قُم ناشد الإِسلامَ عن مُصابه

قُم ناشد الإِسلامَ عن مُصابه

أُصيب بالنبيّ أم كتابه

أُصيب بالنبيّ أم كتابه

Rise, ask Islam solemnly about its affliction:

Arise and ask Islam about its affliction,

Was it bereaved of the Prophet, or of its Book?

Was the Prophet afflicted or his book?

أم أنَّ ركب الموت عنه قد سرى

أم أنَّ ركب الموت عنه قد سرى

بالرُّوح محمولاً على ركابه

بالرُّوح محمولاً على ركابه

Or has death's caravan journeyed away from it by night,

Or did the convoy of death depart from him,

with the soul borne upon its mounts?

Carried by the soul upon its mounts?

بل قضى نفسُ النبيّ المرتضى

بل قضى نفسُ النبيّ المرتضى

وأُدرج الليلة في أثوابه

وأُدرج الليلة في أثوابه

No, the Prophet's very self, al-Murtada, has died,

Nay, the soul of the chosen Prophet expired,

and tonight was wrapped in his burial cloths.

And he was shrouded this night in his robes.

مضى على اهتضامه بغُصَّة

مضى على اهتضامه بغُصَّة

غصَّ بها الدهرُ مدى أحقابه

غصَّ بها الدهرُ مدى أحقابه

He departed, still oppressed, with a choking grief

He passed away choking on anguish,

on which Time choked throughout its ages.

The ages choked on his anguish throughout its eras.

عاش غريباً بينها وقد قضى

عاش غريباً بينها وقد قضى

بسيف أشقاها على اعترابه

بسيف أشقاها على اعترابه

He lived a stranger among them, and he died

He lived a stranger amongst them and had passed away,

by the sword of their most wretched, still in his estrangement.

By the sword that severed them for their unruliness.

لقد أراقوا ليلة القدر دماً

لقد أراقوا ليلة القدر دماً

دماؤُها انصببن بانصبابه

دماؤُها انصببن بانصبابه

Indeed, on the Night of Decree they shed blood;

They had spilled the blood on the night of Al-Qadr,

the night's own blood flowed with his blood's flow.

Its blood spilled with its outpouring.

تنزَّلُ الرّوح فوافى روحَه

تنزَّلُ الرّوح فوافى روحَه

صاعدةً شوقاً إلى ثوابه

صاعدةً شوقاً إلى ثوابه

The Spirit descended and met his soul,

The soul descended and met his soul,

ascending, yearning for its reward.

Ascending in yearning towards its reward.

فضجَّ والأملاك فيها ضجَّةً

فضجَّ والأملاك فيها ضجَّةً

منها اقشعرَّ الكونُ في إهابه

منها اقشعرَّ الكونُ في إهابه

He and the angels raised a cry that night,

So the angels clamored with clamor therein,

at which the universe shuddered within its skin.

The universe shuddered in its dread.

وانقلب السلامُ للفجر بها

وانقلب السلامُ للفجر بها

للحشر إعوالاً على مُصابه

للحشر إعوالاً على مُصابه

And that night's peace until dawn was turned

And peace turned to the dawn through it,

to wailing until the Resurrection over his affliction.

Yearning over its affliction.

الله نفسُ أحمدٍ من قد غدا

الله نفسُ أحمدٍ من قد غدا

من نفس كلِّ مؤمنٍ أولى به

من نفس كلِّ مؤمنٍ أولى به

God! Ahmad's very self, who came to have

Allah's soul was more worthy of the soul of Ahmad,

a greater claim on every believer than that believer's own self.

Than the soul of each believer or non-believer.

غادرهُ ابنُ ملجمٍ ووجههُ

غادرهُ ابنُ ملجمٍ ووجههُ

مُخضَّبٌ بالدم في محرابه

مُخضَّبٌ بالدم في محرابه

Ibn Muljam left him with his face

Ibn Muljam - may his face be covered in blood,

dyed with blood in his prayer niche.

Assassinated him while he was in his shrine.

وجهٌ لوجه الله كم عفَّره

وجهٌ لوجه الله كم عفَّره

في مسجدٍ كان أبا ترابِه

في مسجدٍ كان أبا ترابِه

A face he so often rubbed in dust for God's countenance,

A face - may Allah disfigure it,

in a mosque where he was the father of its dust.

In a masjid that was built from its soil.

فاغبرَّ وجه الدين لاصفراره

فاغبرَّ وجه الدين لاصفراره

وخُضِّب الإيمان لاختضابه

وخُضِّب الإيمان لاختضابه

So religion's face grew dust-gray at his pallor,

So the face of the faith turned yellow due to grief,

and faith was dyed as he was dyed.

And the faith was dyed red from its wounds.

ويزعمُون حيثُ طلوا دمهُ

ويزعمُون حيثُ طلوا دمهُ

في صومهم قد زيد في ثوابه

في صومهم قد زيد في ثوابه

And they claim that, when they shed his blood with impunity,

And they claim - wherever they sought his blood -

the reward of their fasting was increased.

That their fasts have increased in reward.

والصومُ يدعو كلَّ عامٍ صارخاً

والصومُ يدعو كلَّ عامٍ صارخاً

قد نضحوا دَمي على ثيابه

قد نضحوا دَمي على ثيابه

And Fasting cries out every year:

Yet the fast calls out every year crying,

They have spattered my blood upon his garments!

"They spilled my blood on their clothes!"

إطاعةٌ قتلُهم مَن لم يكن

إطاعةٌ قتلُهم مَن لم يكن

تُقبلُ طاعاتُ الورى إلاَّ به

تُقبلُ طاعاتُ الورى إلاَّ به

Is their killing of him obedience, when

Obedience that killed those who would not have had,

humankind's devotions are accepted only through him?

The obedience of mortals accepted except through him.

قتلتُم الصلاة في محرابها

قتلتُم الصلاة في محرابها

يا قاتليه وهو في محرابه

يا قاتليه وهو في محرابه

You killed Prayer in its prayer niche,

You killed the prayer in its sanctuary,

O his killers, while he was in his prayer niche.

O you who killed him while he was in his shrine.

وشقَّ رأس العدل سفُ جوركم

وشقَّ رأس العدل سفُ جوركم

مُذ شقَّ منه الرأس في ذبابه

مُذ شقَّ منه الرأس في ذبابه

And your tyranny's sword split justice's head

And the head of justice was split by your tyranny,

when it split his head with its blade-tip.

Ever since you split his head during his prayers.

فليبك جبريلُ له ولينتحب

فليبك جبريلُ له ولينتحب

في الملأ الأعلى على مُصابه

في الملأ الأعلى على مُصابه

Let Gabriel weep for him and sob

So let Jibril weep for him and lament,

in the assembly on high over his affliction.

In the highest assembly over his affliction.

نعم بكى والغيثُ من بُكائه

نعم بكى والغيثُ من بُكائه

ينحبُ والرعدُ من انتحابه

ينحبُ والرعدُ من انتحابه

Yes, he wept; the rain, from his weeping,

Verily he wept and the rain from his weeping,

sobs, and thunder comes from his sobbing.

Laments while the thunder wails over his loss.

منتدباً في صرخةٍ وإنَّما

منتدباً في صرخةٍ وإنَّما

يستصرخ المهديّ في انتدابه

يستصرخ المهديّ في انتدابه

Calling out with a cry, he is but

Dispatching with a screech, and nothing but,

crying for al-Mahdi's help in his summons:

Calling out the Mahdi in his mourning.

يا أيها المحجوبُ عن شيعته

يا أيها المحجوبُ عن شيعته

وكاشف الغُمّى على احتجابه

وكاشف الغُمّى على احتجابه

O you who are hidden from your followers,

O you who are veiled from his supporters,

and dispel distress despite your concealment,

And the remover of blindness over their covering.

كم تغمد السيف لقد تقطَّعت

كم تغمد السيف لقد تقطَّعت

رقابُ أهلِ الحقّ في ارتقابه

رقابُ أهلِ الحقّ في ارتقابه

how long will you sheath the sword? Already severed are

How long will the sword remain sheathed

the necks of the people of truth as they await you.

While the necks of the people of truth are outstretched?

فانهض لها فليس إلاَّك لها

فانهض لها فليس إلاَّك لها

قد سئم الصابرُ جرع صابه

قد سئم الصابرُ جرع صابه

Rise to this cause, for none but you can meet it;

So rise for them, for none but you remain for them,

the patient one is weary of swallowing his bitter sap.

The patient have tired from drinking their cup.

واطلُب أباك المرتضى ممَّن غدا

واطلُب أباك المرتضى ممَّن غدا

مُنقلباً عنهُ على أَعقابه

مُنقلباً عنهُ على أَعقابه

And seek your father, al-Murtada, from whoever has

And seek out your father Al-Murtaza from those who,

turned away from him, back upon his heels.

Turned away from him upon their heels.

فهو كتاب الله ضاع بينهم

فهو كتاب الله ضاع بينهم

فاسأل بأمر الله عن كتابه

فاسأل بأمر الله عن كتابه

For he is God's Book, lost among them;

For he is the Book of Allah, lost between them,

so ask, by God's command, about His Book.

So ask by Allah's command about His Book.

وقل ولكن بلسان مُرهفٍ

وقل ولكن بلسان مُرهفٍ

واجعل دماء القوم في جوابه

واجعل دماء القوم في جوابه

And speak, but with a sharpened tongue,

And say - but with an eloquent tongue -

and let the people's blood be its answer:

And make the blood of the people your answer.

يا عُصبة الإلحاد أين من قضى

يا عُصبة الإلحاد أين من قضى

مُحتسباً وكنتِ في احتسابه

مُحتسباً وكنتِ في احتسابه

O band of unbelief, where is the one who died

O group of atheists! Where is the one who passed away

seeking divine recompense, with you included in his reckoning?

Aspiring, while you were in your heedlessness?

أين أمير المؤمنين أوما

أين أمير المؤمنين أوما

عن قتله اكتفيت في اغتصابه

عن قتله اكتفيت في اغتصابه

Where is the Commander of the Faithful? Could you not

Where is the Leader of the Faithful? Or have you not,

be content with dispossessing him, rather than killing him?

Had your fill after stealing him?

لله كم جُرعة غيظٍ ساغها

لله كم جُرعة غيظٍ ساغها

بعد نبيّ الله من أَصحابه

بعد نبيّ الله من أَصحابه

By God, how many draughts of rage he swallowed

By Allah! However much anger you drank,

after God's Prophet, from his companions!

After the Prophet from his companions!

وهي على العالمِ لو توزَّعت

وهي على العالمِ لو توزَّعت

أشرقت العالمَ في شرابه

أشرقت العالمَ في شرابه

And had it been divided among the world,

And if it were distributed over the world,

it would have made the world choke on its drink.

It would illuminate the world with its drinking.

فابغَ إلى أحمدَ ثقل أحمدٍ

فابغَ إلى أحمدَ ثقل أحمدٍ

وقُل له يا خير مَن يُدعى به

وقُل له يا خير مَن يُدعى به

So seek your way to Ahmad, O Ahmad's precious charge,

So convey to Ahmad the weight of Ahmad's loss,

and say to him: O best of those through whom supplication is made,

And say: "O best of those called Ahmad!"

إنَّ الأُلى على النفاقِ مَرَدوا

إنَّ الأُلى على النفاقِ مَرَدوا

قد كشفوا بَعدك عن نِقابِه

قد كشفوا بَعدك عن نِقابِه

indeed, those who became steeped in hypocrisy

"Verily the misguided have turned away to hypocrisy,

have stripped away its veil after you.

Revealing after you their masks.

وصيَّروا سَرح الهُدى فريسةً

وصيَّروا سَرح الهُدى فريسةً

للغيِّ بين الطلسِ من ذِيابه

للغيِّ بين الطلسِ من ذِيابه

And they made guidance's grazing herd a prey

And they made the pasture of guidance easy prey,

for error among its dusky wolves,

For the wolves between the lurking places.

وغادروا حقَّ أخيك مُضغةً

وغادروا حقَّ أخيك مُضغةً

يلوكها الباطلُ في أنيابِه

يلوكها الباطلُ في أنيابِه

and left your brother's right a morsel

And they abandoned the right of your brother as fodder,

that falsehood chews between its fangs.

For falsehood to gnaw in its fangs."

وظلَّ راعي إفكهم يحلبُ مِن

وظلَّ راعي إفكهم يحلبُ مِن

ضرع لبون الجور في وطابه

ضرع لبون الجور في وطابه

And the shepherd of their lies kept drawing milk from

"While the shepherd of their slander milks

the udder of tyranny's milch-camel into his milk-skins.

The udder of tyranny's milk in its teats."

فالأمَّةُ اليومَ غدت في مَجهلٍ

فالأمَّةُ اليومَ غدت في مَجهلٍ

ضلَّت طريقَ الحقِّ في شعابه

ضلَّت طريقَ الحقِّ في شعابه

So today the community has come into a trackless waste,

"So this nation has fallen into ignorance,

having lost the path of truth among its ravines.

Losing the path of truth in its valleys."

عادوا بها بَعدك جاهليَّةً

عادوا بها بَعدك جاهليَّةً

مذ قتلوا الهادي الذي تُهدى به

مذ قتلوا الهادي الذي تُهدى به

They brought it back, after you, to the age of ignorance,

"They have returned it after you to pre-Islamic ignorance,

since they killed the guide through whom it is guided.

Since they killed the Guide by whom it is guided."

لم يتشعَّب في قريش نسبٌ

لم يتشعَّب في قريش نسبٌ

إلاَّ غَدا في المحضِ مِن لُبابه

إلاَّ غَدا في المحضِ مِن لُبابه

No lineage branched out in Quraysh

"No lineage in Quraish branched out,

without his being of the pure essence of its core,

Except it entered into the purest of its seed."

حتَّى أتيت فأَتى في حسبٍ

حتَّى أتيت فأَتى في حسبٍ

قد دخلَ التنزيلُ في حسابه

قد دخلَ التنزيلُ في حسابه

until you came, and he attained a nobility

"Until you came, so the revelation entered,

whose reckoning included the Revelation.

Into its account and reckoning."

فيا لها غَلطةُ دهرٍ بعدها

فيا لها غَلطةُ دهرٍ بعدها

لا يَحمدُ الدهر على صوابِه

لا يَحمدُ الدهر على صوابِه

Ah, what a blunder of Time—after it,

"So what an immense misguidance after it,

no one shall praise Time for what it gets right.

Wherein the ages are not praised for their probity!"

مشى إلى خُلفٍ بها فأصبحت

مشى إلى خُلفٍ بها فأصبحت

أَرؤُسهُ تتبع من أَذنابِه

أَرؤُسهُ تتبع من أَذنابِه

Through it, Time walked backward, so that

"It went with them to successors, so its heads,

its heads came to follow its tails.

Now follow what used to be their tails."

وما كفاهُ أن أرانا ضِلَّة

وما كفاهُ أن أرانا ضِلَّة

وِهادهُ تعلو على هِضابه

وِهادهُ تعلو على هِضابه

Nor was it enough for Time to show us, in error,

"It was not enough that he showed us misguidance,

its lowlands rising above its uplands,

With his guidance rising above the hills."

حتَّى أرانا ذئبَه مُفترساً

حتَّى أرانا ذئبَه مُفترساً

بين الشبولِ لَيثه في غابِه

بين الشبولِ لَيثه في غابِه

until it showed us its wolf devouring

"Until he showed us its wolf preying upon us,

its lion among the cubs in its forest.

Between the pitch dark night and its forest."

هذا أَميرُ المؤمنين بعدما

هذا أَميرُ المؤمنين بعدما

ألجأهم للدين في ضِرابه

ألجأهم للدين في ضِرابه

This is the Commander of the Faithful, after he

"This is the Leader of the Faithful after he had,

compelled them to religion with his sword-strokes,

Forced them towards the faith with his strikes."

وقادَ من عُتاتِهم مَصاعباً

وقادَ من عُتاتِهم مَصاعباً

ما أسمَحت لولا شبا قِرضابه

ما أسمَحت لولا شبا قِرضابه

and led the unbroken camels among their rebels,

"And guided the formidable of their elite,

which would not have yielded but for his keen sword's edges.

With his swords that the youths kindly faced."

قد أَلفَ الهيجاءَ حتَّى ليلها

قد أَلفَ الهيجاءَ حتَّى ليلها

أغرابه يأنس في عُقابه

أغرابه يأنس في عُقابه

He had grown familiar with battle, even its night;

"He endured the komriyya (type of thorn trees) until their nights,

its strangers find comfort in its eagle (wording unclear).

Became intimate to him despite their strangeness."

يمشي إليها وهوَ في ذِهابِه

يمشي إليها وهوَ في ذِهابِه

أشدُّ شوقاً منه في إيابه

أشدُّ شوقاً منه في إيابه

He walks toward it, and in his going

"He walked towards them while going,

his longing is greater than in his return.

More passionate than when returning."

كالشبلِ في وثبتهِ والسيفُ في

كالشبلِ في وثبتهِ والسيفُ في

هبَّته والصلُّ في انسيابه

هبَّته والصلُّ في انسيابه

Like a lion cub in his leap, a sword in

"Like a lion cub in its pounce, or a sword in its slash,

his charge, and a viper in his gliding.

Or kin in its compassion."

أرادهُ مَن لو لحَظته عينهُ

أرادهُ مَن لو لحَظته عينهُ

في مأزقٍ لفرَّ من إرهابه

في مأزقٍ لفرَّ من إرهابه

He was targeted by one who, had he met his gaze

"One who - if his eyes glanced upon -

in a perilous encounter, would have fled in terror of him,

In peril, would flee from its intimidation."

ومرَّ من بين الجموعِ هارباً

ومرَّ من بين الجموعِ هارباً

يَودُّ أن يَخرجَ من إهابِه

يَودُّ أن يَخرجَ من إهابِه

and passed between the throngs in flight,

"And he passed through the crowds fleeing,

wishing to escape his own skin.

Wishing to exit from its awe."

وهوَ لعمري لو يشاءُ لَم ينَل

وهوَ لعمري لو يشاءُ لَم ينَل

ما نال أشقى القوم في آرابه

ما نال أشقى القوم في آرابه

And, by my life, had he wished, never would have been attained

"By my life! If he wished, he would not have attained,

what the people's most wretched attained in his designs.

What the most wretched of people attained in their shelter."

لكن غدا مُسلِّماً مُحتسِباً

لكن غدا مُسلِّماً مُحتسِباً

والخير كلّ الخير في احتسابه

والخير كلّ الخير في احتسابه

But he submitted, seeking divine reward,

"But he went submitting and aspiring,

and goodness—all goodness—lies in his seeking reward.

And all good lies in aspiration."

صلَّى عليه الله من مضطهدٍ

صلَّى عليه الله من مضطهدٍ

قد أغضبوا الرحمن في اغتصابِه

قد أغضبوا الرحمن في اغتصابِه

May God bless him—how oppressed he was!

"May Allah send prayers upon him from an oppressor,

They angered the All-Merciful by usurping his rights.

Who has angered The Most Merciful by his theft."