لِزَينَبَ يَحلو جَنِيٌّ أَمَرَّ

لِزَينَبَ يَحلو جَنِيٌّ أَمَرَّ

وَقَد عَلِقَت كَفُّها بِالقَمَر

وَقَد عَلِقَت كَفُّها بِالقَمَر

Bitter fresh-picked fruit tastes sweet to Zaynab,

For Zainab the moon is sweet though bitter,

and her palm has clung to the moon.

Her hand clasped to its luminous sphere.

فَيا أُفقُ مِن أَينَ تِلكَ النُجومُ

فَيا أُفقُ مِن أَينَ تِلكَ النُجومُ

وَيا غَرسُ مِن أَينَ ذاكَ الزَمَر

وَيا غَرسُ مِن أَينَ ذاكَ الزَمَر

So, O horizon, whence those stars?

O horizons, whence came those starts?

And O planted tree, whence that sparse growth?

O trees, whence came that throng?

وَيا صاحِ كَيفَ لَنا بِالمَماتِ

وَيا صاحِ كَيفَ لَنا بِالمَماتِ

عَلى ما نَهى رَبُّنا أَو أَمَر

عَلى ما نَهى رَبُّنا أَو أَمَر

And, friend, how can we meet death

O crier, can we die though forbidden

in accordance with what our Lord forbade or commanded?

By all the Lord's commands and strictures?

فَهَل عَلِمَ البَدرُ وَالطالِعاتُ

فَهَل عَلِمَ البَدرُ وَالطالِعاتُ

وَهناً بِأَنباءِ هَذا السَمَر

وَهناً بِأَنباءِ هَذا السَمَر

So have the full moon and the rising stars learned

Has the moon or the horoscope foreseen

at night of the tidings of this evening talk?

Our languor at news of this vigil?

تَبارَكَ خالِقُنا في البِلادِ

تَبارَكَ خالِقُنا في البِلادِ

وَما زالَ عَنّا بِعِلمٍ خَمَر

وَما زالَ عَنّا بِعِلمٍ خَمَر

Blessed is our Creator throughout the lands,

Blessed is He who made the countries,

and knowledge has lifted no veil from us.

His knowledge of us never impaired.

يَعودُ أَخوكَ إِلى غَيِّهِ

يَعودُ أَخوكَ إِلى غَيِّهِ

وَإِن حَجَّ مِن نُسكِهِ وَاِعتَمر

وَإِن حَجَّ مِن نُسكِهِ وَاِعتَمر

Your brother returns to his error,

Your brother will return to his folly

even if, out of his devotion, he performs Hajj and Umrah.

Though he's performed the pilgrimage, pure.

وَخالَفَكَ الناسُ في مَذهَبٍ

وَخالَفَكَ الناسُ في مَذهَبٍ

فَقُلتُ عَلِيٌّ وَقالوا عُمَر

فَقُلتُ عَلِيٌّ وَقالوا عُمَر

And people disagreed with you over a doctrine:

The people disputed with you over creed.

so I said 'Ali,' and they said 'Umar.'

You said "'Ali," but they said "Omar."

وَأَنّي يُرَجَّونَ غَمرَ الهُدى

وَأَنّي يُرَجَّونَ غَمرَ الهُدى

وَقَد غَرِقوا في جِمامِ الغُمَر

وَقَد غَرِقوا في جِمامِ الغُمَر

And how can they be given hope of guidance's flood,

How can they hope for the flood of guidance

when they have drowned in the brimful contents of a small cup?

When they are drowned in the torrent of blindness?

يُساءُ الغَبينُ بِما نالَهُ

يُساءُ الغَبينُ بِما نالَهُ

وَيَفرَحُ مِن جَهلِهِ مَن قَمَر

وَيَفرَحُ مِن جَهلِهِ مَن قَمَر

The cheated man is distressed by what befell him,

The fool is harmed by what he's attained.

and, in his ignorance, the winner at gambling rejoices.

He who is ignorant is glad he shone.

أَتُدعى بِغَيرِ تُقاكَ التَقيُّ

أَتُدعى بِغَيرِ تُقاكَ التَقيُّ

وَلَيسَ الطِمِرُّ سِوى ما طَمَر

وَلَيسَ الطِمِرُّ سِوى ما طَمَر

Are you called 'pious' for anything but your piety?

Can you be called anything but Godfearing

And a leaping steed is only one that leaps.

When clay is only what it has concealed?

فَبِت ضامِراً لِطِلابِ الثَناءِ

فَبِت ضامِراً لِطِلابِ الثَناءِ

فَما سَبَقَ الطِرفُ حَتّى ضَمَر

فَما سَبَقَ الطِرفُ حَتّى ضَمَر

So spend the night lean, in pursuit of praise;

I've remained sleepless to seekers of praise

for the noble steed did not outstrip others until it grew lean.

So that wakefulness might rejuvenate me.

وَمَن يَفتَكِر في صَنيعِ الأَنامِ

وَمَن يَفتَكِر في صَنيعِ الأَنامِ

يُبصِر إِذا ضَلَّ إِحدى الأَمَر

يُبصِر إِذا ضَلَّ إِحدى الأَمَر

And whoever reflects on humankind's deeds

Whoever reflects on the acts of mankind

sees, when astray, one of the waymarks.

Sees that when one strays the rest are astray.

وَلَو لَم يَكُن في قَضاءِ المَليكِ

وَلَو لَم يَكُن في قَضاءِ المَليكِ

ما نَحنُ في ضِبنِهِ ما اِستَمر

ما نَحنُ في ضِبنِهِ ما اِستَمر

And had it not been in the Sovereign's decree,

If the decree of the King did not exist

what holds us in its embrace would not have endured.

We would not continue steadfast.