شَجاكَ الحَيُّ إِذ بانوا

شَجاكَ الحَيُّ إِذ بانوا

فَدَمعُ العَينِ تَهتانُ

فَدَمعُ العَينِ تَهتانُ

The clan saddened you when they departed,

The living one has pained you when they left,

So the eye's tears pour down.

So the tears of the eyes flow confused.

وَفيهِم أَلعَسٌ أَغيَ

وَفيهِم أَلعَسٌ أَغيَ

دُ ساجي الطَرفِ وَسنانُ

دُ ساجي الطَرفِ وَسنانُ

And among them is a dark-lipped, graceful one,

Among them a doe-eyed gazelle,

With a tranquil gaze, drowsy.

Of smooth cheeks and shining teeth.

وَلَم أَنسَ وَقَد زُمَّت

وَلَم أَنسَ وَقَد زُمَّت

لَوَشكِ البَينِ أَظعانُ

لَوَشكِ البَينِ أَظعانُ

Nor have I forgotten, when they were bridled

I cannot forget though the separation is long,

For imminent parting—the caravan mounts—

The pangs of parting are severe.

وَقَد أَنهَبَني فاهُ

وَقَد أَنهَبَني فاهُ

وَوَلّى وَهوَ عَجلانُ

وَوَلّى وَهوَ عَجلانُ

How he had given me his mouth to plunder,

His mouth has plundered me,

And turned away in haste.

And he turned away hastening.

فَقُل في مَكرَعٍ عَذبٍ

فَقُل في مَكرَعٍ عَذبٍ

وَقَد وافاهُ عَطشانُ

وَقَد وافاهُ عَطشانُ

Then speak of a sweet drinking-place,

Say in a sweet meadow,

When a thirsty man has reached it,

Where a thirsty one meets it.

وَضَمٍّ لَم تُحَسِّنُهُ

وَضَمٍّ لَم تُحَسِّنُهُ

لَهُ في الريحِ أَغصانُ

لَهُ في الريحِ أَغصانُ

And an embrace that was not bettered

And a hug that is not made good,

For him by branches in the wind,

By the branches for him in the wind.

كَما ضَمَّ غَريقٌ سا

كَما ضَمَّ غَريقٌ سا

بِحاً وَالماءُ طَوفانُ

بِحاً وَالماءُ طَوفانُ

As a drowning man clutches a swimmer,

As a drowning clings to driftwood,

While the waters are in flood.

While the water is a deluge.

وَما خِفنا مِنَ الناسِ

وَما خِفنا مِنَ الناسِ

وَهَل في الناسِ إِنسانُ

وَهَل في الناسِ إِنسانُ

And we had no fear of people;

We did not fear people,

And is there a human being among them?

Is there really a human among people?

جَزَينا الأُمَويِّينَ

جَزَينا الأُمَويِّينَ

وَدِنّاهُم كَما دانوا

وَدِنّاهُم كَما دانوا

We requited the Umayyads,

We repaid the Umayyads,

And repaid them as they had repaid.

We made them as low as they made us.

وَذاقوا ثَمَرَ البَغيّ

وَذاقوا ثَمَرَ البَغيّ

وَخُنّاهُم كَما خانوا

وَخُنّاهُم كَما خانوا

And they tasted the fruit of oppression,

And they tasted the fruit of tyranny,

And we betrayed them as they had betrayed.

And we betrayed them as they betrayed us.

وَلِلخَيرِ وَلِلشَرِّ

وَلِلخَيرِ وَلِلشَرِّ

بِكَفِّ اللَهِ ميزانُ

بِكَفِّ اللَهِ ميزانُ

And for good and for evil,

For good and for evil,

There is a balance in God's hand.

In God's grasp is the scale.

وَلَولا نَحنُ قَد ضاعَ

وَلَولا نَحنُ قَد ضاعَ

دَمٌ بِالطَفَّ مَجّانُ

دَمٌ بِالطَفَّ مَجّانُ

And but for us, it would have gone to waste—

If not for us blood would be shed,

Blood at al-Taff, without recompense.

Uselessly and freely.

فَيا مَن عِندَهُ القَبرُ

فَيا مَن عِندَهُ القَبرُ

وَطينُ القَبرِ قُربانُ

وَطينُ القَبرِ قُربانُ

So O you in whose keeping lies the grave,

So O you for whom the grave,

And the grave's clay is an offering:

And clay of the grave is an offering.

بِأَسيافٍ لَكُم أَودى

بِأَسيافٍ لَكُم أَودى

حُسَينٌ وَهوَ ظَمآنُ

حُسَينٌ وَهوَ ظَمآنُ

By swords of yours perished

With swords for you Hussain fell,

Husayn, while he was parched.

Thirsty he was.

يُرى في وَجهِهِ الجَهمِ

يُرى في وَجهِهِ الجَهمِ

لِوَجهِ المَوتِ أَلوانُ

لِوَجهِ المَوتِ أَلوانُ

In his grim face are seen

In his frown of despair,

The colors of death's face.

Are the colors of death's face.

وَدَأبُ العَلَويِّينَ

وَدَأبُ العَلَويِّينَ

لَهُم جَحدٌ وَكُفرانُ

لَهُم جَحدٌ وَكُفرانُ

And the habit of the Alids

And the wont of Alawites,

Toward them is denial and ingratitude.

Is their ingratitude and unbelief.

فَهَلّا كانَ إِمساكٌ

فَهَلّا كانَ إِمساكٌ

إِذا لَم يَكُ إِحسانُ

إِذا لَم يَكُ إِحسانُ

Then why was there no restraint,

Why then withholding,

If there was no kindness?

When there is no benevolence?

يَلومونَهُمُ ظُلماً

يَلومونَهُمُ ظُلماً

فَهَلّا مِثلَهُم كانوا

فَهَلّا مِثلَهُم كانوا

They blame them unjustly;

They falsely blame them,

Why, then, were they not like them?

Why were they not like them?