يا ابنَ الفَواطمِ خَيرِ الناسِ كلِّهِمُ

يا ابنَ الفَواطمِ خَيرِ الناسِ كلِّهِمُ

عِندَ الفخارِ وَأَولاهُم بِتَطهيرِ

عِندَ الفخارِ وَأَولاهُم بِتَطهيرِ

O son of the Fatimas, best of all people,

O son of the noble ones, the best of all people

in glory, and most worthy of purification.

With clay jugs, and the foremost in purification

إِنّي لحاملُ عذري ثم ناشِرُهُ

إِنّي لحاملُ عذري ثم ناشِرُهُ

وَلَيسَ يَنفَعُ عذرٌ غيرُ تَشويرِ

وَلَيسَ يَنفَعُ عذرٌ غيرُ تَشويرِ

I surely bear my excuse, and then proclaim it;

I bear my excuse, then spread it out plainly

and no excuse avails without self-abasement.

No excuse avails but misleading speech

وَحالفٌ بِيَمينٍ غيرِ كاذِبَةٍ

وَحالفٌ بِيَمينٍ غيرِ كاذِبَةٍ

بِاللَهِ وَالبُدنِ إِذ كُبَّت لتنحيرِ

بِاللَهِ وَالبُدنِ إِذ كُبَّت لتنحيرِ

And I swear an oath that is not false,

I swore a true oath, not deceitful

by God and the sacrificial camels cast down for slaughter,

By God, the bodies, when rolled in the dust

وَبالمَشاعِرِ أَعلاها وَأَسفلِها

وَبالمَشاعِرِ أَعلاها وَأَسفلِها

وَبيتِ ربٍّ باجيادينَ مَعمورِ

وَبيتِ ربٍّ باجيادينَ مَعمورِ

and by the sacred sites, their highest and their lowest,

And by the sacred places, above and below

and by the Lord's House, well frequented at Ajyadayn.

And the House of a Lord, populated and prosperous

لَقَد أَتَاكَ العِدى عَنّي بِفاحِشَةٍ

لَقَد أَتَاكَ العِدى عَنّي بِفاحِشَةٍ

مِنهُم فَرَوها بأسيافٍ وَتَكثيرِ

مِنهُم فَرَوها بأسيافٍ وَتَكثيرِ

Indeed, the enemies have brought you a shameful charge about me,

Indeed the enemies have come to you with terrible slander

one they themselves fabricated, with swords and exaggeration.

Spread by them with swords and great numbers

لا تَسمَعَنَّ بِنا إِفكاً وَلا كَذِباً

لا تَسمَعَنَّ بِنا إِفكاً وَلا كَذِباً

ياذا الحفاظِ وَذي النعماءِ وَالخِيَرِ

ياذا الحفاظِ وَذي النعماءِ وَالخِيَرِ

Never heed slander or lies about us,

Do not listen to any lies or falsehoods about us

O possessor of honor, bounty, and goodness,

O you of protection, favor and goodness

وَالمُستَعان إِذا ما أَزمَةٌ أَزمت

وَالمُستَعان إِذا ما أَزمَةٌ أَزمت

بناجِذيها عَلى الحَدْبِ الحَدابيرِ

بناجِذيها عَلى الحَدْبِ الحَدابيرِ

and you whose aid is sought when famine bites

The helper when crises come pressing

with its molars into the hump-backed, emaciated camels.

With its talons upon the lofty, high places

لَم يوصِني اللَهُ إِذ أَوصى بِبَعضكُمُ

لَم يوصِني اللَهُ إِذ أَوصى بِبَعضكُمُ

وَلا النَبيُّ الَّذي يَهدي إِلى النورِ

وَلا النَبيُّ الَّذي يَهدي إِلى النورِ

God did not charge me when He enjoined concerning some of you,

God did not advise me, when He counseled some of you

nor did the Prophet who guides to the light.

Nor the Prophet who guides to the light

قُتِلتُ إِن كانَ حَقاً ثُمَّ كانَ دَمِي

قُتِلتُ إِن كانَ حَقاً ثُمَّ كانَ دَمِي

إِلى وَليٍّ ضَعيفٍ غَيرِ مَنصورِ

إِلى وَليٍّ ضَعيفٍ غَيرِ مَنصورِ

May I be slain if it is true, and may my blood then be left

I am killed if it is true, and my blood

to a weak avenger, with no one to support him.

Flows to a weak guardian, unsustained

وَاللَهِ لَو كانَ أَن تَرضى فراقَ يدي

وَاللَهِ لَو كانَ أَن تَرضى فراقَ يدي

فارقتُها بعتيقِ الحدِّ مَطرورِ

فارقتُها بعتيقِ الحدِّ مَطرورِ

And by God, if parting with my hand would please you,

By God, if it were that you approved my hands being cut off

I would part with it by an ancient blade, honed sharp.

I would sever them with a polished, sharpened blade

أَو بقرُ بَطني جهاراً قمتُ أَبقرُهُ

أَو بقرُ بَطني جهاراً قمتُ أَبقرُهُ

حتَّى يُعالَجَ منِّي بَطنُ مَبقورِ

حتَّى يُعالَجَ منِّي بَطنُ مَبقورِ

Or if openly slitting my belly pleased you, I would rise and slit it,

Or disembowel myself openly, and disembowel

until my slit-open belly was tended.

My belly completely till it was treated, torn open

أَو قطَّعَ الأَكحَل المغترّ قاطِعهُ

أَو قطَّعَ الأَكحَل المغترّ قاطِعهُ

أعذرتُ فيهِ وَلَم أَحفَل لِتَغريرِ

أعذرتُ فيهِ وَلَم أَحفَل لِتَغريرِ

Or if you wished the median arm-vein severed—its cutter unwary—

Or if the kohl pencil, when it offends, its cutter

I would do my utmost in it, and pay no heed to the risk.

Cut it off, I would excuse it and not heed the misleading