ما بَينَ دَمعي المُسبَلِ
عَهدٌ وَبَينَ ثَرى عَلي
Between my falling tears and Ali's shrine,
Lies the covenant in Baqee's confine.
عَهدُ البَقيعِ وَساكِني
هِ عَلى الحَيا المُتَهَدِّلِ
The tears are solace for distressed soul,
And comfort for the anguished and dole.
وَالدَمعُ مِروَحَةُ الحَزي
نِ وَراحَةُ المُتَمَلمِلِ
We pass away, while others will remain,
Joining the gone in their fair domain.
نَمضي وَيَلحَقُ مَن سُلا
في الغابِرينَ بِمَن سُلي
So much earthly dust with blood imbued,
Upon the days poured out and strewed.
كَم مِن تُرابٍ بِالدُمو
عِ عَلى الزَمانِ مُبَلَّلِ
Like a grave unfilled with bone stark white,
And remnants of what once saw life's light.
كَالقَبرِ ما لَم يَبلَ في
هِ مِنَ العِظامِ وَما بَلي
Two meadows of glory that honour drew,
Now shelter but stars when day is through.
رَيّانُ مِن مَجدٍ يَعِز
زُ عَلى القُصورِ مُوَثَّلِ
Their talk is musk's fragrance in the throngs,
And perfume 'mid gathering's press and songs.
أَمسَت جَوانِبُهُ قَرا
راً لِلنُجومِ الأُفَّلِ
Say to Death: "You've let down with tears drawn,
The Patience' veil, though with care worn."
وَحَديثُهُم مِسكُ النَدِي
يِ وَعَنبَرٌ في المَحفِلِ
Events descend on the days' flow and tide,
As though they'd never come and subside.
قُل لِلنَعيِّ هَتَكتَ دَم
عَ الصابِرِ المُتَجَمِّلِ
With Abul Fadl's leaving, grief laden,
I bear what I'd never borne unbidden.
المُلتَقي الأَحداثَ إِن
نَزَلَت كَأَن لَم تَنزِلِ
Till I'm dazed - and who tastes the loss of most dear,
Will find himself in a daze most drear!
حَمَلَ الأَسى بِأَبي الفُتو
حِ عَلَيَّ ما لَم أَحمِلِ
So I blame Fate in Fate's judgment hall,
For the decree made in Fate's call.
حَتّى ذَهِلتُ وَمَن يَذُق
فَقدَ الأَحِبَّةِ يَذهَلِ
I yearn for that youth and time ahead,
And for friends when friendship has sped.
فَعَتِبتُ في رُكنِ القَضا
ءِ عَلى القَضاءِ المُنزَلِ
I yearn for features like the full moon gleaming,
'Twixt the splendor of youth and brooklets streaming.
لَهَفي عَلى ذاكَ الشَبا
بِ وَذاكَ المُستَقبَلِ
And the modesty of a face inclined,
To Jesus' way and message kind.
وَعَلى المَعارِفِ إِذ خَلَت
مِن رُكنِها وَالمَوئِلِ
O you who 'neath the palm trees rest,
Free of sorrow and woes suppressed!
وَعَلى شَمائِلَ كَالرُبى
بَينَ الصَبا وَالجَدوَلِ
You robed in Minister's robes stately,
Lie now garbed differently, sensibly.
وَحَياءِ وَجهٍ يُؤ
ثَرُ عَن يَسوعَ المُرسَلِ
And you who on sand as your deathbed lie,
After life's长quest built up high.
يا راوِياً تَحتَ الصَفي
حِ مِنَ الكَرى وَالجَندَلِ
My thoughts turn to the faded youth,
In his bloom pictured, in truth.
وَمُسَربَلاً حُلَلَ الوِزا
رَةِ باتَ غَيرَ مُسَربَلِ
And I pause torn between the real and myth,
Seeing time hastily by me flit.
وَمُوَسَّداً حُفَرَ الثَرى
بَعدَ البِناءِ الأَطوَلِ
Days rushed ahead - would they had not sped!
Destined for us at the pool to be led.
إِنّي اِلتَفَتُّ إِلى الشَبا
بِ الغابِرِ المُتَمَثِّلِ
They vanished like dreams, with no cryptic key,
While dreams harbor some mystery.
وَوَقَفتُ ما بَينَ المُحَق
قَقِ فيهِ وَالمُتَخَيَّلِ
Our youth's shade generous by our side,
Spreads, not with the years of eventide.
فَرَأَيتُ أَيّاماً عَجِل
نَ وَلَيتَها لَم تَعجَلِ
We were neighbors in campus lodgings placed,
Each at his window the other faced.
كانَت مُوَطَّأَةَ المِها
دِ لَنا عِذابَ المَنهَلِ
Studying there with scholars mature,
And students excelling seeking their cure.
ذَهَبَت كَحُلمٍ بَيدَ أَن
نَ الحُلمَ لَم يَتَأَوَّلِ
Days sacrificing at knowledge fane
As never sacrificed before or again.
إِذ نَحنُ في ظِلِّ الشَبا
بِ الوارِفِ المُتَهَدِلِ
While youth remains ignored - how so,
When you from youth's pursuits didn't go?
جارانِ في دارِ النَوى
مُتَقابِلانِ بِمَنزِلِ
Had you but known life's total span,
You'd have done what no other man.
أَيكي وَأَيكُكَ ضاحِكا
نِ عَلى خَمائِلِ مونبِلي
None knows what the days hide away,
Except Allah planning our way.
وَالدَرسُ يَجمَعُني بِأَف
ضَلِ طالِبٍ وَمُحَصِّلِ
We wander through straits of the unknown and familiar,
Till we change while the covenant stays as it were.
أَيّامَ تَبذُلُ في سَبي
لِ العِلمِ ما لَم يُبذَلِ
Those days of youth so generous, so kind!
Whose shade enriched those left behind.
غَضَّ الشَبابُ فَكَيفَ كُن
تَ عَنِ الشَبابِ بِمَعزِلِ
Who e'er missed youth's shade, unfurled,
Has lived in life bare and world.
وَإِذا دَعاكَ إِلى الهَوى
داعي الصِبا لَم تَحفِلِ
O you who left and your bounty remained,
Bearing the hopes you self-contained!
وَلَوِ اِطَّلَعتَ عَلى الحَيا
ةِ فَعَلتَ ما لَم يُفعَلِ
The throngs of youth walked canopy topped,
Weeping for the canopy lopped.
لَم يَدرِ إِلّا اللَهُ ما
خَبَّأَت لَكَ الدُنيا وَلي
So see if your bier flowed with tears' measure,
When farewell bade youth's treasure.
تَجري بِنا لِمُفَتَّحٍ
بَينَ الغُيوبِ وَمُقفَلِ
God - and a nation frail, weak.
While you had a father bent, bleak.
حَتّى تَبَدَّلنا وَذا
كَ العَهدُ لَم يَتَبَدَّلِ
He gives up the homesteads rich;
But to whom returns their cache?
هاتيكَ أَيّامُ الشَبا
بِ المُحسِنِ المُتَفَضِّلِ
Not rich is he who is without woe
And worry is spared to know.
مَن فاتَهُ ظِلُّ الشَبي
بَةِ عاشَ غَيرَ مُظَلَّلِ
A noble lady 'mid tribes resting,
Her worries unsettling, distressing.
يا راحِلاً أَخلى الدِيا
رَ وَفَضلُهُ لَم يَرحَلِ
The sheltered plunge in her dwell,
While the audacious in her cell.
تَتَحَمَّلُ الآمالُ إِث
رَ شَبابِهِ المُتَحَمِّلِ
Breaking the comfortable's wings in injustice,
Wounding the pampered's spirit in prejudice.
مَشَتِ الشَبيبَةُ جَحفَلاً
تَبكي لِواءَ الجَحفَلِ
As if your house is with anguish rife,
Of Mutamm and Murammal in life. [1]
فَاِنظُر سَريرَكَ هَل جَرى
فَوقَ الدُموعِ الهُطَّلِ
Hussein's house in Karbala,
Where worries can't be put far.
اللَهُ في وَطَنٍ ضَعي
فِ الرُكنِ واهي المَعقِلِ
You doffed youth to aid the troubled,
And sacrificed it with woes redoubled.
وَأَبٍ وَراءَكَ حُزنُهُ
لِنَواكَ حُزنُ المُثكَلِ
The sword, a kinder killer
Than the illness worse and fuller.
يَهَبُ الضِياعَ العامِرا
تِ لِمَن يَرُدُّ لَهُ عَلي
So go as Hussein went to better place,
To God's bounty and beneficent grace.
لَيسَ الغَنِيُّ مِنَ البَرِيَّ
ةِ غَيرَ ذي البالِ الخَلي
For you both are youth's adornment,
In gardens of God's contentment.
وَنَجيبَةٍ بَينَ العَقا
ئِلِ هَمُّها لا يَنسَلي
[1] Names signifying suffering and anguish
دَخَلَت مَنازِلَها المَنو
نُ عَلى الجَريءِ المُشبِلِ
كَسَرَت جَناحَ مُنَعَّمٍ
وَرَمَت فُوادَ مُدَلَّلِ
فَكَأَنَّ آلَكَ مِن شَجٍ
وَمُتَيَّمٍ وَمُرَمَّلِ
آلُ الحُسَينِ بِكَربُلا
في كُربَةٍ لا تَنجَلي
خَلَعَ الشَبابَ عَلى القَنا
وَبَذَلتَهُ لِلمُعضِلِ
وَالسَيفُ أَرحَمُ قاتِلاً
مِن عِلَّةٍ في مَقتَلِ
فَاِذهَب كَما ذَهَبَ الحُسَي
نُ إِلى الجِوارِ الأَفضَلِ
فَكِلاكُما زَينُ الشَبا
بِ بِجَنَّةِ اللَهِ العَلي
