى الوفاء وسيفه المسنون

The enemy hoped he would make peace in submission,

but loyalty and his sharpened sword refused.

وسطا يفرق جمعهم بمهند

فيه الرؤوس عن الجسوم تبين

And he charged, scattering their ranks with an Indian blade,

with which heads were severed from bodies.

ظمآن يمنع جرعة من مائها

والماء للوحش السروب معين

Thirsting, he was denied a draught of its water,

while running water was there for the roaming beasts.

حفت به اسد العرين وما سوى

سمر العواسل والسيوف عرين

Lions of the lair surrounded him; their only lair

was tawny, quivering spears and swords.

ضعفوا عديدا والعدا أضعافهم

وبدا جسوما والقلوب حصون

They were few in number; their foes outnumbered them manyfold.

And they seemed mere bodies, but their hearts were fortresses.

تركوا الحياة بكر بلاء وارخصوا

تلك النفوس وسومهن ثمين

They forsook life at Karbala, and held cheap

those souls, though their value was great.

وحموا خدورا بالسيوف وبالقنا

فيها ودايع أحمد والدين

And they guarded curtained quarters with swords and spears;

within them were the entrusted treasures of Ahmad and the faith.

لم أنسهن اذا العدى هتكت ضحى

منها الخبا وكفيلهن طعين

I have not forgotten them when, at midmorning, the foe tore open

their shelter, while their protector lay pierced.

حسرى تجاذبها الطغام ملابسا

من تحتها سر العفاف مصون

They were bareheaded, the rabble wresting garments from them,

beneath which the secret of chastity lay guarded.

وتعج تندب ندبها وحميها

والجسم منه في الصعيد رهين

And they cried aloud, lamenting their champion and protector,

while his body lay captive on the bare earth.

من للنساء الحائرات بمهمه

لم تدر موئلها وأين تكون

Who will aid the bewildered women in a trackless waste,

not knowing their refuge or where they might stay?

ماذا تقول اذا سبينا حسرا

ويسير فينا شامت وخؤون

What will you say when we are taken captive, bareheaded,

while gloaters and traitors march among us?

وأجل شيء حل بعد سبائها

من أجله سير الجبال يهون

And the gravest thing to happen after their captivity—

beside which the moving of mountains seems slight—

شتم الوصي على المنابر جهرة

وخطيبها بين الأنام لعين

was the public cursing of the appointed successor from the pulpits,

and their preacher is accursed among mankind.

وابن الحسين مكبل بقيوده

ويزيد في سلطانه مفتون

And al-Husayn's son was shackled in his chains,

while Yazid, enthralled by his power,

يرنو اليه وللنسا مترنما

قضبت حقوق بيننا وديون

gazed at him and the women, chanting:

"Claims and debts between us have been cut off."