أَرِقتُ لِلَمعِ بَرقٍ حاجِرِيٍّ
تَأَلَّقَ كَاليَماني المُشرَفِيِّ
I stayed awake longing for the shining lightning,
Gleaming like Yemeni silk embroidered with silver.
أَضاءَ لَنا الأَجارِعَ مُسبَطِرّاً
وَعادَ سَناهُ كَالبيضِ الخفي
It illuminated the dark nights for us, spreading its glow,
Its brilliance returning like hidden white eggs.
كَأَنَّ وَميضَهُ لَمعُ الثَنايا
إِذا اِبتَسَمَت وَإِشراقُ الحَلِيِّ
Its flashes were like the radiance of smiling cheeks
When the jeweled ornaments shine with delight.
فَأَذكَرَني وُجوهَ الغيدِ بيضاً
سَوالِفُها وَلَم أَكُ بِالنَسِيِّ
It reminded me of the bright faces of beautiful maidens
Whose amorous tales I cannot forget.
وَعَصرَ خَلاعَةٍ أَحمَدتُ فيهِ ال
شَبابَ وَصِحَّةَ العَهدِ الرَخِيِّ
It recalled a wonderful time of youth and health
When my covenant with Layla was still true.
وَلَيلى بَعدُ ما مَطَلَت دُيوني
وَلا حالَت عَنِ العَهدِ الوَفِيِّ
Though later she broke her promise and abandoned
Our faithful pact.
مُنَعَّمَةٌ شقيتُ بِها وَلَولا ال
هَوى ما كُنتُ ذا بالٍ شَقِيِّ
I was troubled by her, and had it not been for passion,
I would not have been so distressed.
تَزيدُ القَلبَ بَلبالاً وَوَجداً
إِذا نَظَرَت بِطَرفٍ بابِليِّ
When she glanced with her Babylonian eyes,
She increased restlessness and longing in my heart.
أَتيهُ صَبابَةً وَتَتيهُ حُسناً
فَوَيلٌ لِلشَجِيِّ مِنَ الخَلِيِّ
She came to me full of charm and beauty—
Woe to the ardent lover burned by his desire!
إِذا اِستَشفَيتُها وَجدي رَمَتني
بِداءٍ مِن لَواحِظِها دَوِيِّ
When I sought healing from her, her glance
Infected me with an incurable sickness.
وَلَولا حُبُّها لَم يُصبِ قَلبي
سَنا بَرقٍ تَأَلَّقَ في حَبِيِّ
Had it not been for my love of her, no lightning
Would have struck and flashed so brightly in my love.
أَجابَ وَقَد دَعاني الشوقُ دَمعي
وَقِدَماً كُنتُ ذا دَمعٍ عَيِيِّ
My tears answered when longing called me,
Though once I was not given to tears.
وَقَفتُ عَلى الدِيارِ فَما أَصاخَت
مَعالِمُها لِمُحتَرِقٍ بَكِيِّ
I stood at the ruins and the landmarks did not speak
To one so inflamed, so weeping.
أُرَوي تُربَها الصادي كَأَنّي
نَزَحتُ الدَمعَ فيها مِن رَكِيِّ
I watered its barren soil as though
I spilled tears from my eyes onto it.
وَلَو أَكرَمتِ دَمعَكِ يا شُؤوني
بَكَيتِ عَلى الإِمامِ الفاطِمِيِّ
If you had honored your tears, O my sorrow,
You would have wept for the Fatimid Imam—
عَلى المَقتولِ ظَمآنا فَجودي
عَلى الظمآنِ بِالجَفنِ الرَويِّ
For the martyred, slain thirstily, so generous
To the thirsty with his weeping eyes.
عَلى نَجمِ الهُدى الساري وَنَجمِ ال
عُلومِ وَذُروَةِ الشَرَفِ العَلِيِّ
For the shining star of guidance and star of knowledge,
The peak of glorious nobility.
عَلى الحامي بِأَطرافِ العَوالي
حِمى الإِسلامِ وَالبَطَلِ الكَمِيِّ
For the defender of the heights of Islam,
Hero of the sword and open-handed knight.
عَلى الباعِ الرَحيبِ إِذا أَلَمَّت
بِهِ الأَزماتُ وَالكَفِّ السَخِيِّ
For the vast sea—when disasters and sorrows
Afflicted him—of generosity and bounty.
عَلى أَندى الأَنامِ يَداً وَوَجهاً
وَأَرجَحِهِمِ وَقاراً في النَدِيِّ
For the most noble and blessed of mankind
In face, hand, and honor in rivalry.
وَخَيرِ العامَلينَ أَبا وَأَمّا
وَأَطهَرِهِم ثَرى عِرقٍ زَكيِّ
For the best of all who worked in life—
His father and mother—and the purest being.
لَئِن دَفَعوهُ ظُلماً عَن حُقوقِ ال
خِلافَةِ بِالوَشيجِ السَمهَرِيِّ
Though by force and fraud with sharpened swords
They drove him from the rights of the caliphate,
فَما دَفَعوهُ عَن حَسَبٍ كَريمٍ
وَلا ذادوهُ عَن خُلقٍ رَضِيِّ
They did not push him from his noble lineage
Nor his agreeable character and virtue.
لَقَدَ قَصَموا عُرى الإِسلامِ عَوداً
وَبَدأً في الحُسَينِ وَفي عِلِّيِ
Truly they broke the bonds of Islam by their crime
Beginning with Hussein and his father Ali.
وَيَومُ الطَفِّ قامَ لِيَومِ بَدرٍ
بِأَخذِ الثَأرِ مِن آلِ النَبيِّ
The day of Karbala matched the day of Badr
By taking vengeance on the Prophet’s kin.
فَثَنَّوا بِالإِمامِ أَما كَفاهُم
ضَلالاً ما جَنَوهُ عَلى الوَصِيِّ
With the Imam they went astray, though he was not
As misguided as they toward the Trustee of God.
رَمَوهُ عَن قُلوبٍ قاسِياتٍ
بِأَطرافِ الأَسِنّةِ وَالقِسِيِّ
They cast him out of hard, cruel hearts
With the tips of sharp tongues and swords.
وَأَسرى مُقدِماً عَمرو بنُ سَعدٍ
إِلَيهِ بِكُلِّ شَيطانٍ غَوِيِّ
They surrounded him with animosity
And attacked him from all sides with crookedness.
يَبيعونَ الدِماءَ عَلى اِنتِهاكِ ال
مَحارِمِ جِدَّ مِقدامٍ جَرِيِّ
With every polished Indian scimitar and spear,
Sirjani armor and Saburi shields.
أَتاهُ بِمُحنَقينَ تَجيشُ غَيظاً
صُدورُهُم وَجَيشٍ كَالأُتيِّ
They rushed in haste with their swords
Upon the innocent, the son of the innocent.
أَطافوا مُحدِقينَ بِهِ وَعاجوا
عَلَيهِ بِكُلِّ طِرفٍ أَعوَجي
Faces of fire frowned down
Upon the radiant, crescent-moon-like face.
بِكُلِّ مُثَقَّفٍ لَدنٍ وَعَضبٍ
سُرَيجِيٍّ وَدِرعٍ سابُريِّ
What an Imam they drowned in blood
With canes of rosewood and ebony!
فَأَنحوا بِالصَوارِمِ مُسرِعاتٍ
عَلى البَرِّ النَقِيِّ اِبنِ النَقِيِّ
The earth wept in reverence and sorrow
For his death, and even the poisonous beasts.
وُجوهُ النارِ مُظلِمَةً أَكَبَّت
عَلى الوَجهِ الهِلالي الوَضِيِّ
The tents were left undefended, with none
To battle for them, no guardian, no protector.
فَيالَكَ مِن إِمامٍ ضَرَّجوهُ
مِنَ القاني بِخِرصانِ القُنِيِّ
The tyrants had no pity for the helpless girl
Nor the infant son.
بَكَتهُ الأَرضُ إِجلالاً وَحُزناً
لِمَصرَعِهِ وَأَملاكُ السُمِيِّ
They showed no mercy to the frightened,
Nor quenched the thirsty with pure water.
وَغودِرَتِ الخِيامُ بِغَيرِ حامٍ
يُناضِلُ دونَهُنَّ وَلا وَليِّ
They felt no shame to spare a chaste woman's honor,
No nobility or gallantry.
فَما عَطَفَ البُغاةُ عَلى الفَتاةِ ال
حَصانِ وَلا عَلى الطِفلِ الصَبِيِّ
By force and oppression they drove the people of truth
To the dirty pool.
وَلا بَذَلوا لِخائِفَةٍ أَماناً
وَلا سَمُحوا لِظَمآنٍ بِرِيِّ
Spear points pushed them away like shepherds’ sticks
Driving cattle from the watering place.
وَلا سَفَروا لِثاماً عَن حَياءٍ
وَلا كَرَمٍ وَلا أَنفٍ حَمِيِّ
The noble ones of Quraysh were taken captive,
Paraded on camelback.
وَساقوا ذَودَ أَهلِ الحَقِّ ظُلماً
وَعُدواناً إِلى الوِردِ الوَبِيِّ
Oh what sorrow when the Prophet heard
The news of his family’s doom!
تَذودُهُمُ الرِماحُ كَما تُذادُ ال
رِكابِ عَنِ المَوارِدِ بِالعَصِيِّ
Though had he wished for life he would have survived,
As al-Mudarraj survived his fatal wounds.
وَساروا بِالكَرائِمِ مِن قُرَيشٍ
سَبايا فَوقَ أَكوارِ المَطِيِّ
But death in the whitest silks was more fitting
For one so righteous and devoted.
فَيا لِلَّهِ يَومَ نَعوهُ ماذا
وَعا سَمعُ الرَسولِ مِنَ النَعِيِّ
O bonds of those gone astray! How could you turn
From your straight path so perversely?
وَلَو رامَ الحَياةَ نَجا إِلَيها
بِعَزمَتِهِ نَجاءَ المَضرَحِيِّ
You left your pledge, made so recently,
Behind you, betraying the Prophet's covenant.
وَلَكِنَّ المَنِيَّةَ تَحتَ ظِلِّ ال
رِقاقِ البيضِ أَجدَرُ بِالأَبِيِّ
You hid your hypocrisy until you could pounce
Like a cunning wolf.
فَيا عُصَبَ الضَلالَةِ كَيفَ جُزتُم
عِناداً عَن صِراطِكُمُ السَوِيِّ
You revealed your grudges and returned
To the ancient, ignorant ways.
فَأَلقَيتُم وَعَهدُكُمُ قَريبٌ
وَراءَ ظُهورِكُم عَهدَ النَبِيِّ
Had it not been for your resentments, you would not
Have oppressed the Prophet’s kin for strangers.
وَأَخفَيتُم نِفاقَكُمُ إِلى أَن
وَثَبتُم وَثبَةَ الذِئبِ الضَرِيِّ
It is sorrow enough that you sanctioned the murder
Of Hussein for prizes of white silver.
وَأَبدَيتُم حُقودَكُمُ وَعُدتُم
إِلى الدينِ القَديمِ الجاهِلِيِّ
And you sold your religion for this fleeting world,
So worthless.
وَلَولا الضِغنُ ما مِلتُم عَلى ذي ال
قَرابَةِ لِلبَعيدِ الأَجنَبِيِّ
It will suffice tomorrow when his father is your adversary
To reveal the healthy from the sick.
كَفى حَزَناً ضَمانُكُمُ لِقَتلِ ال
حُسينِ جَوائِزَ الوَفرِ السَنِيِّ
You denied his party tyrannically even as you
More deserved of hellfire's roasting.
وَبَيعُكُمُ لِأُخراكُم سِفاهاً
بِمَنزورٍ مِنَ الدُنيا بَلِيِّ
You forbade water to him out of cruelty,
Though common people quenched their thirst.
وَحَسبُكُمُ غَداً بِأَبيهِ خَصماً
إِذا عُرِفَ السَقيمُ مِنَ البَرِيِّ
You watered your steeds but deprived him
Of pleasant draughts.
صَلَيتُمُ حِزبَهُ بَغياً وَأَنتُم
لِنارِ اللَهِ أَولى بِالصَلِيِّ
At Siffin you opposed his father, turning
From the clear truth.
وَحَرَّمتُم عَلَيهِ الماءَ لُؤماً
وَإِشفاقاً إِلى الخَلقِ الدَنِيِّ
You deceived your leader, committing
An outrageous and deceitful crime.
وَأَورَدتُم جِيادَكُمُ وَأَظمَي
تُموهُ شُربَكُم غَيرَ الهَنِيِّ
A leader who would dispense justice in all cases
And assist the weak against the mighty.
وَفي صِفّينَ عانَدتُم أَباهُ
وَأَعرَضتُم عَنِ الحَقِّ الجَليِّ
You denied the report of the returning sun,
And suppressed the story of al-Tuyi.
وَخادَعتُم إِمامَكُمُ خِداعاً
أَتَيتُم فيهِ بِالأَمرِ الفَرِيِّ
For your hatred of Ali you condemned him
To eternal torment in the pit of hell.
إِماماً كانَ يُنصِفُ في القَضايا
وَيَأخُذُ لِلضَعيفِ مِنَ القَوِيِّ
I will send my greetings of peace
To the Imams, and the choicest presents of my praise—
فَأَنكَرتُم حَديثَ الشَمسِ رُدَّت
لَهُ وَطَوَيتُمُ خَبَرَ الطَوِيِّ
Greetings that I will follow with supplication
At those tombs, beseeching the Guardians.
فَجوزيتُم لِبُغضِكُمُ عَلِيّاً
عَذابَ الخُلدِ في الدَرَكِ القَصِيِّ
And I will clothe the shoulders of time in verses
Like a flowing mantle of wisdom.
سَأُهدي لِلأَئِمَّةِ مِن سَلامي
وَغُرِّ مَدائِحي أَزكى هَدِيِّ
Out of goodwill, seeking only
To displease every hostile dissenter.
سَلاماً أُتبِعُ الوَسمِيَّ مِنهُ
عَلى تِلكَ المَشاهِدِ بِالوَلِيِّ
Whose perfume, when diffused, lingers
Like the scent of musk released by the wind.
وَأَكسو عاتِقِ الأَيّامِ مِنهُ
حَبائِرَ كَالرِداءِ العَبقَرِيِّ
Like the breath of the morning breeze flowing by night
Stirring the blossoms on the bough.
حِساناً لا أُريدُ بِهِنَّ إِلّا
مَساءَةَ كُلِّ باغٍ خارِجِيِّ
Greetings to Taybah, Bakka, and Karbala;
To Samarra, Fayd, and Gharra.
يَضيعُ لَها إِذا نُشِرَت أَريجٌ
كَنَشرِ لِطائِمِ المِسكِ الذَكِيِّ
To the land of Iraq and Tus,
Watered from a distant, holy place.
كَأَنفاسِ النَسيمِ سَرى بِلَيلٍ
يَهُزُّ ذَوائِبَ الوَردِ الجَنِيِّ
May God give life to one who visits those
White-domed tombs in virtuous devotion,
لِطَيبَةَ وَالبَقيعِ وَكِربَلاءٍ
وَسامَرّى وَفيدٍ وَالغَرِيِّ
Sending blessings toward them at dawn and dusk.
They are a treasure for the hereafter, by which one can know
وَزَوراءِ العِراقِ وَأَرضِ طوسٍ
سَقاها الغَيثُ مِن بَلَدٍ قَصِيِّ
The fortunate from the doomed.
Knowing them suffices me—I who will return
فَحَيّا اللَهُ مَن وارَتهُ تِلكَ ال
قِبابُ البيضُ مِن خَيرٍ نَقِيِّ
As their enemy in life, but their friend in death.
وَأَسبَلَ صَوبَ رَحمَتِهِ دِراكاً
عَليها بِالغُدُوِّ وَبِالعَشِيِّ
فَذُخري لِلمَعادِ وَلاءُ قَومٍ
بِهِم عُرِفَ السَعيدُ مِنَ الشَقِيِّ
كَفاني عِلمُهُم أَنّي مُعادٍ
عَدُوَّهُمُ مَوالٍ لِلوَلي
