نَامَ العُيُونُ وَدَمْعُ عَيْنِكَ يَهْمُلُ

نَامَ العُيُونُ وَدَمْعُ عَيْنِكَ يَهْمُلُ

سَحّاً كَمَا وَكَفَ الطّبَابُ المُخْضَلُ

سَحّاً كَمَا وَكَفَ الطّبَابُ المُخْضَلُ

Eyes have fallen asleep, while tears from your eye stream,

The eyes slept while your tears neglected

In torrents, as the drenched seam of a waterskin leaks.

To flow steadily as the splint restricted the fractured bone

في لَيْلَةٍ وَرَدَتْ عَلَيَّ هُمُومُهَا

في لَيْلَةٍ وَرَدَتْ عَلَيَّ هُمُومُهَا

طَوْراً أحِنُّ وَتَارَةً أتَمَلْمَلُ

طَوْراً أحِنُّ وَتَارَةً أتَمَلْمَلُ

On a night whose sorrows came upon me,

On a night when its sorrows fell upon me

Now I moan with longing, now I toss and turn.

At times I sigh, at others I writhe

واعتَادَني حُزْنق فِبِتُّ كَأَنَّني

واعتَادَني حُزْنق فِبِتُّ كَأَنَّني

بِبَنَاتِ نَعْشٍ والسّمَاكِ مُوكَّلُ

بِبَنَاتِ نَعْشٍ والسّمَاكِ مُوكَّلُ

And grief revisited me, so I spent the night as though I were

My grief has accustomed me, so I stay like

Charged with watching Banat Naʿsh and al-Simak.

I am entrusted with the daughters of a bier and the lofty sky

وكَأَنّما بَيْنَ الجَوَانِحِ والحَشَى

وكَأَنّما بَيْنَ الجَوَانِحِ والحَشَى

ممّا تَأْوَّبني شِهابٌ مُدْخِلُ

ممّا تَأْوَّبني شِهابٌ مُدْخِلُ

And it was as though, between my ribs and my innards,

As if between my chest and guts

A firebrand had been thrust in by what returned to haunt me,

A flaming meteor entered me

وَجْداً عَلَى النَّفَرِ الذينَ تَتَابَعُوا

وَجْداً عَلَى النَّفَرِ الذينَ تَتَابَعُوا

يوماً بمؤتةَ أُسْنِدُوا لم يُنقَلُوا

يوماً بمؤتةَ أُسْنِدُوا لم يُنقَلُوا

In anguish for the men who followed one another,

Anguish for the regiment that succeeded each other

One day at Muʾtah, where they were laid and not carried away.

One day at Mu'tah, they were supported but did not retreat

صلّى الإلهُ عَليهِمُ مِنْ فِتْنَةٍ

صلّى الإلهُ عَليهِمُ مِنْ فِتْنَةٍ

وَسَقَى عِظَامَهُمُ الغَمَامُ المُسْبَلُ

وَسَقَى عِظَامَهُمُ الغَمَامُ المُسْبَلُ

May God bless them, [shielding them] from trial,

May God protect them from ordeals

And may the pouring clouds water their bones.

And may the pouring clouds water their bones

صَبَرُوا بِمُؤْتَةَ للإلهِ نُفُوسَهُمْ

صَبَرُوا بِمُؤْتَةَ للإلهِ نُفُوسَهُمْ

حَذَرَى الرَّدى وَمَخَافَةً أن يَنْكُلُوا

حَذَرَى الرَّدى وَمَخَافَةً أن يَنْكُلُوا

At Muʾtah they held their souls steadfast for God,

They endured with patience at Mu'tah, risking their souls for God

In dread of ruin, and fear that they might shrink back.

Fearing devastation and afraid to recoil

فَمَضَوْا أَمَامَ المُسْلِمينَ كَأَنَّهُمْ

فَمَضَوْا أَمَامَ المُسْلِمينَ كَأَنَّهُمْ

فُنُقٌ عَلَيْهِنَّ الحديدُ المُرفَلُ

فُنُقٌ عَلَيْهِنَّ الحديدُ المُرفَلُ

So they advanced ahead of the Muslims, as though they were

They went ahead of the Muslims as if

Prized camels draped in trailing iron armor.

Their swords were iron rods twisted

إذْ يَهْتَدُونَ بجَعْفَرٍ وَلِوَائِهِ

إذْ يَهْتَدُونَ بجَعْفَرٍ وَلِوَائِهِ

قُدَّامَ أَوَّلِهِمْ فِنِعْمَ الأوَّلُ

قُدَّامَ أَوَّلِهِمْ فِنِعْمَ الأوَّلُ

As they were guided by Jaʿfar and his banner,

As they followed Ja'far and his standards

Ahead of their foremost—what an excellent leader!

With him ahead, an excellent vanguard

حتّى تَفَرَّجَتِ الصَفُوفُ وَجَعْفَرٌ

حتّى تَفَرَّجَتِ الصَفُوفُ وَجَعْفَرٌ

حَيْثُ التَقَى وَعْثُ الصّفوفِ مجَدَّلُ

حَيْثُ التَقَى وَعْثُ الصّفوفِ مجَدَّلُ

Until the ranks parted, and Jaʿfar

Until the ranks disengaged and Ja'far

Lay slain where the tangled ranks met.

Where the ranks converged was mangled

فتَغَيَّرَ القَمَرُ المُنِيرُ لِفَقْدِهِ

فتَغَيَّرَ القَمَرُ المُنِيرُ لِفَقْدِهِ

والشّمْسُ قد كُسِفَتْ وكَادَتْ تأفلُ

والشّمْسُ قد كُسِفَتْ وكَادَتْ تأفلُ

Then the radiant moon changed at his loss,

So the shining moon darkened due to his loss

And the sun was eclipsed and nearly set.

The eclipsed sun nearly disappeared

قَرْمٌ عَلاَ بُنْيَانُهُ مِنْ هَاشِمٍ

قَرْمٌ عَلاَ بُنْيَانُهُ مِنْ هَاشِمٍ

فَرْعاً أشَمَّ وَسُؤْدداً مَا يُنقَلُ

فَرْعاً أشَمَّ وَسُؤْدداً مَا يُنقَلُ

A noble chief whose edifice towered from Hashim—

A branch of Hashim stood firmly

A lofty branch, with an eminence that cannot be displaced.

A most fragrant, lofty summit not transferred

قومٌ بِهِمْ عَصَمَ الإلهُ عِبَادَهُ

قومٌ بِهِمْ عَصَمَ الإلهُ عِبَادَهُ

وَعَلَيْهِمُ نَزَلَ الكِتَابُ المُنْزَلُ

وَعَلَيْهِمُ نَزَلَ الكِتَابُ المُنْزَلُ

A people through whom God protected His servants,

A people God protected through them His servants

And upon whom the revealed Book descended.

And upon them the Book was revealed

فَضُلُوا المَعَاشِرَ عِزَّةً وتَكَرُّماً

فَضُلُوا المَعَاشِرَ عِزَّةً وتَكَرُّماً

وتَغَمَّدَتْ أَحْلاَمُهُمْ مَنْ يَجْهَلُ

وتَغَمَّدَتْ أَحْلاَمُهُمْ مَنْ يَجْهَلُ

They surpassed the clans in dignity and generosity,

They surpassed people in honor and nobility

And their forbearance embraced the ignorant.

And their dreams envelop those who are ignorant

لا يُطلِقُونَ إلى السَّفَاهِ حُبَاهُمُ

لا يُطلِقُونَ إلى السَّفَاهِ حُبَاهُمُ

ويُرى خَطِيبُهُمُ بِحَقٍّ يَفْصِلُ

ويُرى خَطِيبُهُمُ بِحَقٍّ يَفْصِلُ

They do not loosen their knee-bands for folly,

They do not give their talents to the foolish

And their orator is seen judging justly.

And their speaker is seen to judge with truth

يا هَاشِماً إِنَّ الإلهَ حَبَاكُمُ

يا هَاشِماً إِنَّ الإلهَ حَبَاكُمُ

مَا لَيْسَ يبلغُهُ اللّسَانُ المِقْصَلُ

مَا لَيْسَ يبلغُهُ اللّسَانُ المِقْصَلُ

O Hashim, God has indeed bestowed upon you

O Hashimite, God has granted you

What no sharp tongue can express.

What no glib tongue can attain

قَوْمٌ لأَصْلِهِمْ السّيَادَةُ كُلُّهَا

قَوْمٌ لأَصْلِهِمْ السّيَادَةُ كُلُّهَا

قِدْماً وَفَرْعُهُمُ النّبِيُّ المُرْسَلُ

قِدْماً وَفَرْعُهُمُ النّبِيُّ المُرْسَلُ

A people to whose root all lordship belongs,

A people, all supremacy was made their origin

From ancient times—and whose branch is the Prophet sent forth.

And their offspring, the Prophet sent

بِيضُ الوُجُوهِ تَرضى بُطُونَ أَكُفِّهِمْ

بِيضُ الوُجُوهِ تَرضى بُطُونَ أَكُفِّهِمْ

تَنْدَى إذَا اعتَذَرَ الزّمانُ المُمْحِلُ

تَنْدَى إذَا اعتَذَرَ الزّمانُ المُمْحِلُ

Fair of face—you delight in the palms of their hands,

Fair of face, their palms satisfied when

Dripping bounty when drought-stricken time makes excuses.

The time was harsh and difficult

وَبِهَدْيِهِمْ رَضِيَ الإلهُ لِخَلْقِهِ

وَبِهَدْيِهِمْ رَضِيَ الإلهُ لِخَلْقِهِ

وَبِجَدِّهِمْ نُصِرَ النّبيُّ المُرْسَلُ

وَبِجَدِّهِمْ نُصِرَ النّبيُّ المُرْسَلُ

And God approved their guidance for His creation,

And by their guidance, God was pleased for His creation

And through their might the Prophet sent forth was granted victory.

And by their striving, the Prophet sent was victorious