أكانوا كُلُّهُم دَاءً عَيَاءَ

أكانوا كُلُّهُم دَاءً عَيَاءَ

فما يَجِدُ الأُساةُ لهم دَواءَ

فما يَجِدُ الأُساةُ لهم دَواءَ

Were they all an incurable disease,

Were they all sick, proud,

so that healers could find no remedy for them?

so the grieved find no cure for them?

ألاَ إنّ النَّطَاسِيَّ المرجَّى

ألاَ إنّ النَّطَاسِيَّ المرجَّى

أتى يَلقى الأُلى انتظروا اللِّقاءَ

أتى يَلقى الأُلى انتظروا اللِّقاءَ

Behold, the hoped-for master physician

Lo! The awaited savior has come

came to meet those who awaited the meeting.

to meet the kinsfolk; await the meeting!

أتى بالحكمةِ الكُبرى رسولاً

أتى بالحكمةِ الكُبرى رسولاً

فكانَ لِعلّةِ الدُّنيا شِفَاءَ

فكانَ لِعلّةِ الدُّنيا شِفَاءَ

He came as a messenger bearing supreme wisdom,

The messenger came with the great wisdom

and became a cure for the world's affliction.

and so became the remedy for the woes of this world.

أَتَطمعُ زَينبٌ بذراعِ شاةٍ

أَتَطمعُ زَينبٌ بذراعِ شاةٍ

يُسمَّمُ أن يُضَرَّ وأن يُساءَ

يُسمَّمُ أن يُضَرَّ وأن يُساءَ

Does Zaynab hope, with a sheep's foreleg

Does Zainab hope for the arm of a lamb

poisoned, to have him harmed and made to suffer?

that refuses to be harmed or mistreated?

أبى المَلِكُ المُهيمِنُ ما أرادتْ

أبى المَلِكُ المُهيمِنُ ما أرادتْ

فَخَيَّبَها وكان لهُ وَقَاءَ

فَخَيَّبَها وكان لهُ وَقَاءَ

The King, the Guardian, denied what she intended,

The Sovereign King denied what she wanted,

so He thwarted her and was a shield for him.

so He disappointed her and protected him.

أتَتْ تمشِي بها وتقولُ هذا

أتَتْ تمشِي بها وتقولُ هذا

طعامُكَ فَارْضَهُ وانعمْ مَساءَ

طعامُكَ فَارْضَهُ وانعمْ مَساءَ

She came walking with it and said, “This

She came walking with it saying: “This

is your food; so accept it and enjoy your evening.”

is your food, so accept it and have a good evening!”

فقال لصحبِهِ رِزقٌ أتانا

فقال لصحبِهِ رِزقٌ أتانا

فباسمِ الله لا نُحْصِي ثَنَاءَ

فباسمِ الله لا نُحْصِي ثَنَاءَ

He said to his companions, “Provision has come to us;

So he said to his companions: “A provision has come to us,

so, in God's name—we cannot praise Him enough.”

so in God’s name, we cannot count His praises enough.”

فَلَّما ذَاقَها قال اتركوها

فَلَّما ذَاقَها قال اتركوها

فإنّ اللهَ قد كَشَفَ الغِطاءَ

فإنّ اللهَ قد كَشَفَ الغِطاءَ

Then, when he tasted it, he said, “Leave it,

But when he tasted it, he said: “Leave it,

for God has indeed lifted the veil.

for God has uncovered the veil.”

طَعَامُ السُّوءِ مَسْمُومٌ وهذا

طَعَامُ السُّوءِ مَسْمُومٌ وهذا

أخِي جبريلُ بالأنباءِ جَاءَ

أخِي جبريلُ بالأنباءِ جَاءَ

The evil food is poisoned, and here is

“Evil food is poisoned, and this

my brother Gabriel, who has come with the news.”

is my brother Gabriel who brought the news.”

فَكَفُّوا غَيْرَ بَادِرَةِ لِبِشْرٍ

فَكَفُّوا غَيْرَ بَادِرَةِ لِبِشْرٍ

مَضَتْ قَدَراً لِرَبِّكَ أو قَضاءَ

مَضَتْ قَدَراً لِرَبِّكَ أو قَضاءَ

So they held back, save for a hasty act by Bishr,

So they abstained save for one bite

which came to pass by your Lord's ordainment or decree.

that was destined by your Lord or ordained.

فَيَا لكِ طَعنَةً لم تُبْقِ منه

فَيَا لكِ طَعنَةً لم تُبْقِ منه

لِحاجَةِ نَفْسِهِ إلا ذماءَ

لِحاجَةِ نَفْسِهِ إلا ذماءَ

Ah, what a stab, leaving him

What a stab that did not leave him

only a flicker of life for his own needs!

anything he needed except his blood!

إذا رامَ التَّحَوُّلَ أمسكته

إذا رامَ التَّحَوُّلَ أمسكته

ولو قَدرتْ مَفاصِلُهُ لَناءَ

ولو قَدرتْ مَفاصِلُهُ لَناءَ

Whenever he tried to move, it held him fast,

When he wished to move, she held him back,

and had his joints been strong enough, he would have risen.

and had his joints been able to bend, they would have.

قَضَاها حِجَّةً من ذاقَ فيها

قَضَاها حِجَّةً من ذاقَ فيها

مَرَارَةَ عَيشِهِ كَرِهَ البقاءَ

مَرَارَةَ عَيشِهِ كَرِهَ البقاءَ

He spent a year thus; whoever tasted in that year

His decree fulfilled the proof for whoever tastes

the bitterness of his life would loathe living on.

the bitterness of life in it loathes remaining.

وحُمَّ قَضَاؤُهُ فَمَضَى رَضِيَّاً

وحُمَّ قَضَاؤُهُ فَمَضَى رَضِيَّاً

يُبَوَّأُ جَنَّةَ المأوى جَزاءَ

يُبَوَّأُ جَنَّةَ المأوى جَزاءَ

And his end was ordained, so he departed content,

And His decree was carried out, so he passed away content,

given a dwelling in the Garden of Refuge as his reward.

to be granted the paradise of the retreat as reward.

وقال مُحَمَّدٌ يا آلَ بِشرٍ

وقال مُحَمَّدٌ يا آلَ بِشرٍ

كَفَى بِدَمِ التي قُتِلَتْ عَزَاءَ

كَفَى بِدَمِ التي قُتِلَتْ عَزَاءَ

And Muhammad said, “O family of Bishr,

And Muhammad said: “O people of the house,

the blood of the woman put to death is consolation enough.”

her blood that was shed is sufficient as consolation.”

فلاقَت زَينبٌ قتلاً بقتلٍ

فلاقَت زَينبٌ قتلاً بقتلٍ

وما كانت لصاحبهم كِفَاءَ

وما كانت لصاحبهم كِفَاءَ

So Zaynab met death in return for a death,

So Zainab met murder with murder,

and she was no equal to their companion.

for she was not equal to their companion.

أمَنْ حَمَلَ الخِمَارَ من الغواني

أمَنْ حَمَلَ الخِمَارَ من الغواني

كمن حَمَلَ العِمامَةَ واللِّواءَ

كمن حَمَلَ العِمامَةَ واللِّواءَ

Is one of the fair women who wears the headscarf

Is one who carried the wine jug like one

like one who wears the turban and bears the banner?

who carried the turban and the banner?

كَذلِكَ حُكمُ ربِّكَ في كتاب

كَذلِكَ حُكمُ ربِّكَ في كتاب

أقَامَ السُّبْلَ بَيِّنَةً وِضَاءَ

أقَامَ السُّبْلَ بَيِّنَةً وِضَاءَ

Such is your Lord's judgment in a Book

Such is your Lord’s judgment in the Book;

that laid out the paths, clear and radiant.

He established the ways radiant and bright.

هُوَ القِسْطَاسُ أُنزلَ مُسْتَقيماً

هُوَ القِسْطَاسُ أُنزلَ مُسْتَقيماً

لِمن يَزِنُ النُّفوسَ أو الدِّماءَ

لِمن يَزِنُ النُّفوسَ أو الدِّماءَ

It is the balance, sent down upright,

It is the balance, sent down even,

for whoever weighs lives or blood.

for the one who weighs souls and blood.

أتى يحمي الحُقُوقَ ويقتضيها

أتى يحمي الحُقُوقَ ويقتضيها

فلا جَنَفاً يُريدُ ولا عَدَاءَ

فلا جَنَفاً يُريدُ ولا عَدَاءَ

It came to protect rights and enforce them,

He came to protect rights and carry them out,

so it seeks neither partiality nor hostility.

so He intends no aggression or hostility.

بِناءُ العدلِ ليس به خَفاءٌ

بِناءُ العدلِ ليس به خَفاءٌ

فَسُبحانَ الذي رَفَعَ البِناءَ

فَسُبحانَ الذي رَفَعَ البِناءَ

There is no obscurity in the edifice of justice;

The building of justice has no obscurity,

so glory be to the One who raised the edifice!

so glory to Him who raised up the building!

ألا خَسِرَ اليهودُ ولا أصابوا

ألا خَسِرَ اليهودُ ولا أصابوا

طِوالَ الدَّهرِ خَيراً أو نَماءَ

طِوالَ الدَّهرِ خَيراً أو نَماءَ

Lo, may the Jews suffer loss and never attain

Alas, the Jews have lost and gained

good or prosperity throughout all time!

no good or growth throughout the ages.

كَأنَّ الغدرَ عِندَ القومِ دِينٌ

كَأنَّ الغدرَ عِندَ القومِ دِينٌ

فَما يَدَعُ الرجالَ ولا النساءَ

فَما يَدَعُ الرجالَ ولا النساءَ

It is as though treachery were a religion among these people,

It is as if betrayal is a religion among the people,

so it leaves neither men nor women untouched.

so it leaves neither men nor women.