شِرَحَبِيلُ مَا لِلدّينِ فَارَقْتَ أمْرَنَا

شِرَحَبِيلُ مَا لِلدّينِ فَارَقْتَ أمْرَنَا

وَلَكِنْ لِبُغْضِ الْمَالِكِيّ جَرِيرِ

وَلَكِنْ لِبُغْضِ الْمَالِكِيّ جَرِيرِ

Shurahbil, it was not for religion that you abandoned our cause,

Shurhabil, why did you abandon our cause though not for religion

but out of hatred for Jarir al-Maliki,

But for hatred of Malik and Jareer

وَشَحْنَاءَ دبَّتْ بَيْنَ سَعْدٍ وَبَيْنَهُ

وَشَحْنَاءَ دبَّتْ بَيْنَ سَعْدٍ وَبَيْنَهُ

فأصْبَحَتْ كَالْحَادِي بِغَيرِ بَعِيرِ

فأصْبَحَتْ كَالْحَادِي بِغَيرِ بَعِيرِ

and enmity that crept between Sa'd and him.

And dissension crept between Sa'd and him

So it became like a camel-driver without a camel.

So it became like a lost camel with no camel driver

وَمَا أَنْتَ إذْ كَانَتْ بَجِيلَة عَاتَبتْ

وَمَا أَنْتَ إذْ كَانَتْ بَجِيلَة عَاتَبتْ

قُرَيْشاً فَيَا للَّهِ بُعْدُ نَصِيرِ

قُرَيْشاً فَيَا للَّهِ بُعْدُ نَصِيرِ

And what part had you when Bajila had reproached

You were not present when Bajila reproached

Quraysh? O God, what a far-removed supporter!

The Quraysh, so Allah, how far the helper!

أتَفَصِلُ أمْراً غِبْتَ عَنْه بِشُبْهَةٍ

أتَفَصِلُ أمْراً غِبْتَ عَنْه بِشُبْهَةٍ

وَقَدْ حَارَ فِيهَا عَدْل كُلّ بَصِيرِ

وَقَدْ حَارَ فِيهَا عَدْل كُلّ بَصِيرِ

Do you judge a matter you did not witness on a dubious claim,

Will you decide a matter you were absent from in ambiguity

though every discerning person's fair judgment has been baffled by it?

When the justice of every wise one was confused in it

يَقُولُ رِجَالٌ لَمْ يَكُونُوا أئِمَّةً

يَقُولُ رِجَالٌ لَمْ يَكُونُوا أئِمَّةً

وَلاَ لِلَّتِي لَقَّوْكَهَا بِحُضُورِ

وَلاَ لِلَّتِي لَقَّوْكَهَا بِحُضُورِ

Men speak who were not leaders,

Men say who were not leaders

nor present at what they passed on to you.

Nor for her who met you with presence

وَمَا قَوْلُ قَوْمٍ غَائِبِينَ تَقَاذَفُوا

وَمَا قَوْلُ قَوْمٍ غَائِبِينَ تَقَاذَفُوا

مِنَ الْغَيْبِ مَا دَلاَّهُمُ بِغُرُورِ

مِنَ الْغَيْبِ مَا دَلاَّهُمُ بِغُرُورِ

And what worth has the talk of absent men who bandied about

What is the word of an absent people who cast

things from the unseen that lured them on through deceit?

From the unseen what led them into delusion

وَتَتْرُكُ أنَّ النَّاسَ أعْطَوْا عُهُودَهُمْ

وَتَتْرُكُ أنَّ النَّاسَ أعْطَوْا عُهُودَهُمْ

عَليَّا عَلَى أُنْسٍ بِهِ وَسُرورِ

عَليَّا عَلَى أُنْسٍ بِهِ وَسُرورِ

And you disregard that the people gave their pledges

And you leave that the people gave their covenants

to Ali, with affection for him and joy.

To Ali with intimacy and joy for him

إذا قِيلَ هَاتُوا واحِداً تَقْتَدونَهُ

إذا قِيلَ هَاتُوا واحِداً تَقْتَدونَهُ

نَظيراً لَهُ لَمْ يُفْصِحُوا بِنَظِيرِ

نَظيراً لَهُ لَمْ يُفْصِحُوا بِنَظِيرِ

When told, 'Bring forth one whom you follow,

When it was said, “Bring one whom you emulate”

an equal to him,' they named no equal.

They did not speak of an emulator for him

لَعَلَّكَ أنْ تَشْقَى الْغَدَاةَ بِحَرْبِهِ

لَعَلَّكَ أنْ تَشْقَى الْغَدَاةَ بِحَرْبِهِ

شُرْحَبِيلُ مَامَا جِئْتَهُ بِصَغِيرِ

شُرْحَبِيلُ مَامَا جِئْتَهُ بِصَغِيرِ

Perhaps in the morning you will come to grief through fighting him,

Perhaps you will suffer grief in the morning through war with him

Shurahbil, what you have undertaken is no small matter.

Shurhabil, why did you come to it with the insignificant