لا وَأَميرِ المُؤمِنينَ بِالنَجَف

لا وَأَميرِ المُؤمِنينَ بِالنَجَف

أَلِيَّةً ما مانَ فيها مَن حَلَف

أَلِيَّةً ما مانَ فيها مَن حَلَف

No, by the Commander of the Faithful in Najaf—

No, by the Prince of the Faithful in Najaf

an oath in which no swearer has lied:

An elite who no oath-taker lingered among,

ما أَنا يَوماً بَعدَ يَومِ بَينِكُم

ما أَنا يَوماً بَعدَ يَومِ بَينِكُم

بِواجِدٍ مِنكُم وَحاشاكُم خَلَف

بِواجِدٍ مِنكُم وَحاشاكُم خَلَف

never, on any day after the day of your departure,

Never will I be, after a day between you,

shall I find a substitute for you—heaven forbid!

With any of you - far from you be reneging.

لي أَدمُعٌ تَنشُرُ في الخَدِّ الأَسى

لي أَدمُعٌ تَنشُرُ في الخَدِّ الأَسى

وَأَضلُعٌ مَطوِيَّةٌ عَلى الأَسَف

وَأَضلُعٌ مَطوِيَّةٌ عَلى الأَسَف

I have tears that spread sorrow across my cheek,

I have tears that flow down the cheek of sorrow,

and ribs folded around grief.

And ribs bent over sadness.

فَإِن شَكَكتُم فَاِسأَلوا مَدامِعي

فَإِن شَكَكتُم فَاِسأَلوا مَدامِعي

ما جاهِلٌ بِقِصَّةٍ كَمَن عَرَف

ما جاهِلٌ بِقِصَّةٍ كَمَن عَرَف

If you doubt, then ask my tears:

So if you doubt, then ask my tears,

one ignorant of a tale is not like one who knows.

For an ignorant one is not like one who knew.

قَد وَقَفَ القَلبُ عَلى حَرِّ الأَسى

قَد وَقَفَ القَلبُ عَلى حَرِّ الأَسى

مُذ بانَ عَنّي راحِلاً وَما وَقَف

مُذ بانَ عَنّي راحِلاً وَما وَقَف

The heart has come to know the burning heat of sorrow

My heart stood still from the heat of sadness

since he left me, journeying on without stopping.

Since the day he rode off and did not stand still.

أُكَفكِفُ الدَّمعَ بِخَدّي قانِياً

أُكَفكِفُ الدَّمعَ بِخَدّي قانِياً

فَانثَني مِن أَدمُعي خاضِبَ كَف

فَانثَني مِن أَدمُعي خاضِبَ كَف

I wipe away the crimson tears upon my cheek,

I wipe the tear from my cheek in despair

then draw back, staining my palm with my tears.

So my palm was dyed red from my tears.

بُؤتُمُ بِإِثمي يَومَ تَوديعِكُمُ

بُؤتُمُ بِإِثمي يَومَ تَوديعِكُمُ

فَأُودِعَ القَلبُ لَهيباً وَلَهَف

فَأُودِعَ القَلبُ لَهيباً وَلَهَف

You incurred the guilt of wronging me the day you bade farewell,

You burdened me with my sin the day you bid me farewell

so the heart was filled with flame and anguish.

So the heart was entrusted with flame and anguish,

عودوا فَعودوني لِتَحيا مُهجَتي

عودوا فَعودوني لِتَحيا مُهجَتي

وَيَعفُوَ اللَهُ لَكُم عَمّا سَلَف

وَيَعفُوَ اللَهُ لَكُم عَمّا سَلَف

Return, then visit me, that my soul may live

Return, that you may return life to my sorrow,

and God forgive you for what has passed.

And that God may pardon you what is past.

جودوا لَنا بِكُتبِكُم فَإِنَّكُم

جودوا لَنا بِكُتبِكُم فَإِنَّكُم

بِالكُتبِ مِنّا تَتَلافونَ التَلَف

بِالكُتبِ مِنّا تَتَلافونَ التَلَف

Be generous to us with your letters, for you

Be generous to us with your letters for you

avert our ruin through letters.

Repair through letters the loss from us.

لا تَبخَلوا وَالجودُ مِن شيمَتِكُم

لا تَبخَلوا وَالجودُ مِن شيمَتِكُم

فَلَفظُكُم في الكُتبِ درٌّ في صَدَف

فَلَفظُكُم في الكُتبِ درٌّ في صَدَف

Do not be miserly, when generosity is your nature,

Do not be miserly. Generosity is your way.

for your words in letters are pearls in shells.

Your words in letters are pearls in oyster shells.