كيف يرضى بالحمى حامي الحمى

ان تلاقي أهله وقع الحمام

How can the sanctuary's guardian consent, within its bounds,

that his people should meet the stroke of death,

وهو جاث بين ظهرانيهم

يدفع الجلى لدى الخطب الزوام

while he kneels in their midst,

warding off grave calamity amid deadly peril?

ليس يغضي الطرف عنهم وهم

عنده في ظل حصن لا يرام

He does not avert his gaze from them, while they

are with him, sheltered by an unassailable fortress.

كل آن حول مثواه لهم

صرخة توقظ أشلاء رمام

Every moment, around his resting place, they raise

a cry that wakes moldering remains.

أعجيب دفعه عنهم غدا

من له في الكون مولى لا يضام

Is it strange that he should shield them tomorrow?

He who has a patron in this world is not wronged.

بل عجيب كيف يرضى بالوبا

وهو عنهم يتقي رشق السهام

Rather, the wonder is how he could consent to plague,

while he wards off volleys of arrows for them.

لكن الذنب الذي أسلمنا

عنه لم ينفك ينهانا الإمام

But the sin that betrayed us—

the Imam never ceased warning us against it.

ولو أنا نتقي اللَه لما

دهم الخطب بأرزاء عظام

And had we feared God,

calamity would not have struck with grievous afflictions.

وقد استصرخت الشيعة في

قبر ذاك البطل الليث الهمام

And the Shia have cried for aid at

the grave of that hero, that valiant lion.

رفع اللَه الوبا في جاهه

وهو للخائف أمن وعصام

God lifted the plague by virtue of his standing,

and he is safety and protection for the fearful.

أترى النائي الموالي ينتفي

عن حماه وهو منه بالذمام

Do you think the distant devotee is excluded

from his protection, though bound to him by covenant?

غير ناء من يرى قبته

مذ رأى الجو كبرق في غمام

He is not far away who has beheld his dome

since first he saw the sky, like lightning in a cloud.

لا ترى العين سوى أنوارها

تتلالا بين هاتيك الركام

The eye sees nothing but its lights,

glittering amid those massed clouds.

كلما استيقظ من رقدته

هب يهديها صلاة وصيام

Whenever he wakes from his slumber,

he rises to offer it prayer and fasting.

عجباً كيف تقول استبدلوا

بالحمى الصنين والدور الخيام

How strange! How can you say they exchanged

the sanctuary for al-Sinnin, and houses for tents?

كل من والى علي المرتضى

بالحمى منه وان شط المقام

Whoever is loyal to Ali al-Murtada

is within his protection, however distant his abode.

أنت لو تلقى سبيلاً طوحت

منك خوفاً خفة سرب الحمام

You, if you found a way, would fly off,

out of fear, light as a flock of doves.

وبه استبدلت أما بابلا

أو طويريجا وذا أقصى مرام

And you would exchange it for either Babylon

or Tuwayrij—and that is your utmost aim.

لكن المولى أبى أن يتخذ

بدلاً عنه وان شب ضرام

But the Master refused to have

a substitute taken in his place, even if a blaze flared.

فعلى كره توطنت الحمى

مثلما تستوطن الجدب الكرام

So you settled in the sanctuary unwillingly,

as the noble settle in barren lands.

أثباتاً منك قدماً تدعي

إذ ترى الضر من الزحف حرام

Do you claim that your footing is firm,

since you deem the harm of battle forbidden?

فلما ذا يوم أورى بابلا

مثل هذا الخطب قعقعت اللجام

Then why, on the day Babylon was set aflame

by a calamity like this, did you rattle the bridle?

طرت عن ساكنها وهويرى

أنك الجنة ان ينضى الحسام

You flew away from its inhabitant, though he believes

that you are the shield when the sword is drawn.

أفلا كنت شجاعاً عندها

لتحمي دون هاتيك الأنام

Why were you not brave then,

to stand in defense of those people?

أجباناً في الوغى حتى اذا

انجلت الهيجا شجاعاً في الكلام

A coward in battle—then, once

the fighting clears, brave in words?

وترامينا سهاماً نزعت

من مكن الفكر في قوس النظام

And you shoot at us with arrows drawn

from thought's recesses, with the bow of verse.

ليس حقاً من يواسي قومه

يترامى بسهام عن سلام

It is not right that one who comforts his people

should be assailed with arrows instead of peace.

فاكفف اللوم وجئني بالذي

هو أهدى واهديك السلام

So cease your blame, and bring me what

is wiser—and I offer you peace.