تَأَوَّبَني لَيلٌ بِيَثرِبَ أَعسَرُ

تَأَوَّبَني لَيلٌ بِيَثرِبَ أَعسَرُ

وَهَمٌّ إِذا ما نَوَّمَ الناسُ مُسهِرُ

وَهَمٌّ إِذا ما نَوَّمَ الناسُ مُسهِرُ

A harsh night in Yathrib came back to visit me,

A grievous night revisited me in Yathrib,

and care, when sleep lulls the people, keeps me wakeful.

And a sorrow that keeps me awake when the people sleep,

لِذِكرى حَبيبٍ هَيَّجَت ثُمَّ عَبرَةً

لِذِكرى حَبيبٍ هَيَّجَت ثُمَّ عَبرَةً

سَفوحاً وَأَسبابُ البُكاءِ التَذَكُّرُ

سَفوحاً وَأَسبابُ البُكاءِ التَذَكُّرُ

Remembrance of a beloved stirred me; then came a tear,

For the memory of a beloved then stirred a tear,

streaming—for remembrance is the cause of weeping.

Flowing freely—and the causes of weeping lie in remembrance.

بَلاءٌ وَفِقدانُ الحَبيبِ بَلِيَّةٌ

بَلاءٌ وَفِقدانُ الحَبيبِ بَلِيَّةٌ

وَكَم مِن كَريمٍ يُبتَلى ثُمَّ يَصبِرُ

وَكَم مِن كَريمٍ يُبتَلى ثُمَّ يَصبِرُ

Affliction—and the loss of a beloved is calamity;

An ordeal—and the loss of the beloved is a calamity.

how many a noble soul is tried, and then endures.

And many a noble man is tried, then endures patiently.

رَأَيتُ خَيارَ المُؤمِنينَ تَوارَدوا

رَأَيتُ خَيارَ المُؤمِنينَ تَوارَدوا

شَعوبَ وَقَد خُلِّفتُ فيماً يُؤَخَّرُ

شَعوبَ وَقَد خُلِّفتُ فيماً يُؤَخَّرُ

I saw the best of the believers come one after another

I saw the best of the believers come one after another

to Death, while I was left among those granted delay.

To Death, while I was left among those whose time is deferred.

فَلا يُبعِدَنَّ اللَهُ قَتلى تَتابَعوا

فَلا يُبعِدَنَّ اللَهُ قَتلى تَتابَعوا

بِمُؤتَةَ مِنهُم ذو الجَناحَينِ جَعفَرُ

بِمُؤتَةَ مِنهُم ذو الجَناحَينِ جَعفَرُ

May God not banish the slain who fell in succession

So may God never cast away the slain who fell in succession

at Muʾta—among them Jaʿfar, he of the two wings;

At Mu'tah—among them Ja'far of the Two Wings,

وَزَيدٌ وَعَبدُ اللَهِ حينَ تَتابَعوا

وَزَيدٌ وَعَبدُ اللَهِ حينَ تَتابَعوا

جَميعاً وَأَسبابُ المَنِيَّةِ تَخطِرُ

جَميعاً وَأَسبابُ المَنِيَّةِ تَخطِرُ

and Zayd and ʿAbd Allāh, as they followed one another,

And Zayd and Abd Allah, when they followed one another,

all together, while the instruments of death hovered near.

All together, while the means of death swayed about.

غَداةَ غَدَوا بِالمُؤمِنينَ يَقودُهُم

غَداةَ غَدَوا بِالمُؤمِنينَ يَقودُهُم

إِلى المَوتِ مَيمونُ النَقيبَةِ أَزهَرُ

إِلى المَوتِ مَيمونُ النَقيبَةِ أَزهَرُ

That morning they went forth with the believers, led onward

On the morning they set out with the believers, leading them

toward death by a radiant leader, blessed in character—

To death was a radiant man of blessed disposition,

أَغَرُّ كَلَونِ البَدرِ مِن آلِ هاشِمٍ

أَغَرُّ كَلَونِ البَدرِ مِن آلِ هاشِمٍ

شُجاعٌ إِذا سيمَ الظُلامَةَ مِجسَرُ

شُجاعٌ إِذا سيمَ الظُلامَةَ مِجسَرُ

bright-faced as the full moon, from the house of Hāshim,

Bright-faced, like the full moon's hue, of the house of Hashim,

brave: when subjected to injustice, he boldly faced it.

Brave and daring when subjected to injustice.

فَطاعَنَ حَتّى ماتَ غَيرَ مُوَسَّدٍ

فَطاعَنَ حَتّى ماتَ غَيرَ مُوَسَّدٍ

بِمُعتَرَكٍ فيهِ القَنا يَتَكَسَّرُ

بِمُعتَرَكٍ فيهِ القَنا يَتَكَسَّرُ

He kept thrusting with his spear until he died, unpillowed,

So he fought with his spear until he died, unpillowed,

on a battlefield where the lances shattered.

On a battlefield where the spears shattered.

فَصارَ مَعَ المُستَشهِدينَ ثَوابُهُ

فَصارَ مَعَ المُستَشهِدينَ ثَوابُهُ

جِنانٌ وَمُلتَفُّ الحَدائِقِ أَخضَرُ

جِنانٌ وَمُلتَفُّ الحَدائِقِ أَخضَرُ

Thus his reward among those who died as martyrs became

So he joined the martyrs; his reward

gardens and a green orchard dense with trees.

Is gardens, and the gardens' dense growth is green.

وَكُنّا نَرى في جَعفَرٍ مِن مُحَمَّدٍ

وَكُنّا نَرى في جَعفَرٍ مِن مُحَمَّدٍ

وَفاءً وَأَمراً حازِماً حينَ يَأمُرُ

وَفاءً وَأَمراً حازِماً حينَ يَأمُرُ

In Jaʿfar we used to see something of Muhammad:

And in Ja'far we used to see something of Muhammad:

fidelity and firm resolve whenever he commanded.

Loyalty and resolute command whenever he gave orders.

فَما زالَ في الإِسلامِ مِن آلِ هاشِمٍ

فَما زالَ في الإِسلامِ مِن آلِ هاشِمٍ

دَعائِمُ عِزٍّ لا يَزولُ وَمَفخَرُ

دَعائِمُ عِزٍّ لا يَزولُ وَمَفخَرُ

There have never ceased to be, in Islam, from the house of Hāshim

So in Islam there have always been, from the house of Hashim,

pillars of unfading might and a source of pride.

Pillars of unfading glory and a source of pride.

هُمُ جَبَلُ الإِسلامِ وَالناسُ حَولَهُ

هُمُ جَبَلُ الإِسلامِ وَالناسُ حَولَهُ

رِضامٌ إِلى طَودٍ يَروقُ وَيَقهَرُ

رِضامٌ إِلى طَودٍ يَروقُ وَيَقهَرُ

They are Islam’s mountain, and the people around it

They are Islam's mountain, and the people around it

are heaps of stones beside a towering peak that dazzles and dominates.

Are piled rocks beside a towering mountain that delights and overawes.

بِهِم تُكشَفُ اللَأواءُ في كُلِّ مَأزِقٍ

بِهِم تُكشَفُ اللَأواءُ في كُلِّ مَأزِقٍ

عَماسَ إِذا ما ضاقَ بِالقَومِ مَصدَرُ

عَماسَ إِذا ما ضاقَ بِالقَومِ مَصدَرُ

Through them affliction is dispelled in every strait

Through them hardship is dispelled in every predicament,

murky and bewildering, when every outlet closes upon the people.

Grim, when the people's way out grows narrow.

هُمُ أَولِياءُ اللَهِ أَنزَلَ حُكمَهُ

هُمُ أَولِياءُ اللَهِ أَنزَلَ حُكمَهُ

عَلَيهِم وَفيهِم وَالكِتابُ المُطَهَّرُ

عَلَيهِم وَفيهِم وَالكِتابُ المُطَهَّرُ

They are the allies of God; He sent down His decree

They are God's friends; He sent down His decree

upon them and among them—and the purified Book.

Upon them and among them, along with the purified Book.

بَهاليلُ مِنهُم جَعفَرٌ وَاِبنُ أُمِّهِ

بَهاليلُ مِنهُم جَعفَرٌ وَاِبنُ أُمِّهِ

عَلِيٍّ وَمِنهُم أَحمَدُ المُتَخَيَّرُ

عَلِيٍّ وَمِنهُم أَحمَدُ المُتَخَيَّرُ

Illustrious among them are Jaʿfar and his mother’s son,

Noble men—among them Ja'far and his mother's son,

ʿAlī; and among them is Ahmad, the chosen;

Ali; and among them Ahmad, the chosen one,

وَحَمزَةُ وَالعَبّاسُ مِنهُم وَمِنهُمُ

وَحَمزَةُ وَالعَبّاسُ مِنهُم وَمِنهُمُ

عَقيلٌ وَماءُ العودِ مِن حَيثُ يُعصَرُ

عَقيلٌ وَماءُ العودِ مِن حَيثُ يُعصَرُ

and Hamza and al-ʿAbbās are among them, and among them

And Hamza and al-Abbas are among them; among them too

is ʿAqīl—the essence of aloeswood is pressed from the wood itself.

Is Aqil—and the sap of the wood comes from where it is pressed.