أَتانيcame to me وَأَهليand my family بِاللَوىat al-Liwa فَوقَabove مَثعَرٍMath‘ar
أَتاني وَأَهلي بِاللَوى فَوقَ مَثعَرٍ
وَقَدand already زَجَرَdrove away اللَيلُthe night النُجومَthe stars فَوَلَّتِso they fled
وَقَد زَجَرَ اللَيلُ النُجومَ فَوَلَّتِ
There came to me, while my family were at al-Liwa above Math‘ar,
when night had driven the stars away and they had fled,
وَفاةُthe death of ابنِthe son of عَبّاسٍAbbas وَصيِّthe designated successor of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad
وَفاةُ ابنِ عَبّاسٍ وَصيِّ مُحَمَّدٍ
فَأُبتُso I returned فِراشيmy bed حَسرَةgrief ماnot تَجَلَّتِlifted
فَأُبتُ فِراشي حَسرَة ما تَجَلَّتِ
news of the death of Ibn Abbas, Muhammad’s designated successor;
so I returned to my bed with a grief that would not lift.
فَإِنso if تَكُbe أَحداثُthe strokes of المَناياdeath اختَرمَنَهُthey snatched him away
فَإِن تَكُ أَحداثُ المَنايا اختَرمَنَهُ
فَقَدthen indeed أَعظَمَتthey made great رزأًa loss بِهِthrough him وَأَجَلَّتِand magnified it
فَقَد أَعظَمَت رزأً بِهِ وَأَجَلَّتِ
If the strokes of death have snatched him away,
then they have made his loss great and grievous.
وَإِنand if يَكُbe غَدرٌtreachery نالَهُbefell him مِنfrom مُنافِقٍa hypocrite
وَإِن يَكُ غَدرٌ نالَهُ مِن مُنافِقٍ
فَإِنَّthen surely لَهُhis is العُقبىthe final reward إِذاwhen النَعلُthe sandal زَلَّتِslipped
فَإِنَّ لَهُ العُقبى إِذا النَعلُ زَلَّتِ
And if treachery from a hypocrite befell him,
then his is the final reward when the sandal slips.
نِصالُthe blades of بَنيthe sons of الشَيخِthe elder المُوَلّىthe one entrusted with authority عَلىover الكُنىthe honorific names
نِصالُ بَني الشَيخِ المُوَلّى عَلى الكُنى
أَصابَتstruck جُروماًbodies مِنهُمُamong them واسمألَّتِand stood tall
أَصابَت جُروماً مِنهُمُ واسمألَّتِ
The blades of the sons of the elder entrusted with the honorific names
struck bodies among them and stood tall.
فَنالواso they gained بإِبراهيمَfor Ibrahim ثأراًvengeance وَلَمand did not يَكُنbe
فَنالوا بإِبراهيمَ ثأراً وَلَم يَكُن
دَماًblood سالَflowed يَجريflowing فيamid دِماءٍblood فَطَلَّتِand went unavenged
دَماً سالَ يَجري في دِماءٍ فَطَلَّتِ
Thus they gained vengeance for Ibrahim, and his was not
blood spilled among other blood and left unavenged.
أَمروانُis Marwan أَولىmore entitled بِالخِلافَةِto the caliphate مِنكُمُthan you
أَمروانُ أَولى بِالخِلافَةِ مِنكُمُ
أُصيبَتwas stricken إِذَنthen يُمنىthe right one of يَديَّmy two hands فَشُلَّتِand was paralyzed
أُصيبَت إِذَن يُمنى يَديَّ فَشُلَّتِ
Is Marwan more entitled to the caliphate than you?
Then may my right hand be stricken and paralyzed!
وَأَنتُمand you بَنوعَمِّthe sons of the uncle of النَبيِّthe Prophet وَرِهطُهُand his clan
وَأَنتُم بَنوعَمِّ النَبيِّ وَرِهطُهُ
فَقَدso indeed سَئِمَتgrew weary of نَفسيmy soul الحَياةَlife وَمَلَّتِand tired of it
فَقَد سَئِمَت نَفسي الحَياةَ وَمَلَّتِ
Yet you are the sons of the Prophet’s uncle and his clan;
indeed, my soul has grown weary of life and tired of it.
فَشأنُthen the affair of المَناياdeath بَعدَكُمafter you ثُمَّthen شأنَهاits affair
فَشأنُ المَنايا بَعدَكُم ثُمَّ شأنَها
وَشأنيand my affair إِذاwhen طافَتit circled بِناaround us وَأَطَلَّتِand loomed above
وَشأني إِذا طافَت بِنا وَأَطَلَّتِ
So let death have its way after you—then let it deal
with me, when it circles us and looms above.
وَقَدand indeed كانَwas إِبراهيمُIbrahim مُوَلىinvested with خِلافَةٍa caliphate
وَقَد كانَ إِبراهيمُ مُوَلى خِلافَةٍ
بِهاthrough it خَضَعَتbowed صَعبُthe stubborn الرِقابِnecks وَذَلَّتِand were humbled
بِها خَضَعَت صَعبُ الرِقابِ وَذَلَّتِ
Ibrahim had indeed been invested with a caliphate
through which stubborn necks bowed and were humbled.
وَأَوصَىand bequeathed لِعَبدِاللَهِto Abd Allah بِالعَهدِthe succession بَعدَهُafter him
وَأَوصَى لِعَبدِاللَهِ بِالعَهدِ بَعدَهُ
خِلافَةَa caliphate of حَقٍّright لاnot أَمانيَّwishes ضَلَّتِwent astray
خِلافَةَ حَقٍّ لا أَمانيَّ ضَلَّتِ
And he bequeathed the succession after him to Abd Allah—
a rightful caliphate, not wishes gone astray.
فَشَمَّرَso he girded himself عَبدُAbd اللَهِAllah لَمّاwhen تَجَرَدَّتcame forth
فَشَمَّرَ عَبدُ اللَهِ لَمّا تَجَرَدَّت
لَواقِحُpregnant ones مِنof حَربٍwar وَحولٌand barren ones فَجَلَّتِand grew mighty
لَواقِحُ مِن حَربٍ وَحولٌ فَجَلَّتِ
So Abd Allah girded himself when there emerged
pregnant wars and barren ones, grown mighty.
فَقادَso he led إِليهاto it الحالبينَthe milkers فَأنهَلواand gave a first draught
فَقادَ إِليها الحالبينَ فَأنهَلوا
ظِماءًthirsty ones إِذاwhen صارَتthey came إِلىto الريِّfull quenching عَلَّتِthey drank again
ظِماءً إِذا صارَت إِلى الريِّ عَلَّتِ
He led the milkers to it, and they gave a first draught
to thirsty ones that, once sated, drank again—
حِلاباًa milking تَحَلَّتهاfound it sweet الحُروبُthe wars وَلَمand not تَكُنwas
حِلاباً تَحَلَّتها الحُروبُ وَلَم تَكُن
حلاباًa milking لِقاحٌmilch-camels حُلِبَّتwere milked فَتَحَلَّتِand yielded sweetness
حلاباً لِقاحٌ حُلِبَّت فَتَحَلَّتِ
a milking that wars found sweet, not
a milking of milch-camels, milked to yield sweetness.
فَقامَso he stood ابنُthe son of عَبّاسٍAbbas مَقامَin the station of ابنِthe son of حُرَّةٍa freeborn woman
فَقامَ ابنُ عَبّاسٍ مَقامَ ابنِ حُرَّةٍ
حَصانٍchaste إِذاwhen البيضُthe white blades الصَوارِمُthe keen-edged swords سُلَّتِwere drawn
حَصانٍ إِذا البيضُ الصَوارِمُ سُلَّتِ
So Ibn Abbas took his stand as the son of a freeborn woman—
a chaste woman—when the bright, keen swords were drawn.
أَتَتهُcame to him الضَواحيthe outlying tribes مِنof مَعَدٍّMa‘add وَغَيرِهاand others
أَتَتهُ الضَواحي مِن مَعَدٍّ وَغَيرِها
فَطَنَّبَso he stretched out ظِلاًّa shade فَوقَهاover them فاِستَظَلَّتِand they took shelter
فَطَنَّبَ ظِلاًّ فَوقَها فاِستَظَلَّتِ
The outlying tribes of Ma‘add and others came to him,
so he stretched a canopy of shade over them, and they sheltered beneath it.
وَشامَand watched إِليَهاtoward it الراغِبونَthe eager seekers غَمامَةًa cloud
وَشامَ إِليَها الراغِبونَ غَمامَةً
عَريضاًwide سَناهاits radiance أَنشأتit arose واِستَهَلَّتِand poured rain
عَريضاً سَناها أَنشأت واِستَهَلَّتِ
And eager seekers gazed toward it, watching a cloud,
its radiance wide, as it rose and poured down rain.
جَزىmay reward اللَهُGod ابراهيمَIbrahim خَيرَthe best of جَزائِهِHis recompense
جَزى اللَهُ ابراهيمَ خَيرَ جَزائِهِ
وَجادَتand rained generously عَلَيهِupon him البارِقاتُthe lightning-flashing clouds وَظَلَّتِand kept doing so
وَجادَت عَلَيهِ البارِقاتُ وَظَلَّتِ
May God reward Ibrahim with His finest reward,
and may the flashing clouds rain generously upon him without ceasing.
وَكُنّاand we were بِهِthrough him حَتّىuntil مَضىhe departed لِسَبيلِهِon his way
وَكُنّا بِهِ حَتّى مَضى لِسَبيلِهِ
كَذاتِlike a woman with العُطولِno adornment حُلِّيَتwas given jewels فَتَحَلَّتِand adorned herself
كَذاتِ العُطولِ حُلِّيَت فَتَحَلَّتِ
And through him, until he went his way, we were
like an unadorned woman given jewels, who decked herself in them.
يُعينُhe helps عَلىin الجُلَّىthe great calamity قُرَيشاًQuraysh بِمالِهِwith his wealth
يُعينُ عَلى الجُلَّى قُرَيشاً بِمالِهِ
وَيَحمِلُand shoulders عَنon behalf of هُلّاكِهاits ruined men ماwhat أَكَلَّتِwore them out
وَيَحمِلُ عَن هُلّاكِها ما أَكَلَّتِ
He aided Quraysh in dire calamity with his wealth,
and bore for its ruined men the burdens that wore them down.
وَكَمand how many مِنof كَسيرِone with a broken الساقِleg لاءَمَhe mended ساقَهُhis leg
وَكَم مِن كَسيرِ الساقِ لاءَمَ ساقَهُ
بِمَعروفِهِthrough his kindness حَتّىuntil اِستَوَتit grew straight وَاِستَمَرَّتِand grew firm
بِمَعروفِهِ حَتّى اِستَوَت وَاِستَمَرَّتِ
And how many a broken-legged man’s leg he mended
through his kindness, until it grew straight and firm.
تَوَلَّيتُكُمI gave you allegiance لَمّاwhen خَشيتُI feared ضَلالَةًgoing astray
تَوَلَّيتُكُم لَمّا خَشيتُ ضَلالَةً
أَلاindeed كُلُّevery نَفسٍsoul أَهلُهاits kin مَنthose whom تَوَلَّتِit chose as allies
أَلا كُلُّ نَفسٍ أَهلُها مَن تَوَلَّتِ
I gave you my allegiance when I feared going astray;
indeed, every soul’s kin are those to whom it gives allegiance.
Sol 6.1