1. يا خيرَ مَنْ لبِسَ النُّبُ

    وَّةَ مِن جميعِ الأنبياءِ

    O best of those who donned prophethood,

    among all the prophets!

  2. وَجدي على سِبطَيْكَ

    وَجدٌ ليس يؤذِنُ بانقضاءِ

    My grief for your two grandsons

    is a grief that gives no sign of ending.

  3. هذا قتيلُ الأشقيا

    ءِ وذا قتيلُ الأدعياءِ

    This one was slain by the wicked,

    and that one by men of false lineage.

  4. يومَ الحُسينِ هرقْتَ دم

    عَ الأرضِ بل دمعَ السَّماءِ

    Day of Husayn, you shed the tears

    of the earth—nay, the tears of heaven.

  5. يومَ الحُسينِ تركتَ با

    بَ العِزِّ مهجورَ الفِناءِ

    Day of Husayn, you left the gate

    of glory with its courtyard deserted.

  6. يا كربلاء خُلقتِ من

    كربٍ عليَّ ومن بَلاءِ

    O Karbala, you were created from

    anguish for me, and from affliction.

  7. كم فيكِ من وجهٍ تشَرَّ

    بَ ماؤه ماءَ البَهاءِ

    How many a face within you—

    its freshness drank the water of splendor!

  8. نفسي فِداءُ المُصطَلي

    نارَ الوغى أيَّ اصطِلاءِ

    My soul be a ransom for him who endured

    the fire of battle—what a burning!

  9. حيثُ الأسِنّةُ في الجَوا

    شِنِ كالكواكبِ في السماءِ

    Where spearheads in breastplates

    were like stars in the sky.

  10. فاختارَ دِرع الصَّبرِ حيثُ

    الصَّبرُ من لُبسِ السَّناءِ

    So he chose the armor of steadfastness, since

    steadfastness is among the garments of glory.

  11. وأبى إِباءَ الأُسدِ إِنَّ

    الأُسدَ صادقةُ الإِباءِ

    And he stood defiant with the defiance of lions; indeed,

    lions are true in their defiance.

  12. وقضى كريماً إِذْ قَضى

    ظمآنَ في نَفَرٍ ظِماءِ

    And he died nobly, when he died

    thirsty among a band of thirsty men.

  13. منَعوهُ طعمَ الماءِ لا

    وَجَدوا لِماءٍ طعم ماءِ

    They denied him the taste of water—may they not

    find in water the taste of water!

  14. مَنْ ذا لِمَعقُورِ الجَوا

    دِ مُمالِ أعوادِ الخِباءِ

    Who is there for him whose steed was hamstrung,

    whose tent poles were toppled?

  15. مَنْ للطَّريحِ الشّلْوِ عُر

    ياناً مُخَلَّى بِالعَراءِ

    Who is there for him whose body lies fallen,

    naked, abandoned in the open?

  16. مَنْ للمُحنّطِ بالتُّرا

    بِ وللمُغسَّلِ بالدّماءِ

    Who is there for him embalmed with dust,

    and washed with blood?

  17. مَن لابْنِ فاطِمةَ المُغيَّ

    بِ عنَ عُيُونِ الأولياءِ

    Who is there for Fatima's son, hidden away

    from the eyes of his loyal friends?