يا لَلرِّجَالِ لِلُبّكَ المخطُوفِ

يا لَلرِّجَالِ لِلُبّكَ المخطُوفِ

وَلِدَمعِكَ المُتَرَقْرِقِ المنزوفِ

وَلِدَمعِكَ المُتَرَقْرِقِ المنزوفِ

O men, come to the aid of your mind, snatched away,

O men of shedding tears and weeping

and of your tears, welling up and drained away!

O men of overflowing tears and lamentations

ويحٌ لأَمْرٍ قد أَتاني رَائعٍ

ويحٌ لأَمْرٍ قد أَتاني رَائعٍ

هدَّ الجبَالَ فانقَضَتْ بِرُجُوفِ

هدَّ الجبَالَ فانقَضَتْ بِرُجُوفِ

Alas for a terrifying event that has come upon me,

Woe to the terrible event which befell me

which shattered the mountains, so they collapsed, quaking.

It made mountains crumble into ruins

قَتْلُ الخَلِيفَةِ كانَ أمراً مُفظعاً

قَتْلُ الخَلِيفَةِ كانَ أمراً مُفظعاً

قَامَتْ لذاكَ بَلِيَّةُ التّخْويفِ

قَامَتْ لذاكَ بَلِيَّةُ التّخْويفِ

The caliph's killing was a dreadful affair;

The murder of the Caliph was a dreadful thing

because of it, the calamity of terror arose.

It brought about the calamity of intimidation

قُتِلُ الإمامُ لَهُ النُّجومُ خَوَاضِعٌ

قُتِلُ الإمامُ لَهُ النُّجومُ خَوَاضِعٌ

والشَّمْسُ بازغَةٌ لَهُ بِكُسُوفِ

والشَّمْسُ بازغَةٌ لَهُ بِكُسُوفِ

The Imam was slain; the stars bow before him,

The Imam, to whom the stars are subservient, was killed

and the sun rises for him in eclipse.

The shining sun was eclipsed for him

يا لَهْفَ نَفْسِي إذْ تَوَلُّوا غُدْوَةً

يا لَهْفَ نَفْسِي إذْ تَوَلُّوا غُدْوَةً

مَاذَا أَجَنَّ ضَرِيحُهُ المَسْقُوفُ

مَاذَا أَجَنَّ ضَرِيحُهُ المَسْقُوفُ

O my soul's anguish, when they turned away early in the morning!

Oh how my soul burned when at dawn they turned away

What his roofed tomb has enclosed!

What did his roofed tomb gain?

ولَّوا وَدَلُّوا في الضّريحِ أَخَاهُمُ

ولَّوا وَدَلُّوا في الضّريحِ أَخَاهُمُ

مَاذَا أَجَنَّ ضَرِيحُهُ المَسْقُوفُ

مَاذَا أَجَنَّ ضَرِيحُهُ المَسْقُوفُ

They turned away and lowered their brother into the tomb—

They turned away and walked to the tomb of their brother

What his roofed tomb has enclosed!

What did his roofed tomb gain?

مِنْ نَائلٍ أو سُؤْددٍ وحَمَالةٍ

مِنْ نَائلٍ أو سُؤْددٍ وحَمَالةٍ

سَبَقَتْ لَهُ في النّاسِ أو مَعْروفِ

سَبَقَتْ لَهُ في النّاسِ أو مَعْروفِ

Of bounty, or nobility and burdens borne for others,

Of the needy, the grieved, the porters

already to his credit among the people, or of kindness!

Whose good he preceded among people, or was known

كَمْ مِنْ يَتيمٍ كانَ يجبُرُ عَظْمَهُ

كَمْ مِنْ يَتيمٍ كانَ يجبُرُ عَظْمَهُ

أَمْسَى بِمَنزِلِهِ الضَيَاعُ يَطُوفُ

أَمْسَى بِمَنزِلِهِ الضَيَاعُ يَطُوفُ

How many an orphan whose bone he used to mend

How many orphans whose bones he would mend

by evening had ruin circling his dwelling!

Are now wandering in his ruins homeless

فَرَّجْتَهَا عَنْهُ برحمِكَ بَعْدَمَا

فَرَّجْتَهَا عَنْهُ برحمِكَ بَعْدَمَا

كَادَتْ وأيقَنَ بَعْدَهَا بحُتُوفِ

كَادَتْ وأيقَنَ بَعْدَهَا بحُتُوفِ

You lifted it from him through your compassion, after

You relieved them through your mercy after

it had nearly undone him, and he was certain of death in its wake.

They had almost despaired and lost hope

ما زَالَ يَقْبَلُهُمْ وَيَرْأبُ ظُلمَهُمُ

ما زَالَ يَقْبَلُهُمْ وَيَرْأبُ ظُلمَهُمُ

حتّى سَمِعْتُ برنَّةِ التّلْهِيفِ

حتّى سَمِعْتُ برنَّةِ التّلْهِيفِ

He never ceased welcoming them and redressing their wrongs,

He kept accepting them and mending their wrongs

until I heard the wail of lamentation.

Until I heard the clatter of swords unsheathed

أَمسَى مُقِيماً بالبَقِيعِ وأَصْبَحُوا

أَمسَى مُقِيماً بالبَقِيعِ وأَصْبَحُوا

مُتَفرِّقِينَ قَدَ اجْمَعُوا بخُفُوفِ

مُتَفرِّقِينَ قَدَ اجْمَعُوا بخُفُوفِ

By evening he dwelt in al-Baqiʿ, and by morning they were

By evening he stayed in Al-Baqi‘ and they

scattered, having already resolved on swift departure.

Scattered, gathered in crowds with shoes hastily worn

النّارُ مَوْعِدُهُمْ بِقَتْلٍ إِمَامِهِمْ

النّارُ مَوْعِدُهُمْ بِقَتْلٍ إِمَامِهِمْ

عُثْمَانَ ظُهراً في البلادِ عَفِيفِ

عُثْمَانَ ظُهراً في البلادِ عَفِيفِ

The Fire is their appointed destination for killing their Imam,

Hellfire awaits those who killed their Imam,

Uthman, at midday, upright in the land.

‘Uthman - a chaste man in the land noble and generous

جمعَ الحَمالةَ بعد حلمٍ راجحٍ

جمعَ الحَمالةَ بعد حلمٍ راجحٍ

والخيرُ فيهِ مُبيَّنٌ مَعْرُوفُ

والخيرُ فيهِ مُبيَّنٌ مَعْرُوفُ

He added the bearing of others' burdens to his sound forbearance,

He gathered the porters after prudent clemency

and goodness in him was plain and well known.

And good in him was manifest and well-known

يا كعبُ لا تَنْفَكُّ تَبْكي مَالِكاً

يا كعبُ لا تَنْفَكُّ تَبْكي مَالِكاً

ما دُمْتَ حيّاً في البلادِ تَطوفُ

ما دُمْتَ حيّاً في البلادِ تَطوفُ

O Kaʿb, do not cease weeping for Malik,

O Ka‘b do not cease weeping for Malik

as long as you live, roaming through the land.

As long as you live and wander the land

فَابكِ أبا عمرٍو عتيقاً واصلاً

فَابكِ أبا عمرٍو عتيقاً واصلاً

ولواءَهم إذْ كَانَ عيرَ سَخِيفِ

ولواءَهم إذْ كَانَ عيرَ سَخِيفِ

So weep for Abu Amr, noble and a keeper of kinship ties,

Weep for Abu ‘Amr, loyal and true

and their banner, when he was [not?] feeble.

And for their standard when it was but a contemptible rag

وليبْكِهِ عِنْدَ الحِفاظِ لِمُعْظِمٍ

وليبْكِهِ عِنْدَ الحِفاظِ لِمُعْظِمٍ

والخيلُ بَيْنَ مَقانبٍ وصُفُوفِ

والخيلُ بَيْنَ مَقانبٍ وصُفُوفِ

And let him be mourned when honor must be defended in a grave crisis,

And weep for their regard of the revered one

while the horses are amid squadrons and ranks.

As the horses stand between the flanks and ranks

قَتَلُوكَ يا عثمانُ غيرَ مُدَنَّسٍ

قَتَلُوكَ يا عثمانُ غيرَ مُدَنَّسٍ

قتلاً لَعَمْرُكَ واقفاً بسَقِيفِ

قتلاً لَعَمْرُكَ واقفاً بسَقِيفِ

They killed you, O Uthman, undefiled—

They killed you, O ‘Uthman, undefiled.

a slaying, by your life, as you stood in a roofed shelter.

Killed you, by your life, standing at Al-Saqifah