أحبيب أنت إلى الحسين حبيب

إن لم ينط نسب فأنت نسيب

O Habib, you are beloved to Husayn.

If no bloodline binds you, you are nonetheless kin.

يا مرحباً بابن المظاهر بالولا

لو كان ينهض بالولا الترحيب

A loving welcome to Ibn al-Muzahir,

if welcoming words could do justice to devotion.

شأن يشق على الضراح مرامه

بعداً وقبرك والضريح قريب

A stature that even al-Durah struggles to attain,

so far above—yet your grave and the shrine are near.

قد أخلصت طرفي علاك نجيبة

من قومها وأب أغر نجيب

Both sides of your noble lineage were made pure by a highborn woman

of her people, and an illustrious, noble father.

بأبي المفدّي نفسه عن رغبة

لم يدعه الترهيب والترغيب

My father be ransom for him who willingly offered himself,

whom neither intimidation nor enticement summoned.

ما زاغ قلباً من صفوف أمية

يوم استطارت للرجال قلوب

His heart never wavered before Umayya's ranks

on the day men's hearts flew into terror.

يا حاملاً ذاك اللواء مرفرفا

كيف التوى ذاك اللوى المضروب

O bearer of that fluttering banner,

how did that planted standard bend?

للَه من علم هوى وبكفه

علم الحسين الخافق المنصوب

By God, what a beacon fell, with in his hand

Husayn's banner, fluttering and raised!

أبني المواطر بالأسنة رعَّفا

في حيث لا برق السيوف خلوب

O sons of rainclouds, with blood-dripping spearheads,

where the lightning of swords never deceives!

غالبتم نفرا بضفة نينوي

فغلبتم والغالب المغلوب

You contended with a band upon Naynawa's bank,

and were defeated—yet the victor was vanquished.

شكت الطفوف طفيفها فأكالها

بكم أبي الضيم وهو غريب

Al-Taff's plains complained of scant fare; so he fed them

with you—the scorner of humiliation, himself a stranger.

ما منكم إلّا ابن أمّ للردى

ليث أكول للعدى وشروب

Not one of you but was death's own maternal brother,

a lion, voracious for foes and drinking deep.

كنتم قواعد للهدى ما هدَّها

ليل الضلال الحالك الغربيب

You were foundations of guidance, never demolished by

error's dark, raven-black night.

شاب وأشيب يستهل بوجهه

قمر السما والكوكب المشبوب

Young man and graybeard—in each one's face shine forth

the moon of heaven and the blazing star.

لولا فخامة شيبهم وشبابهم

شرفا لرق بهم لي التشبيب

Were it not for the grandeur of their graybeards and youths,

so august in honor, my love-verse of them would grow tender.

فزهيرها طلق الجبين وبعده

وهب ولكن للحياة وهوب

So its Zuhayr is bright of brow, and after him

Wahb—but lavish in giving his life.

وهلالها في الروع وابن شبيبها

وبريرها المتنمر المذروب

And its Hilal amid battle's terror, and its Ibn Shabib,

and its Burayr, leopard-fierce and keen-edged,

والليث مسلمها ابن عوسجة الذي

سلم الحتوف وللحروب حريب

and its lion, Muslim ibn Awsaja, who

is death's ally and war's adversary.

آساد ملحمة وسمّ أساود

وشواظ برق صوارم ولهيب

Lions of battle, and the venom of black serpents,

and flames of keen swords' lightning, and a blaze.

الراكبين الهول لم ينكب بهم

وهن ولا سأم ولا تنكيب

Riders of terror, never turned aside by

weakness, weariness, or adversity,

والمالكين على المكاشح نفسه

والعاتقين النفس حين تؤوب

and who held their spiteful foe's very life in their power,

and freed the soul when it returned,

والمصدرين من المغيرة خيلها

والخيل شوط مغارها التخبيب

and drove the raiding force's horses back,

while the horses made their raiding run at a brisk trot.

متابعدات في الغوار نوازع

ألوى بها الأساد والتقريب

Far-ranging in the raids, straining onward,

swift running and cantering swept them away.

قوم إذا سمعوا الدروع كأنهم

تحت الجواشن يذبل وعسيب

Men who, when they hear the armor, seem

beneath their breastplates like the mountains Yadhbul and Asib.

أو أنهم في السابقات أرقم ال

وادي يباكرها الندى فتسيب

Or, on swift steeds, they are the speckled snake of the

valley: dew greets it at dawn, and it glides forth.

ساموا العدى ضرباً وطعناً فيهما

غنيّ الحسام وهلهل الأنبوب

They dealt their foes blows and thrusts, in which

the sword sang and the lance-shaft rang.

من كل وضاح الجبين مغامر

ضرباً وللبيض الرقاق ضريب

From every bright-browed warrior, daring

in striking, and a match for slender, bright swords,

متخبب ذملا يحفز مهره

خببا وآخر خلفه مخبوب

trotting briskly, urging on his colt

at a trot, with another behind him made to trot.

ومحبب لهوى النفوس محكم

فيها كما يتحكم المحبوب

And one endeared to the souls' desires, granted sway

within them, as the beloved commands.

إن ضاق وافي الدرع منه بمنكب

ضخم فصدر العزم منه رحيب

Though full-sized armor is tight around his shoulder,

massive as it is, his breast of resolve is broad.

ما لان مغمز عوده ولربما

يتقصف الخطي وهو صليب

His wood never yielded under pressure, though often

the Khatti spear splinters, hard as it is.

ومعمم بالسيف معتصب به

واليوم يوم بالطفوف عصيب

And one turbaned with the sword, wearing it as his headband,

while the day at al-Taff is a day of anguish.

ما زال منصلتاً يذب بسيفه

نمراً وأين من الأزلّ الذيب

He never ceased rushing forth, defending with his sword,

a leopard—what is a wolf beside that lean-flanked beast?

تلقاه في أولي الجياد مغامرا

وسواه في أخرى الجياد هيوب

You find him among the foremost steeds, boldly venturing,

while others among the rearmost steeds are fearful.

يلقى الكتيبة وهو طلق المجتلي

جذلان يبسم والحمام قطوب

He faces the battalion, bright of countenance,

joyful and smiling, though death scowls.

طرب المسامع في الوغى لكنه

بصليل قرع المشرفي طروب

His ears delight amid battle, but he

rejoices in the ringing clash of the Mashrafi sword.

واهاً بني الكرام الأولى كم فيكم

ندب هوى وبصفحتيه ندوب

Ah, sons of those noble men! How many among you

a gallant man fell, with scars on both his sides!

أبكيكم ولكم بقلبي قرحة

أبدا وجرح في الفؤاد رغيب

I weep for you; for you there is a sore in my heart,

forever, and a gaping wound within the heart.

ومدامع فوق الخدود تذبذبت

أراطها وحشاً تكاد تذوب

And tears trembled upon the cheeks,

poured forth in desolation, almost melting away.

حنَّ الفؤاد إليك فتعلمت

منه الحنين الرازحات النيب

The heart yearned for you, teaching

its yearning cry to the weary, aged she-camels.

تهفو القلوب صوادياً لقبوركم

فكأن هاتيك القبور قليب

Hearts yearn, thirsting, toward your graves,

as though those graves were a well.

قربت ضرائحكم على زوارها

ومزورها للزائرين مجيب

Your shrines are near to those who visit them,

and the one visited there answers the visitors.

وزكت نفوسكم فطاب أريجها

في حيث نشر المسك فيه يطيب

Your souls were pure, and sweet became their fragrance,

in a place where the scent of musk grows sweet.

جرَّ عليكم عبرتي هدّابها

فجرى عليكم دمعيَ المسكوب

My weeping trailed its fringe over you,

and my poured-out tears flowed over you.

بكرت إليكم نفحة غروية

وسرت عليكم شمأل وجنوب

A fragrant breath from al-Ghari came early to you,

and north and south winds passed over you by night.