أَحَقُّ ما كانَ مِن قَلبي تَباريحُ
فَليُهنئ العَينَ إَنَّ الدَمعَ مَسفوحُ
The truest feeling from my heart dispersed -
Let the eyes rejoice, for tears are shed.
تَأَلَّقَ البَرقُ غَورِياً فَسَحَّ لَهُ
سُحبٌ مِنَ الدَمعِ لَمّا هَبَّتِ الريحُ
Lightning flashed awesomely, so clouds
Of tears blew when the wind gusts.
يا أَيها البَرقُ إِنّي عَنكَ في شُغُلٍ
دونَ المَزارِ فَيافٍ بَينَنا فيحُ
O lightning! I’m busy away from you
Among the tombs, so keep your distance!
تَخدي النَجائِبُ حَولاً في نَفائِفِها
لا يَأتيهِنَّ إِعياءٌ وَتَطليحُ
The mournful camels circle in their howdahs -
No weariness visits them, continuously circling.
وَكَيفَ بِالسَيرِ في جَرداءَ بَلقَعَةٍ
أَقرى مَراتِعَها القَيصومُ وَالشيحُ
How to walk in the barren, arid desert -
Its herbage is wormwood and artemisia.
وَسَوفَ أَجشَمُ نَفسي سَيرَ تِلكَ إِلى
بَيتٍ أَطافَ بِهِ في فُلكِهِ نوحُ
I will force my soul to walk that road
To a house around which Noah’s ark revolved.
قَبرٌ بِيَثرِبَ هَمّي لَو ظَفَرتُ بِهِ
وَمَقصِدٌ بِجِبالِ الطَفِّ مَطروحُ
A grave in Yathrib is my worry - if I could reach it
And a goal in Al-Taff’s mountains is my intent.
مَن كانَ في جَفنِهِ دَمعٌ يَضِنُّ بِهِ
فَإِنَّ دَمعي لِأَهلِ البَيتِ مَمنوحُ
Whoever has tears he cherishes
My tears for the Prophet’s family are granted.
آلَ النَبِيِّ لَقَد سُقيتُم عَلَلا
كَأسَ المَنايا فَمَغبوقٌ وَمَصبوحُ
Family of the Prophet - you were given
A cup of death to drink, unlucky and poisoned.
صَلّى الإِلَهُ عَلى أَشلاءِ مُنجَدِلٍ
بِكَربَلاءَ يُحَيّي رَوحَهُ الروحُ
May God bless the martyr of Karbala’s limbs -
The Spirit revives his soul with breath.
أَوفى عَلى مَعرَكِ الأَبطالِ مُحتَسِباً
لَيثُ شِعاراهُ تَهليلٌ وَتَسبيحُ
He died in the arena of heroes, seeking reward -
A Hashimite lion, glorifying and praising God.
يا فارِساً هاشِمِيّاً ما أَضَرَّ بِهِ
تَثاقُلُ القَومِ إِذ ناداهُمُ روحوا
O Hashimite horseman - it did not harm him
When the people were heavy to carry as he called them:
طاروا وَأَثبَتَ في الهَيجاءِ أَخمَصَهُ
صَبراً وَكانَ لَهُ عَنها مَناديحُ
“March on!” But he kept his footing in the fray
With patience - and protection from it he gained.
حَتّى تَوى الفارِسُ الحَجّاجُ يَتبَعُهُ
مِن هاشِمِ الخَيرِ فُرسانٌ جَحاجيحُ
Until the valiant, intrepid horseman followed them -
A group of the best Hashimites pursued.
لَم يَتَّقوا الضَربَ بِالأَكتافِ إِذ صُرِعوا
بَل النَجيعُ عَلى اللَبابِ مَنضوحُ
They did not fear the blows upon their shoulders when they fell,
But their pooled blood poured upon the sand.
تَندى الوُجوهُ نَجيعاً وَهيَ مُشرِقَةٌ
كَأَنَّها في دُجى الهَيجا مَصابيحُ
All their faces beamed radiantly
As if, in the gloom of the battle, they were lamps.
لَو كُنتُ شاهِدَ يَومِ الرَوعِ قُلتُ لَهُ
لَشائِحُ القَومِ جَلدٌ دونَهُم شيحُ
If I had witnessed the day of horror, I would have said:
Their foes are but skin, beneath it only bone!
وَلا اِختَضَبتُ أَمامَ الصَفِّ مِن جَسَدِ
جوداً بِنَفسي وَبَعضُ الجودِ مَربوحُ
I would not have hesitated, in front of the ranks,
To sacrifice myself - and some sacrifice brings joy.
ضَلَّت حُلومُ أُناسٍ كَيفَ لَم يَردوا
نارَ الكِفاحِ وَزَندُ الحَربِ مَقدوحُ
The minds of some people went astray - why did they not resist
The fires of struggle, when war's fuel is lit?
أُمَّ الحُسَينِ بِهِم عَدناً فَلَم يَلجوا
بابَ الحَنانِ عَياناً وَهوَ مَفتوحُ
Mother of Al-Husayn - they found refuge with her, but entered not
The door of affection though it stood open.
أَمّا اِبنُ حَربٍ فَدَع حَرباً وَأُسرَتُهُ
تِلكَ الجُسومُ لَوَ اَنَّ العِرضَ مَمدوحُ
But abandon war, O son of Harb, and his family -
Those bodies: if only chastity were praised!
طافوا بِرَأسِ اِبنِ خَيرَ الناسِ كُلِّهِمُ
بِئسَ الطَوافِ وَنِعمَ الرَأسِ وَالروحُ
They circled the head of the best man of all people -
Evil circling! Excellent head and soul!
وَلَستُ أَبسُطُ قَولاً في دَعِيِّهِمُ
كُلُّ الدَعيّينَ مَلعونٌ وَمَقبحُ
I do not prolong my words vilifying them -
Every reviler is accursed and despicable.
يا عَينُ جودي عَلى قَتلِ الحُسَينِ دَماً
وَأَبكي جَهاراً فَإِنَّ الوَجدَ تَصريحُ
O my eyes, weep copious tears for Al-Husayn's murder,
And weep openly, for crying alleviates.
وَيا لِساني عاوِد مَدحَهُ أَبَداً
وَإِنَّ أَيسَرَ ما فيهِ الأَماديحُ
O my tongue, keep praising him forever,
For the easiest thing about him is eulogies.
