أجَلْ هو الرُّزْءُ جَلَّ فادِحُهْ

أجَلْ هو الرُّزْءُ جَلَّ فادِحُهْ

باكِرُهُ فاجِعٌ ورائِحُهْ

باكِرُهُ فاجِعٌ ورائِحُهْ

Yes, this is the calamity; immense is its crushing weight.

Indeed it is the calamity, overwhelming its severity

Its morning visitation is grievous, and so is its evening one.

Its beginning agonizing, and its outcome

لا ربْعُ دارٍ عفا ولا طَلَلُ

لا ربْعُ دارٍ عفا ولا طَلَلُ

أوْحشَ لمَّا نَأْتِ ملائِحُهْ

أوْحشَ لمَّا نَأْتِ ملائِحُهْ

Not a dwelling-site effaced, nor ruined remains

Neither the spring of an abode healed, nor its ruins

grown desolate when its fair ones departed.

More desolate when its misfortunes came upon it

عَنْ ذاكَ مندوحَةٌ لمُعْتَبِرِ

عَنْ ذاكَ مندوحَةٌ لمُعْتَبِرِ

فَذُو النُّهَى جَمَّةٌ مَنَادِحُهْ

فَذُو النُّهَى جَمَّةٌ مَنَادِحُهْ

There is an escape from that for one who reflects,

Far from that for one who takes heed

for a man of reason has many ways out.

Is the path of salvation, though difficult its ascents

فَجَائِعٌ لو دَرَى الجنينُ بها

فَجَائِعٌ لو دَرَى الجنينُ بها

لعادَ مُبْيَضَّةً مَسَائِحُهْ

لعادَ مُبْيَضَّةً مَسَائِحُهْ

Calamities that, if an unborn child knew of them,

So one hungry, if the fetus knew it

would turn the locks at his temples white.

Would return bleached are its bones

يا بُؤْسَ للدَّهْرِ حينَ آلُ رسو

يا بُؤْسَ للدَّهْرِ حينَ آلُ رسو

لِ الله تجتاحُهُمْ جَوَائِحُهْ

لِ الله تجتاحُهُمْ جَوَائِحُهْ

Woe to Time, when the family of the Messenger

Oh what misery when the Messengers of Allah

of God are swept away by its scourges.

Were subjected to their calamities

إذا تَفَكَّرْتَ في مُصَابِهِمْ

إذا تَفَكَّرْتَ في مُصَابِهِمْ

أثْقَبَ زَنْدَ الهُمُومِ قَادِحَهْ

أثْقَبَ زَنْدَ الهُمُومِ قَادِحَهْ

When you reflect on their affliction,

When you contemplate their afflictions

its striker sets the fire-stick of sorrows alight.

The load of sorrows weighs down its carrier

فبعضُهُمْ قُرِّبَتْ مَصَارِعُهُ

فبعضُهُمْ قُرِّبَتْ مَصَارِعُهُ

وبعضُهُمْ بُوعِدَتْ مَطَارِحُهْ

وبعضُهُمْ بُوعِدَتْ مَطَارِحُهْ

Some had their places of death brought near;

For some their places of death were brought near

others had the places where they were cast made distant.

While for others their places of fall were promised

أظْلَمَ في كَرْبِلاَءَ يومُهُمُ

أظْلَمَ في كَرْبِلاَءَ يومُهُمُ

ثم تجَلّى وَهُمْ ذَبَائِحُهْ

ثم تجَلّى وَهُمْ ذَبَائِحُهْ

Their day darkened in Karbala,

Darkened on the day of Karbala, then appeared [the truth] while they are the slaughtered

then brightened, with them its slaughtered victims.

The rain did not cease watering every uprising ground

لا بَرِحَ الغَيْثُ كلَّ شارِقَةٍ

لا بَرِحَ الغَيْثُ كلَّ شارِقَةٍ

تَهْمي غَوَادِيْه أوْ رَوَائِحُهْ

تَهْمي غَوَادِيْه أوْ رَوَائِحُهْ

May rain never cease, at every sunrise,

Or roaming its valleys are its showers

its morning or evening showers pouring down

Upon a land where a strange Messenger of Allah settled

على ثَرىً حَلَّهُ غريبُ رسو

على ثَرىً حَلَّهُ غريبُ رسو

لِ اللَّهِ مَجْرُوحةٌ جَوَارِحُهْ

لِ اللَّهِ مَجْرُوحةٌ جَوَارِحُهْ

upon soil where the exile of the Messenger

Wounded are his noble organs

of God lay, his limbs wounded.

He who protected him decreased, and few are his helpers

ذَلَّ حِمَاهُ وقَلّ ناصِرُهُ

ذَلَّ حِمَاهُ وقَلّ ناصِرُهُ

وَنَالَ أَقْصى مُنَاهُ كَاشِحُهْ

وَنَالَ أَقْصى مُنَاهُ كَاشِحُهْ

His sanctuary was humbled, and his defenders were few,

And the utmost of his aims faced preventers

and his enemy attained his utmost desire.

While his women were taken captives, the necks of loved ones

وسيقَ نِسْوانُهُ طلائِقَ أح

وسيقَ نِسْوانُهُ طلائِقَ أح

زانٍ تَهَادَى بِهِمْ طلائِحُهْ

زانٍ تَهَادَى بِهِمْ طلائِحُهْ

His women were driven off, cast adrift in

Dragged among them were their infants

sorrows; his exhausted camels swayed along with them.

And they were forbidden to cry and lament aloud

وهنَّ يُمْنَعْنَ بالوعيد من النَ

وهنَّ يُمْنَعْنَ بالوعيد من النَ

نوحْ وعِرُّ العُلا نوائحُهْ

نوحْ وعِرُّ العُلا نوائحُهْ

They were forbidden, with threats, from

Though bitter is estrangement and loud are its wailers

lamenting; his mourning women were a wound to high honor.

Sorrow returned to his grandfather and his father

عادَ الأَسَى جَدَّهُ ووالِدَهُ

عادَ الأَسَى جَدَّهُ ووالِدَهُ

حَيْثُ اسْتَغَاثَتْهُمَا صوائِحُهْ

حَيْثُ اسْتَغَاثَتْهُمَا صوائِحُهْ

Grief revisited his grandfather and his father,

Where their screaming for help was heard

when his crying women called on them both for help.

If the Majestic did not want their war against him

لَوْ لَمْ يُرِدْ ذُو الجَلاَلِ حَرْبَهُمُ

لَوْ لَمْ يُرِدْ ذُو الجَلاَلِ حَرْبَهُمُ

بِهِ لَضَاقَتْ بِهِمْ فَسَائِحُهْ

بِهِ لَضَاقَتْ بِهِمْ فَسَائِحُهْ

Had the Lord of Majesty not willed their undoing

Narrowness would have squeezed them and their surroundings

through him, His wide spaces would have closed upon them.

He who destroyed a nation whose she-camel was hamstrung

وَهْوَ الذي اجتاحَ أُمَّةً عَقَرَتْ

وَهْوَ الذي اجتاحَ أُمَّةً عَقَرَتْ

ناقَتَهُ إذْ دَعَاهُ صالِحُهْ

ناقَتَهُ إذْ دَعَاهُ صالِحُهْ

He is the One who swept away a people that hamstrung

When their righteous one invited them [to Allah]

His she-camel, when His Salih called upon Him.

You have lost the path to the way of Allah

ضللتُمُ القَصْدَ للسبيلِ إلى الْ

ضللتُمُ القَصْدَ للسبيلِ إلى الْ

لَّهِ فتاهتْ بِكُمْ صَحَاصِحُهْ

لَّهِ فتاهتْ بِكُمْ صَحَاصِحُهْ

You missed the straight course of the road to

So you were confused while the calamities befell you

God, and its barren plains led you astray.

Oh you Shi'ites of misguidance and deviation

يا شِيْعَ الغَيِّ والضَّلاَلِ وَمَنْ

يا شِيْعَ الغَيِّ والضَّلاَلِ وَمَنْ

كَلٌّهُمْ جَمَّةٌ فضائِحُهْ

كَلٌّهُمْ جَمَّةٌ فضائِحُهْ

O factions of error and misguidance, and you

Stained are your robes with disgrace

whose disgraces are many, every one of you!

You have wronged Allah in harming those

غَشَشتُمُ اللَّهَ في أذِيَّةِ مَنْ

غَشَشتُمُ اللَّهَ في أذِيَّةِ مَنْ

إليْهِمُ أُدِّيَتْ نَصَائِحُهْ

إليْهِمُ أُدِّيَتْ نَصَائِحُهْ

You betrayed God by harming those

To whom his advice was given

to whom His counsels had been delivered.

You threw dust on the forehead of a youth

عَفَرْتُمُ بالثَّرَى جبين فَتىً

عَفَرْتُمُ بالثَّرَى جبين فَتىً

جبريلُ قبلَ النبيَّ ماسِحُهْ

جبريلُ قبلَ النبيَّ ماسِحُهْ

You rubbed in the dust the brow of a youth

Whom Jibreel used to rub before the Prophet

that Gabriel had stroked before the Prophet.

Blood shedding between you and the Messenger of Allah

يُطَلّ ما بينَكُمْ دَمٌ لرسو

يُطَلّ ما بينَكُمْ دَمٌ لرسو

لِ اللَّهِ وابنُ السِّفَاحِ سَافِحُهْ

لِ اللَّهِ وابنُ السِّفَاحِ سَافِحُهْ

Unavenged among you is the blood of the Messenger

While the son of As-Saffah is its shedder

of God, and a son of fornication is its shedder.

The same to Allah are all of you

سِيّانُ عند الإله كُلُّكُمُ

سِيّانُ عند الإله كُلُّكُمُ

خاذِلُهُ مِنْكُمُ وذابِحُهْ

خاذِلُهُ مِنْكُمُ وذابِحُهْ

All of you are alike before God:

Those who abandoned him and those who slaughtered him

the one among you who forsook him and the one who slaughtered him.

Curse pursues or roams around

على الَّذِي فاتَهُمْ بِحَقِّهِمْ

على الَّذِي فاتَهُمْ بِحَقِّهِمْ

لعْنٌ يُغَادِيهِ أو يُراوِحُهْ

لعْنٌ يُغَادِيهِ أو يُراوِحُهْ

Upon the one who seized their rightful due,

Those who deprived them of their rights

may a curse visit him morning or evening.

You are ignorant of who the Household know

جَهِلْتُمُ فيهِمُ الذي عَرَفَ ال

جَهِلْتُمُ فيهِمُ الذي عَرَفَ ال

بَيْتُ وما قابَلَتْ أباطِحُهْ

بَيْتُ وما قابَلَتْ أباطِحُهْ

You failed to see in them what was known to the

And who did not encounter their inner chambers

House and all that its gravelly valleys faced.

If you are silent from supplicating to them

إن تصمُتُوا عن دعائِهِمْ فلكُمْ

إن تصمُتُوا عن دعائِهِمْ فلكُمْ

يومُ وغىً لا يُجاب صائحُهْ

يومُ وغىً لا يُجاب صائحُهْ

If you are silent at their call, you shall have

Then for you is a day when no supplicant is answered

a day of battle whose crier goes unanswered.

Where the ram of calamity butts

في حيثُ كبْشُ الرّدَى يناطِحُ من

في حيثُ كبْشُ الرّدَى يناطِحُ من

أبْصَرَ كبشَ الوَغَى يناطِحُهْ

أبْصَرَ كبشَ الوَغَى يناطِحُهْ

Where death's ram locks horns with whoever

Whoever sees the ram of tribulation headbutting him

sees battle's ram locking horns with him.

And tomorrow the opponent will know who

وفي غَدٍ يَعْرِفُ المُخَالِفُ مَنْ

وفي غَدٍ يَعْرِفُ المُخَالِفُ مَنْ

خاسِرُ دينٍ لَهُمْ وَرَابِحُهْ

خاسِرُ دينٍ لَهُمْ وَرَابِحُهْ

And tomorrow the adversary will know who

Lost religion for them and who gained it

loses his faith over them, and who gains it.

Before you is a blazing flame

وبين أيديكُمُ حريقُ لظىً

وبين أيديكُمُ حريقُ لظىً

يلفَحُ تِلْكَ الوُجُوهَ لافِحُهْ

يلفَحُ تِلْكَ الوُجُوهَ لافِحُهْ

And before you lies a blazing fire,

That will wrap those faces without extinguisher

its scorching blast searing those faces.

If you think them fools in your ignorance

إن عِبْتُمُوهُمْ بجهلِكُمْ سَفَهاً

إن عِبْتُمُوهُمْ بجهلِكُمْ سَفَهاً

ما ضرَّ بَدْرَ السماءِ نابِحُهْ

ما ضرَّ بَدْرَ السماءِ نابِحُهْ

If you foolishly fault them in your ignorance,

The shining full moon is not harmed by the barking dog

no barking dog has harmed the full moon in the sky.

Or if you conceal, the Quran whose intricacies

أو تكتُمُوا فالقرانُ مشكِلُهُ

أو تكتُمُوا فالقرانُ مشكِلُهُ

بفضلِهِمْ ناطقٌ وواضِحُهْ

بفضلِهِمْ ناطقٌ وواضِحُهْ

Or if you conceal it, the Quran's obscure passages

Declare their virtues clearly

proclaim their merit, as do its clear ones.

No glory shone from their graves

ما أَشْرَقَ المَجْدُ من قبورِهِمْ

ما أَشْرَقَ المَجْدُ من قبورِهِمْ

إلا وسُكَّانُها مصابِحُهْ

إلا وسُكَّانُها مصابِحُهْ

Glory never shines from their graves

Except its dwellers are its lanterns

without their inhabitants being its lamps.

A people whom the sword of their father

قومٌ أبَى حدُّ سيفِ والدِهِمْ

قومٌ أبَى حدُّ سيفِ والدِهِمْ

للدينِ أو يستَقِيْمُ جامِحُهْ

للدينِ أو يستَقِيْمُ جامِحُهْ

A people whose father's sword-edge would not rest

Refused to straighten the religion or silence its dissenter

for the faith until its unruly ones were set straight.

He who the Prophet felt tranquility with

وهو الذي استأنسَ النبيُّ بِهِ

وهو الذي استأنسَ النبيُّ بِهِ

والدينُ مذعورَةٌ مسارِحُهْ

والدينُ مذعورَةٌ مسارِحُهْ

He is the one in whom the Prophet found comfort,

While the religion panicked terrified are its shelters

while the faith's pastures were terror-stricken.

They fought him and he is their supporter

حاربَهُ القومُ وهو ناصِرُهُ

حاربَهُ القومُ وهو ناصِرُهُ

قِدْماً وغَشُّوه وهْوَناصحُهْ

قِدْماً وغَشُّوه وهْوَناصحُهْ

The people fought him, though he was their supporter

Before and they betrayed him while he advised them

from of old, and deceived him, though he was their well-wisher.

So how many of them did the swords spill blood

فكم كَسَا منهُمُ السُّيُوفَ دَماً

فكم كَسَا منهُمُ السُّيُوفَ دَماً

يَوْمَ جِلادٍ يطيحُ طائِحُهْ

يَوْمَ جِلادٍ يطيحُ طائِحُهْ

How often he clothed swords with their blood

On a day of fighting when its fierce one charges

on a day of combat, when its victims fell dead.

The people did not pardon when they were able

ماصفَحَ القومُ عندما قَدَرُوا

ماصفَحَ القومُ عندما قَدَرُوا

لما جَنَتْ فيهِمُ صفائحُهْ

لما جَنَتْ فيهِمُ صفائحُهْ

The people showed no pardon when they gained power,

To commit against them their atrocities

for what his sword-blades had wrought among them.

But rather stubbornness they granted him and exerted effort

بل منحوهُ العنادَ واجتهدوا

بل منحوهُ العنادَ واجتهدوا

أن يمنعُوهُ ما اللَّهُ مانِحُهْ

أن يمنعُوهُ ما اللَّهُ مانِحُهْ

Instead they offered him defiance, and strove

To prevent what Allah grants him

to deny him what God was granting him.

They were volatile in harming him

كانوا خِفَاقاً إلى أذّيتِهِ

كانوا خِفَاقاً إلى أذّيتِهِ

وهو ثقيلُ الوقارِ راجِحُهْ

وهو ثقيلُ الوقارِ راجِحُهْ

They were quick to harm him,

While he is dignified and weighty

while he was heavy with dignity, weighty in it.

An ocean of knowledge, so if the knowledge rages

بحرُ علومٍ إذا العلومُ طَمَتْ

بحرُ علومٍ إذا العلومُ طَمَتْ

فهز تَيّارَها ضحاضِحُهْ

فهز تَيّارَها ضحاضِحُهْ

An ocean of knowledge: when the sciences surged,

Its currents stir its depths

even his shallows shook their current.

And if they flow in chastity, their immorality disgraced them

وإن جَرَوُا في العفافِ بَذَّهُمُ

وإن جَرَوُا في العفافِ بَذَّهُمُ

بالسَّبْقِ عودَ الجَرَاءِ قارِحُهْ

بالسَّبْقِ عودَ الجَرَاءِ قارِحُهْ

And if they raced in chastity, he outstripped them,

Breaking the virginity of the chaste with deflowerer

his full-grown steed taking the lead over the veteran racer.

He prevented the eye from their wreckage

قد منع الطَّرْفَ عن حُطَامِهِمْ

قد منع الطَّرْفَ عن حُطَامِهِمْ

وهو إلى الصالحَاتِ طامِحُهْ

وهو إلى الصالحَاتِ طامِحُهْ

He kept his gaze from their worldly chaff,

While he aspires to righteous deeds

lifting it instead toward righteous deeds.

O family whose love clarifies

ياعترةً حبُّهمْ يبينُ بِهِ

ياعترةً حبُّهمْ يبينُ بِهِ

صالِحُ هذا الوَرَى وطالِحُهْ

صالِحُ هذا الوَرَى وطالِحُهْ

O kindred, love for whom reveals

The righteous of this world and its corrupt

the good and the bad among all humankind.

The lock of evil you are O children of Ahmed

مغالِقُ الشَرِّ أنتُمُ يابَني

مغالِقُ الشَرِّ أنتُمُ يابَني

أحمدَ إِذْ غيركُمْ مفاتِحُهْ

أحمدَ إِذْ غيركُمْ مفاتِحُهْ

You are the locks against evil, O sons

When others are its keys

of Ahmad, while others are its keys.

You are blessed, so if your mention passes by

طِبْتُمْ فإن مرَّ ذِكْرِكُمْ عَرَضاً

طِبْتُمْ فإن مرَّ ذِكْرِكُمْ عَرَضاً

فَاحَ بِمِسْكِ الجِنَانِ فائِحُهْ

فَاحَ بِمِسْكِ الجِنَانِ فائِحُهْ

You are pure; if mention of you passes by chance,

The fragrance of gardens emanates from its breeze

its fragrance wafts with the musk of Paradise's gardens.

I conceal my sorrow in your love

أُكَاتِمُ الحُزْنَ في محبَّتِكُمْ

أُكَاتِمُ الحُزْنَ في محبَّتِكُمْ

والحُزْنُ يَعْيَا بِهِ مَكَاوِحُهْ

والحُزْنُ يَعْيَا بِهِ مَكَاوِحُهْ

I conceal my grief in loving you,

Though it wearies with it its tossing and turning

but grief exhausts whoever wrestles with it.

Nothing but tears and sorrow for what

ليس سِوَى الدَّمْعِ والإناءُ بِمَا

ليس سِوَى الدَّمْعِ والإناءُ بِمَا

يكونُ فِيْهِ لابُدّ راشِحُهْ

يكونُ فِيْهِ لابُدّ راشِحُهْ

There is nothing but tears; a vessel, with whatever

Will be in it its brim inevitably overflowing

it holds within, must inevitably seep.

So the eyelids will be harmed though

فَسَوْفَ تغرَى به الجفُون وإن

فَسَوْفَ تغرَى به الجفُون وإن

أضَر بالناظِرَيْنِ سافِحُهْ

أضَر بالناظِرَيْنِ سافِحُهْ

So the eyelids will cling to tears, even if

Its flow harms the two eyes

shedding them harms both eyes.

If I was in the time of Dibel my praises in you

لو كُنْتُ في عصْرِ دِعْبِلٍ عَبَدَتْ

لو كُنْتُ في عصْرِ دِعْبِلٍ عَبَدَتْ

مدائحي فيكُمُ مدائِحُهْ

مدائحي فيكُمُ مدائِحُهْ

Had I lived in Di'bil's age, homage would have been paid

Would be praise while his are its praises

to my praises of you by his praises.