لَمّا أَتاني وَأَهلي مِن طِياتِهُمُ

لَمّا أَتاني وَأَهلي مِن طِياتِهُمُ

بالجِزعِ بَينَ كُباثاتٍ وَطابانا

بالجِزعِ بَينَ كُباثاتٍ وَطابانا

When there came to me—while my family were at one of their way-stations—

When there came to me—my family at one of their abodes,

at al-Jizʿ, between Kubāthāt and Ṭābānā—

at the valley bend between Kubathat and Taban—

ناعٍ نَعى ليَ إِبراهيمَ قُلتُ لَهُ

ناعٍ نَعى ليَ إِبراهيمَ قُلتُ لَهُ

شُلَّت يَداكَ وَعشتَ الدَهرَ عُريانا

شُلَّت يَداكَ وَعشتَ الدَهرَ عُريانا

a death-messenger announcing Ibrahim to me, I said to him:

a messenger bringing me news of Ibrahim's death, I said to him:

May your hands be paralyzed, and may you live all your days naked;

May both your hands be paralyzed, and may you live all your days naked!

وَالناسُ قَد ثَقُلَت يَوماً مَضاجِعُهُم

وَالناسُ قَد ثَقُلَت يَوماً مَضاجِعُهُم

إِلّا ابنَ هَرمَةَ أَحيا اللَيلَ يَقظانا

إِلّا ابنَ هَرمَةَ أَحيا اللَيلَ يَقظانا

while people's beds, one night, lay heavy,

And people lay heavy with sleep in their beds one day,

Ibn Harma alone kept the night alive, wide awake.

except Ibn Harmah, who passed the night awake.

وَلا رَجَعتَ إِلى مالٍ وَلا وَلَدٍ

وَلا رَجَعتَ إِلى مالٍ وَلا وَلَدٍ

ما كُنتَ حَيّاً وَما سُمّيتَ إِنسانا

ما كُنتَ حَيّاً وَما سُمّيتَ إِنسانا

May you never return to wealth or child,

And may you never return to wealth or offspring,

as long as you live, nor ever be called a human being.

as long as you live and are called a human being!

تَنعى الإِمامَ وَخَيرَ الناسِ كُلِّهُمُ

تَنعى الإِمامَ وَخَيرَ الناسِ كُلِّهُمُ

أَخنَت عَلَيهِ يَدُ الجَعديِّ مَروانا

أَخنَت عَلَيهِ يَدُ الجَعديِّ مَروانا

You announce the Imam—the best of all people—dead,

You announce the death of the Imam, the best of all people:

whom the hand of al-Jaʿdi—Marwan—laid low.

the hand of al-Jaʿdi—Marwan—brought ruin upon him.

وَكادَ لَولا دِفاعُ اللَهِ يَقتُلُني

وَكادَ لَولا دِفاعُ اللَهِ يَقتُلُني

وَما رَجَوتُ مِن النَصرِ الَّذي كانا

وَما رَجَوتُ مِن النَصرِ الَّذي كانا

He nearly killed me too, had God not defended me,

And he almost killed me, but God defended me;

and I had not hoped for the victory that came.

and I had not hoped for the victory that came.

فاِستَدرَجَ اللَهُ مَرواناً بِقوتَّهِ

فاِستَدرَجَ اللَهُ مَرواناً بِقوتَّهِ

سُبحانَ مُستَدرِجِ الجَعدي سُبحانا

سُبحانَ مُستَدرِجِ الجَعدي سُبحانا

Then God, by His might, drew Marwan step by step to ruin—

So God drew Marwan gradually toward ruin by His might.

glory to Him who drew al-Jaʿdi on; glory!

Glory be to Him who drew al-Jaʿdi to ruin—glory!

فاِعتَزَّ بِالقَومِ لَم تُطلَل دِماؤُهُمُ

فاِعتَزَّ بِالقَومِ لَم تُطلَل دِماؤُهُمُ

وَكانَ حينُ بَني مَروانَ قَد حانا

وَكانَ حينُ بَني مَروانَ قَد حانا

Then take pride in the people: their blood was not left unavenged,

So take pride in the people: their blood did not go unavenged,

and the hour of the house of Marwan had come.

and the hour of Marwan's sons had come.