أأُسقى نميرَ الماءِ ثمَّ يَلذُّ لي

أأُسقى نميرَ الماءِ ثمَّ يَلذُّ لي

ودورُكُمُ آلَ الرّسولِ خَلاءُ

ودورُكُمُ آلَ الرّسولِ خَلاءُ

Am I to be given wholesome water and then find it sweet,

Shall I water Nimr's camels, then delight in that,

while your homes, O family of the Messenger, lie empty,

While your abodes—O House of the Messenger—are desolate?

وَأَنتم كَما شاءَ الشَّتاتُ وَلَستُمُ

وَأَنتم كَما شاءَ الشَّتاتُ وَلَستُمُ

كَما شِئْتُمُ في عيشَةٍ وَأَشاءُ

كَما شِئْتُمُ في عيشَةٍ وَأَشاءُ

and you are as dispersal has willed, and not

You are as the decree of fate has scattered you, not

as you wished to live, and as I wish for you?

As I wished, settled in comfort and security.

تُذاودن عَن ماءِ الفُراتِ وكارعٌ

تُذاودن عَن ماءِ الفُراتِ وكارعٌ

بِهِ إِبلٌ لِلغادرين وشاءُ

بِهِ إِبلٌ لِلغادرين وشاءُ

You are driven from the Euphrates' water, yet drinking

At the Euphrates' water you are kept from drinking

from it are the traitors' camels and sheep.

While cattle owned by the traitors drink their fill.

تَنَشّر مِنكم في القواءِ معاشرٌ

تَنَشّر مِنكم في القواءِ معاشرٌ

كَأنّهُمُ لِلمُبصرينَ مُلاءُ

كَأنّهُمُ لِلمُبصرينَ مُلاءُ

Groups of you lie scattered in the wasteland,

Some of you live in misery, driven to beg

as though, to those who see them, they were sheets of cloth.

As though to the onlookers they are in luxury.

أَلا إِنَّ يَومَ الطفّ أَدمى مَحاجراً

أَلا إِنَّ يَومَ الطفّ أَدمى مَحاجراً

وأَدوى قُلوباً ما لَهُنَّ دواءُ

وأَدوى قُلوباً ما لَهُنَّ دواءُ

Indeed, the day of al-Taff made eye sockets bleed,

Truly the day of al-Taff wrung hearts with anguish

and sickened hearts for which there is no cure.

And seared hearts that have no remedy for their pain.

وَإِنّ مُصيباتِ الزمانِ كَثيرةٌ

وَإِنّ مُصيباتِ الزمانِ كَثيرةٌ

وَرُبّ مُصابٍ لَيسَ فيهِ عَزاءُ

وَرُبّ مُصابٍ لَيسَ فيهِ عَزاءُ

And the calamities of time are indeed many,

For the woes of the age are many indeed,

and many a calamity has no consolation.

And in many an affliction there is no comfort.

أَرى طَخْيةً فينا فَأَينَ صَباحُها

أَرى طَخْيةً فينا فَأَينَ صَباحُها

وَداءً عَلى داءٍ فأين شفاءُ

وَداءً عَلى داءٍ فأين شفاءُ

I see darkness among us—where is its dawn?

I see a humiliation among us—so where is its dawn?

And illness upon illness—where is a cure?

And ills piled on ills—so where is the cure?

وَبَينَ تَراقينا قُلوبٌ صَديئةٌ

وَبَينَ تَراقينا قُلوبٌ صَديئةٌ

يُرادُ لَها لَو أُعطيَتْهُ جلاءُ

يُرادُ لَها لَو أُعطيَتْهُ جلاءُ

And between our collarbones are rusted hearts,

Between us are estranged hearts that would be soothed

for which a polish is sought—if only it were granted them.

If only they were given respite and relief.

فَيا لائِماً في دَمعَتي أَو مفنّداً

فَيا لائِماً في دَمعَتي أَو مفنّداً

عَلى لَوعَتي وَاللوم منهُ عَناءُ

عَلى لَوعَتي وَاللوم منهُ عَناءُ

So, O reproacher of my tears, or faultfinder

So blame not my tears or denounce my agony,

over my anguish—whose reproach is vain toil—

For from you I have naught but yearning and weeping.

فَما لَكَ مِنّي اليومَ إلّا تَلهُّفٌ

فَما لَكَ مِنّي اليومَ إلّا تَلهُّفٌ

وَما لكَ إلّا زَفرةٌ وبكاءُ

وَما لكَ إلّا زَفرةٌ وبكاءُ

so today you shall have from me nothing but lamentation,

Is there any consolation for me, when the House of Muhammad

and nothing but a deep sigh and weeping.

Wander dispossessed, with none to give them shelter?

وَهَل ليَ سُلوانٌ وآلُ محمّدٍ

وَهَل ليَ سُلوانٌ وآلُ محمّدٍ

شَريدُهُمُ ما حان منه ثواءُ

شَريدُهُمُ ما حان منه ثواءُ

And can I find solace, while Muhammad's family—

From the meadows they are barred, their mounts denied access,

their exiled one has not yet had a chance to settle?

While others are left to graze, enjoying the herbage.

تُصَدُّ عنِ الرّوحاتِ أَيدي مَطِيِّهمْ

تُصَدُّ عنِ الرّوحاتِ أَيدي مَطِيِّهمْ

وَيُزوى عَطاءٌ دَونَهم وحِباءُ

وَيُزوى عَطاءٌ دَونَهم وحِباءُ

Their riding camels' forelegs are held back from evening journeys,

It is as if they were a people not of Muhammad's line

and gifts and bounty are withheld from them,

Or of his followers—nay, rather his foes!

كأنّهُمُ نسلٌ لغير محمّدٍ

كأنّهُمُ نسلٌ لغير محمّدٍ

وَمِن شعبهِ أَو حزبهِ بُعداءُ

وَمِن شعبهِ أَو حزبهِ بُعداءُ

as though they were the offspring of someone other than Muhammad,

O stars that guide by Allah's light though the ignorant

and far removed from his people or his party.

Are oblivious—the House of Muhammad is to Paradise

فَيا أَنجُماً يَهدي إِلى اللَّهِ نورُها

فَيا أَنجُماً يَهدي إِلى اللَّهِ نورُها

وَإِن حالَ عَنها بِالغبيّ غَباءُ

وَإِن حالَ عَنها بِالغبيّ غَباءُ

So, O stars whose light guides to God,

What their enemies are to Hellfire!

even if folly turns the fool away from them,

Let dawn upon your horizon and evening soothe

فَإِنْ يكُ قَومٌ وُصلةً لِجَهنّمٍ

فَإِنْ يكُ قَومٌ وُصلةً لِجَهنّمٍ

فَأَنتمْ إِلى خُلدِ الجنانِ رِشاءُ

فَأَنتمْ إِلى خُلدِ الجنانِ رِشاءُ

for if some people are a link to Hell,

My sorrowful heart that stirs again within me.

then you are a rope to the eternal gardens of Paradise.

These tears that pour from my eyes flow not from their rims

دَعوا قَلبِيَ المَحزونَ فيكم يهيجُهُ

دَعوا قَلبِيَ المَحزونَ فيكم يهيجُهُ

صَباحٌ عَلى أُخراكمُ ومساءُ

صَباحٌ عَلى أُخراكمُ ومساءُ

Leave my heart, grieving for you, to be stirred

But drip from my heart—so in truth they are blood.

by each morning and evening that comes upon the last of you.

Without you life is but misery and torment;

فَلَيسَ دُموعي مِن جُفوني وَإِنّما

فَلَيسَ دُموعي مِن جُفوني وَإِنّما

تَقاطَرْنَ مِن قَلبي فَهُنَّ دِماءُ

تَقاطَرْنَ مِن قَلبي فَهُنَّ دِماءُ

For my tears are not from my eyelids; rather,

No good is there in it. Survival would be extinction.

they have dripped from my heart, and so they are blood.

If you knew hardship in this world, then only

إِذا لَم تَكونوا فَالحياةُ مَنيّةٌ

إِذا لَم تَكونوا فَالحياةُ مَنيّةٌ

وَلا خَيرَ فيها وَالبقاءُ فناءُ

وَلا خَيرَ فيها وَالبقاءُ فناءُ

If you are not there, then life is death,

Would my joy be whole if you did not share the hardship.

and there is no good in it, and survival is annihilation.

May Allah curse a people who did not repay your kindness,

وَإمّا شَقيتمْ في الزمانِ فإنّما

وَإمّا شَقيتمْ في الزمانِ فإنّما

نَعيمي إِذا لَم تلبسوهُ شقاءُ

نَعيمي إِذا لَم تلبسوهُ شقاءُ

And if you suffer in this age, then surely

Though you were gracious and they did evil!

my bliss, if you do not wear it, is misery.

When disaster strikes they have no champion

لَحَا اللَّهُ قَوماً لَم يُجازوا جَميلكم

لَحَا اللَّهُ قَوماً لَم يُجازوا جَميلكم

لأنَّكُمُ أَحسنتُمُ وَأَساؤوا

لأنَّكُمُ أَحسنتُمُ وَأَساؤوا

May God curse a people who did not repay your kindness,

To rise and face the trial—no requital at all!

for you did good, while they did evil.

Allah watered high dunes that loom over you

وَلا اِنتاشهُم عندَ المكارِهِ مُنهضٌ

وَلا اِنتاشهُم عندَ المكارِهِ مُنهضٌ

ولا مَسّهم يَومَ البلاءِ جزاءُ

ولا مَسّهم يَومَ البلاءِ جزاءُ

And may no helper rescue them amid adversities,

And still pours down on them from rainclouds, abundant.

nor may any reward touch them on the day of affliction.

Toward them the clouds proceed and in their wake

سَقَى اللَّهُ أَجداثاً طُوين عَليكُمُ

سَقَى اللَّهُ أَجداثاً طُوين عَليكُمُ

وَلا زالَ مُنْهلاً بهنَّ رِواءُ

وَلا زالَ مُنْهلاً بهنَّ رِواءُ

May God water the graves folded shut over you,

Roll thunderclaps from the bellowing gloom.

and may thirst-quenching rain never cease pouring upon them.

As if, by their valleys, the quickening winds had breathed

يَسيرُ إِلَيهِنّ الغمامُ وَخَلفهُ

يَسيرُ إِلَيهِنّ الغمامُ وَخَلفهُ

زَماجِرُ مِن قَعقاعِه وحُداءُ

زَماجِرُ مِن قَعقاعِه وحُداءُ

The cloud travels toward them, and behind it

Into them an undying moan and rumbling.

come roars from its rumbling and a camel-driver's song,

And whomsoever is quenched honourably in Paradise

كَأَنَّ بواديهِ العِشار تَروَّحتْ

كَأَنَّ بواديهِ العِشار تَروَّحتْ

لَهنَّ حنينٌ دائمٌ ورُغاءُ

لَهنَّ حنينٌ دائمٌ ورُغاءُ

as though its leading clouds were pregnant she-camels returning at evening,

Is not touched by the downpour of the rainclouds.

with ceaseless yearning cries and bellowing.

وَمَن كانَ يُسقى في الجنانِ كَرامةً

وَمَن كانَ يُسقى في الجنانِ كَرامةً

فَلا مَسَّه مِن ذي السحائِبِ ماءُ

فَلا مَسَّه مِن ذي السحائِبِ ماءُ

And whoever is given drink in the gardens of Paradise as an honor,

then may no water from these clouds touch him.