أيا عَبرة العَينِ امزُجِي الدمعَ بالدَّمِ

أيا عَبرة العَينِ امزُجِي الدمعَ بالدَّمِ

ويَا زَفرة الحُزنِ احكُمِي وتَحَكَّمِي

ويَا زَفرة الحُزنِ احكُمِي وتَحَكَّمِي

O tear of the eye, mingle tears with blood.

O tears of the eye, mix your tears with blood

And O sigh of sorrow, rule and hold sway.

And O sigh of sorrow, be intense and overpowering

ويا قلبُ ذُب وجداً وغماً ولوعةً

ويا قلبُ ذُب وجداً وغماً ولوعةً

فإنَّ الأسَى فَرضٌ على كُلِّ مُسلِمِ

فإنَّ الأسَى فَرضٌ على كُلِّ مُسلِمِ

And O heart, melt with yearning, grief, and burning anguish,

And O heart melting with love, sorrow, grief and agony

for sorrow is a duty upon every Muslim.

For anguish is an obligation upon every Muslim

ويا سلوَةَ الأيَّامِ لا كنتِ فابعدي

ويا سلوَةَ الأيَّامِ لا كنتِ فابعدي

إلى حيث ألقت رحلها أم قشعم

إلى حيث ألقت رحلها أم قشعم

And O solace of days, may you be no more—go far away,

And O comfort of days, if you were not there, then go far

to where Umm Qash'am set down her saddle.

To where the caravan of Umm Qushaym halted

وصِح بأناة الصبر سُحقاً تأخري

وصِح بأناة الصبر سُحقاً تأخري

وقل لشكاة الحزن أهلاً تقدَّمي

وقل لشكاة الحزن أهلاً تقدَّمي

And cry to patience's composure, "Away! Fall back!"

And shout with the patience of endurance, delay!

And say to sorrow's lament, "Welcome! Come forward!"

And say to the complainers of sorrow, welcome, come forward!

ولِم لا وشمسُ الملك والمجد والهُدى

ولِم لا وشمسُ الملك والمجد والهُدى

وفَتَّاح أبواب النَّدى والتكرُّم

وفَتَّاح أبواب النَّدى والتكرُّم

And why not, when the sun of kingship, glory, and guidance,

And why not when the sun of the kingdom, glory, and guidance

and the opener of the gates of bounty and generosity,

And opener of the doors of blessings and generosity

ثوَى بين أطباق الثرى رهن غُربة

ثوَى بين أطباق الثرى رهن غُربة

وحيداً وأصمَته الليالي بأسهم

وحيداً وأصمَته الليالي بأسهم

lies between the layers of earth, captive to estrangement,

Lies between the earth's layers, hostage to estrangement

alone, and the nights have struck him dead with arrows?

Alone, and the nights have made him speechless with their arrows

على مَلِك الإسلام فاسمَح بِزَفرَةٍ

على مَلِك الإسلام فاسمَح بِزَفرَةٍ

تُساقط درّاً بين فذِّ وتَوأمِ

تُساقط درّاً بين فذِّ وتَوأمِ

For the king of Islam, freely pour forth a sigh

Upon the King of Islam, so allow a sigh

that sheds pearls, singly and in pairs.

That sheds tears between valor and twins

على عَلَمِ الأعلام والقمر الذي

على عَلَمِ الأعلام والقمر الذي

تجلّى بوجه العصر غُرَّة أدهمِ

تجلّى بوجه العصر غُرَّة أدهمِ

For the beacon of beacons, and the moon that

Upon the flag of flags and the moon that

shone on the face of the age, a white blaze on a black steed.

Appeared in the face of the era, bright red

على أوحَدِ الأملاك غير منازع

على أوحَدِ الأملاك غير منازع

أصالة أعراق وفضل تقدُّمِ

أصالة أعراق وفضل تقدُّمِ

For the peerless one among kings, without a rival

Upon the unique of kings, unrivaled

in nobility of ancestry and the merit of preeminence.

In lineage, roots, and preceding virtue

ومَن مثل إسماعيل نورٌ لمُهتَدٍ

ومَن مثل إسماعيل نورٌ لمُهتَدٍ

وبُشرى لكروبٍ وعفوٌ لمُجرمِ

وبُشرى لكروبٍ وعفوٌ لمُجرمِ

And who is like Isma'il, a light for one seeking guidance,

And who is like Isma`il, a light for the guided

and glad tidings for the distressed, and pardon for the offender?

And good news for the troubled and pardon for the sinner

ومن مثلُ إسماعيل للبأس والندى

ومن مثلُ إسماعيل للبأس والندى

لإصراخِ مذعورٍ وإغناء مُعدمٍ

لإصراخِ مذعورٍ وإغناء مُعدمٍ

And who is like Isma'il in valor and bounty,

And who is like Isma`il, for valor and bounty

in rescuing the terrified and enriching the destitute?

For the scream of the terrified and enriching the pauper

ومن مثلُ إسماعيل للحرب يجتَني

ومن مثلُ إسماعيل للحرب يجتَني

به الفتحُ من غَرس القَنَا المُتَحَطِّمِ

به الفتحُ من غَرس القَنَا المُتَحَطِّمِ

And who is like Isma'il in war, where one reaps

And who is like Isma`il, for war he reaps

victory through him from a planting of shattered spears?

Through him victory from the planted firm spears

ومن مثل إسماعيل سَهُمُ سعادةٍ

ومن مثل إسماعيل سَهُمُ سعادةٍ

أصاب به الإسلام شاكلة الدم

أصاب به الإسلام شاكلة الدم

And who is like Isma'il, an arrow of good fortune,

And who is like Isma`il, an arrow of happiness

with which Islam struck the flank of blood?

That hit Islam with blood like rain

شهيدٌ سعيدٌ صبّحته شهادة

شهيدٌ سعيدٌ صبّحته شهادة

تبوأ منها في الخلود التنعمِ

تبوأ منها في الخلود التنعمِ

A blessed martyr, whom martyrdom visited at dawn,

A happy martyr whom martyrdom greeted

through which he took his abode in everlasting bliss.

Taking residence in eternity and comfort

أتت وغُبار الغَزو طيّ ثيابه

أتت وغُبار الغَزو طيّ ثيابه

ظهيرُ أمانٍ من دخان جَهَنَّمِ

ظهيرُ أمانٍ من دخان جَهَنَّمِ

It came while the dust of battle lay in the folds of his clothes,

It came while the dust of battle covered his clothes

a warrant of safety from the smoke of Hell.

Supporter of security from the smoke of Hell

فتباً لدارٍ لا يدوم نعيمُها

فتباً لدارٍ لا يدوم نعيمُها

فما عُرسُها إلا طليعةُ مأتَمِ

فما عُرسُها إلا طليعةُ مأتَمِ

So woe to a dwelling whose bliss does not endure!

So woe to a house whose comfort does not last

For its wedding feast is but the herald of a funeral;

For its wedding is only the vanguard of a funeral

ولا أنسُها إلا رهينٌ بوَحشَةِ

ولا أنسُها إلا رهينٌ بوَحشَةِ

ولا شَهدُها إلا مشُوبٌ بعلقمِ

ولا شَهدُها إلا مشُوبٌ بعلقمِ

its companionship is but a hostage to loneliness;

And its intimacy is only hostage to loneliness

and its honey is but mingled with bitter colocynth.

And its sweetness only tainted with bitterness

فيا من يرى الدنيا مُجاجة نَحلَةٍ

فيا من يرى الدنيا مُجاجة نَحلَةٍ

ألا فاعتبرها فهي نَبتَة أرقَمِ

ألا فاعتبرها فهي نَبتَة أرقَمِ

So O you who see the world as a bee's spittle,

So O you who sees the world as the meadow of bees

take heed and learn from it: it is a speckled serpent's sprout.

Beware of it for it is a plant of colocynth

فمن شام منها اليوم برق تبسُّم

فمن شام منها اليوم برق تبسُّم

ففي الغد تلقاه بوجه جهنَّم

ففي الغد تلقاه بوجه جهنَّم

So whoever sights its lightning-flash of a smile today,

For whoever tastes today its smiling radiance

tomorrow it meets him with the face of Hell.

Tomorrow he will meet it with the face of Hell

فضاحكُها باكٍ وجَذلانُها شجٍ

فضاحكُها باكٍ وجَذلانُها شجٍ

وطالعُها هاوٍ ومُبصرها عَمِ

وطالعُها هاوٍ ومُبصرها عَمِ

So its laughing one weeps, and its joyful one grieves;

Its laughter is crying and its cuddling is raking

and its rising one falls, and its seeing one is blind.

And its destiny is abyss and its onlooker is blind

وسرّاؤها تفنى وضرّاؤها معاً

وسرّاؤها تفنى وضرّاؤها معاً

فكلتاهما طيفُ الخيالِ المُسَلَّمِ

فكلتاهما طيفُ الخيالِ المُسَلَّمِ

Its prosperity and its adversity perish together,

And its secret is vanishing and both its good and evil

for both are but a greeted phantom of fancy.

Are like mirages of imaginary images

سَطَت بملوك الأرض من بعد آدم

سَطَت بملوك الأرض من بعد آدم

تُبَدِّدُ منهم كلَّ شَملٍ مُنظم

تُبَدِّدُ منهم كلَّ شَملٍ مُنظم

It has assailed the kings of earth since Adam,

It has tempted the kings of earth after Adam

scattering every well-ordered gathering of theirs.

Dispersing their every organized unity

فكم من قصير قصَّرت شأو عُمره

فكم من قصير قصَّرت شأو عُمره

فخر صريعاً لليَدين وللفمِ

فخر صريعاً لليَدين وللفمِ

So how often it cut short the span of a short man's life,

So how many short lives it shortened

and he fell struck down, upon his hands and mouth!

Falling slain to the hands and mouth

وكم كسرت كِسرى وفضّت جيوشه

وكم كسرت كِسرى وفضّت جيوشه

فلم تحمِهِ منها كتائبُ رستُم

فلم تحمِهِ منها كتائبُ رستُم

And how often it shattered Kisra and dispersed his armies,

And how many Chosroes it broke and scattered their armies

yet Rustum's battalions could not protect him from it!

And Rostam's battalions did not protect them

ولو أنها ترعى إمام هداية

ولو أنها ترعى إمام هداية

لأعفَت علياً من حُسام ابن مُلجَمِ

لأعفَت علياً من حُسام ابن مُلجَمِ

And had it cared for an imam of guidance,

And if it respected the Imam of guidance

it would have spared 'Ali the sword of Ibn Muljam,

It would have spared Ali the sword of Ibn Muljam

وما قَتلت عثمان في جَوف داره

وما قَتلت عثمان في جَوف داره

فقدس من مُستَسلم ومُسلّمِ

فقدس من مُستَسلم ومُسلّمِ

and would not have killed 'Uthman within his house—

And it would not have killed Uthman in his house

so may he be hallowed, resigned and submitting!

Sanctified from one surrendered and submitting

وما أمكَنَت فيروز من عُمر الرِّضى

وما أمكَنَت فيروز من عُمر الرِّضى

فهدَّت من الإسلامِ أرفع مَعلمِ

فهدَّت من الإسلامِ أرفع مَعلمِ

Nor would it have given Firuz power over 'Umar the well-pleasing,

And it would not have enabled Feroz against Umar Al-Farooq

and thereby demolished Islam's loftiest landmark.

Thus destroying the highest symbol of Islam