شَجاكَ الحَيُّ إِذ بانوا

فَدَمعُ العَينِ تَهتانُ

The living one has pained you when they left,

So the tears of the eyes flow confused.

وَفيهِم أَلعَسٌ أَغيَ

دُ ساجي الطَرفِ وَسنانُ

Among them a doe-eyed gazelle,

Of smooth cheeks and shining teeth.

وَلَم أَنسَ وَقَد زُمَّت

لَوَشكِ البَينِ أَظعانُ

I cannot forget though the separation is long,

The pangs of parting are severe.

وَقَد أَنهَبَني فاهُ

وَوَلّى وَهوَ عَجلانُ

His mouth has plundered me,

And he turned away hastening.

فَقُل في مَكرَعٍ عَذبٍ

وَقَد وافاهُ عَطشانُ

Say in a sweet meadow,

Where a thirsty one meets it.

وَضَمٍّ لَم تُحَسِّنُهُ

لَهُ في الريحِ أَغصانُ

And a hug that is not made good,

By the branches for him in the wind.

كَما ضَمَّ غَريقٌ سا

بِحاً وَالماءُ طَوفانُ

As a drowning clings to driftwood,

While the water is a deluge.

وَما خِفنا مِنَ الناسِ

وَهَل في الناسِ إِنسانُ

We did not fear people,

Is there really a human among people?

جَزَينا الأُمَويِّينَ

وَدِنّاهُم كَما دانوا

We repaid the Umayyads,

We made them as low as they made us.

وَذاقوا ثَمَرَ البَغيّ

وَخُنّاهُم كَما خانوا

And they tasted the fruit of tyranny,

And we betrayed them as they betrayed us.

وَلِلخَيرِ وَلِلشَرِّ

بِكَفِّ اللَهِ ميزانُ

For good and for evil,

In God's grasp is the scale.

وَلَولا نَحنُ قَد ضاعَ

دَمٌ بِالطَفَّ مَجّانُ

If not for us blood would be shed,

Uselessly and freely.

فَيا مَن عِندَهُ القَبرُ

وَطينُ القَبرِ قُربانُ

So O you for whom the grave,

And clay of the grave is an offering.

بِأَسيافٍ لَكُم أَودى

حُسَينٌ وَهوَ ظَمآنُ

With swords for you Hussain fell,

Thirsty he was.

يُرى في وَجهِهِ الجَهمِ

لِوَجهِ المَوتِ أَلوانُ

In his frown of despair,

Are the colors of death's face.

وَدَأبُ العَلَويِّينَ

لَهُم جَحدٌ وَكُفرانُ

And the wont of Alawites,

Is their ingratitude and unbelief.

فَهَلّا كانَ إِمساكٌ

إِذا لَم يَكُ إِحسانُ

Why then withholding,

When there is no benevolence?

يَلومونَهُمُ ظُلماً

فَهَلّا مِثلَهُم كانوا

They falsely blame them,

Why were they not like them?