حَبلاً بِهِ رَجَعَت نُفوسُكُمُ

حَبلاً بِهِ رَجَعَت نُفوسُكُمُ

وَلَقَد بَلَغنَ تَراقِيَ النَحرِ

وَلَقَد بَلَغنَ تَراقِيَ النَحرِ

A rope by which your souls returned,

Your souls have returned bound to it,

though they had indeed reached the collarbones at the throat.

And we have certainly reached the heights of sacrifice.

إِنّي أَرى الحَجّاجَ أَدرَكَهُ

إِنّي أَرى الحَجّاجَ أَدرَكَهُ

ما أَدرَكَ الأَروى عَلى الوَعرِ

ما أَدرَكَ الأَروى عَلى الوَعرِ

I see that al-Hajjaj has been overtaken

Indeed I see that the pilgrims have reached

by what overtook the mountain goats on rugged ground,

What the intrepid could not reach through the rugged terrain.

وَأَخاهُ وَاِبنَيهِ الَّذينِ هُما

وَأَخاهُ وَاِبنَيهِ الَّذينِ هُما

كانا يَدَيهِ وَخالِصَ الصَدرِ

كانا يَدَيهِ وَخالِصَ الصَدرِ

and his brother and his two sons, both of whom

And his brother and his two sons, who were

were his two hands and his heart’s closest confidants.

His hands and the core of his being.

ذَهَبوا وَمالُهُمُ الَّذي جَمَعوا

ذَهَبوا وَمالُهُمُ الَّذي جَمَعوا

تَرَكوهُ مِثلَ مُنَضَّدِ الصَخرِ

تَرَكوهُ مِثلَ مُنَضَّدِ الصَخرِ

They departed, and their wealth, which they had gathered,

They have gone and the wealth they amassed

they left behind like piled-up stone.

They left it like rocks piled up.

دَخَلوا قُبورَهُمُ إِذا اِضطَجَعوا

دَخَلوا قُبورَهُمُ إِذا اِضطَجَعوا

فيها بِأَوعِيَةٍ لَهُم صِفرِ

فيها بِأَوعِيَةٍ لَهُم صِفرِ

They entered their graves when they lay down

They entered their graves when they lay down

within them, with empty vessels of their own.

In them with yellowed vessels for themselves.