أَبى اللَهُ إِلّا ما تَرونَ فَما لَكُم

أَبى اللَهُ إِلّا ما تَرونَ فَما لَكُم

عِتابٌ عَلى الأَقدارِ يا آلَ طالِبِ

عِتابٌ عَلى الأَقدارِ يا آلَ طالِبِ

God has willed only what you see; you have no cause

Fate willed naught but what you see; why then

to reproach fate, O house of Talib.

Reproach the turns of Fortune, O ye House of Talib?

تَرَكناكُمُ حيناً فَهَلّا أَخَذتُمُ

تَرَكناكُمُ حيناً فَهَلّا أَخَذتُمُ

تُراثَ النَبِيِّ بِالقَنا وَالقَواضِبِ

تُراثَ النَبِيِّ بِالقَنا وَالقَواضِبِ

We left you for a time; why did you not seize

We left you for a while, why did you not take

the Prophet's inheritance with lances and keen swords,

The Prophet's heritage with lances and skiffs?

زَمانَ بَني حَربٍ وَمَروانَ مُمسِكو

زَمانَ بَني حَربٍ وَمَروانَ مُمسِكو

أَعِنَّةِ مُلكٍ جائِرِ الحُكمِ غاصِبِ

أَعِنَّةِ مُلكٍ جائِرِ الحُكمِ غاصِبِ

in the days when the sons of Harb and Marwan held

In days of Marwan's sons and Bani Harb's reign,

the reins of a dominion, unjust in rule and usurping?

Who held the power - despots - tyrannous - usurping,

أَلا رُبَّ يَومٍ قَد كَسَوكُم عَمائِماً

أَلا رُبَّ يَومٍ قَد كَسَوكُم عَمائِماً

مِنَ الضَربِ في الهاماتِ حُمرُ الذَوائِبِ

مِنَ الضَربِ في الهاماتِ حُمرُ الذَوائِبِ

Behold, on many a day they clothed you in turbans

Full oft a day they clothed you in cerements

from blows upon the heads, with crimson trailing ends.

With stripes that poured down blood beneath your raiment.

فَلَمّا أَراقوا بِالسُيوفِ دِماءَكُم

فَلَمّا أَراقوا بِالسُيوفِ دِماءَكُم

أَبَينا وَلَم نَملِك حَنينَ الأَقارِبِ

أَبَينا وَلَم نَملِك حَنينَ الأَقارِبِ

Then, when they spilled your blood with swords,

When they had shed your blood they put to shame

we would not accept it, nor could we curb our yearning for kin.

Our love, for we possessed nor rage nor longing.

فَحينَ أَخَذنا ثَأرَكُم مِن عَدوِّكُم

فَحينَ أَخَذنا ثَأرَكُم مِن عَدوِّكُم

قَعَدتُم لَنا تُورونَ نارَ الحُباحِبِ

قَعَدتُم لَنا تُورونَ نارَ الحُباحِبِ

Then, when we took vengeance for you upon your enemy,

But when we had avenged you on your foes,

you lay in wait for us, kindling the feeble fire of al-Hubahib.

You turned on us and shot at us love's arrows.

وَحُزنا الَّتي أَعيَتكُمُ قَد عَلِمتُمُ

وَحُزنا الَّتي أَعيَتكُمُ قَد عَلِمتُمُ

فَما ذَنبُنا هَل قاتِلٌ مِثلُ سالِبِ

فَما ذَنبُنا هَل قاتِلٌ مِثلُ سالِبِ

And we won what had eluded you, as you well know;

The griefs that once distressed you, you know

so what is our fault? Is a killer like a plunderer?

We shared. What is our crime? Unless he is criminal who wounds or shackles.

عَطِيَّةُ مَلكٍ قَد حَبانا بِفَضلِهِ

عَطِيَّةُ مَلكٍ قَد حَبانا بِفَضلِهِ

وَقَدَّرَهُ رَبٌّ جَزيلُ المَواهِبِ

وَقَدَّرَهُ رَبٌّ جَزيلُ المَواهِبِ

It is a King's gift: He has favored us with His bounty,

A royal gift is ours by his grace

and a Lord lavish in gifts has ordained it.

Who destined it, a Lord munificent in boons.

وَلَيسَ يُريدُ الناسُ أَن تَملِكوهُمُ

وَلَيسَ يُريدُ الناسُ أَن تَملِكوهُمُ

فَلا تَثِبوا فيهِم وُثوبَ الجَنادِبِ

فَلا تَثِبوا فيهِم وُثوبَ الجَنادِبِ

And the people do not wish you to rule them;

The folk desire no kingdom you should hold,

so do not leap among them like grasshoppers.

So tilt not at them, like a jinn-maddened camel.

وَإِيّاكُمُ إِيّاكُمُ وَحَذارِ مِن

وَإِيّاكُمُ إِيّاكُمُ وَحَذارِ مِن

ضَراغِمَةٍ في الغابِ حُمرِ المَخالِبِ

ضَراغِمَةٍ في الغابِ حُمرِ المَخالِبِ

And beware, beware, and take heed of

Beware, beware of wronging

lions in the thickets, red of claw.

A sharp-clawed beast lurking in the jungle.

أَلا إِنَّها الحَربُ الَّتي قَد عَلِمتُمُ

أَلا إِنَّها الحَربُ الَّتي قَد عَلِمتُمُ

وَجَرَّبتُمُ وَالعِلمُ عِندَ التَجارُبِ

وَجَرَّبتُمُ وَالعِلمُ عِندَ التَجارُبِ

Behold, it is the war you have known

Know it is war that you have learned and known.

and experienced; knowledge comes with experience.

By experience learnt, and knowledge follows trial.