أَسيغوا البثَّ واحتبسوا الزَّفيرا

أَسيغوا البثَّ واحتبسوا الزَّفيرا

وَإِنْ ملأَ الجوانحَ والصُّدورا

وَإِنْ ملأَ الجوانحَ والصُّدورا

Swallow your anguish and hold back your sighs,

Restrain your tears and hold back your sighs

Though it fills your ribs and breasts.

Though grief fills your heart and your chest

فما يرضي الحسين بأَن تطيشوا

فما يرضي الحسين بأَن تطيشوا

وَإن كان المصابُ به كبيرا

وَإن كان المصابُ به كبيرا

For al-Husayn is not pleased by your losing self-control,

Al-Husayn is not pleased when you lose control

Though the calamity of his loss is great.

Though the tragedy was undoubtedly severe

فصبراً واستمدوا منه روحاً

فصبراً واستمدوا منه روحاً

تعيدُ جَزوعكم جَلْداً صبورا

تعيدُ جَزوعكم جَلْداً صبورا

So be patient, and draw from him a spirit

So show patience and draw strength from him

That makes the fainthearted among you steadfast and patient.

To restore your calm and make you steadfast

أَلم يكن أُسوةً في كلِّ خطبٍ

أَلم يكن أُسوةً في كلِّ خطبٍ

يدكُّ بهولِ هدَّته (ثبيرا)

يدكُّ بهولِ هدَّته (ثبيرا)

Was he not an example in every calamity

Was he not exemplary in every ordeal?

Whose dreadful crash could shatter Thabir?

Bearing his terrible fate with resilience

عَلَى أَنَّ (الحسينَ) وَإِنْ نعوه

عَلَى أَنَّ (الحسينَ) وَإِنْ نعوه

كتابٌ بالخلودِ غدا جديرا

كتابٌ بالخلودِ غدا جديرا

Yet al-Husayn, though they have announced his death,

Though they killed Al-Husayn, his name

Is a book that has become worthy of immortality.

Will live forever in eternal glory

صحائفُه المجيدةُ ليس تُطوى

صحائفُه المجيدةُ ليس تُطوى

عَلَى الأيامِ بل تَطوي العصورا

عَلَى الأيامِ بل تَطوي العصورا

His glorious pages are not folded away

His noble pages will not be folded away

As days pass; rather, they fold the ages away.

But rather unfold to encompass the ages

فيا رمزَ الحياةِ أَفضْ علينا

فيا رمزَ الحياةِ أَفضْ علينا

عزائمَ في الشدائدِ لَنْ تخورا

عزائمَ في الشدائدِ لَنْ تخورا

So, O symbol of life, pour upon us

O symbol of life, inspire in us

Resolves that will not falter amid hardships.

Unwavering courage in times of distress

تمطّى ليلُ محنتِنا فلمّا

تمطّى ليلُ محنتِنا فلمّا

سفرتَ سفرتَ صبحاً مستنيرا

سفرتَ سفرتَ صبحاً مستنيرا

The night of our ordeal stretched on, and when

The night of our torment grew long but then

You emerged, you emerged as a radiant dawn.

You rose like the dawn, bright and luminous

وَكدنا ندفنُ الآمالَ حتى

وَكدنا ندفنُ الآمالَ حتى

أَهَبْتَ بنا فكنتَ لها نُشورا

أَهَبْتَ بنا فكنتَ لها نُشورا

And we almost buried our hopes, until

We almost buried hope until you came

You roused us, and became their resurrection.

And resurrected it, giving rebirth

صدقتَ فكنتَ أَوفى الناسِ عهداً

صدقتَ فكنتَ أَوفى الناسِ عهداً

وَأَنقاهم وَأطهرَهم ضميرا

وَأَنقاهم وَأطهرَهم ضميرا

You were true, and were the most faithful of all in keeping pledges,

You were true to your covenant, the most faithful

And the purest and most stainless in conscience.

The purest and most honest person on earth

ظللتَ عَلَى الصراحةِ حين راغوا

ظللتَ عَلَى الصراحةِ حين راغوا

وَوَفَّيْتَ المواثقَ والنذورا

وَوَفَّيْتَ المواثقَ والنذورا

You remained forthright when they evaded,

You stood by truth when others betrayed it

And fulfilled the covenants and vows.

And kept your promises and vows

فلما أيسروا خذلوك بَغْيا

فلما أيسروا خذلوك بَغْيا

وَكنتَ لهمْ بشدَّتِهم نصيرا

وَكنتَ لهمْ بشدَّتِهم نصيرا

Then, when they prospered, they wrongfully deserted you,

When they broke faith out of hatred

Though you had been their champion in their hardship.

You still stood by them as their ally

وَليس عليك إنْ نكثوا وَخانوا

وَليس عليك إنْ نكثوا وَخانوا

وليس عليك إنْ وَعَدوك زورا

وليس عليك إنْ وَعَدوك زورا

No blame rests on you if they broke faith and betrayed,

It is not your fault that they broke their word

Nor does blame rest on you if they made you false promises.

Or made promises to you they didn't keep

هَوَيْتَ فزدتَ يومَ هويتَ قدراً

هَوَيْتَ فزدتَ يومَ هويتَ قدراً

وَلم يك فوزَهمْ إلاّ غرورا

وَلم يك فوزَهمْ إلاّ غرورا

You fell, yet on the day you fell you rose in stature,

The day you fell only raised your worth

And their victory was nothing but delusion.

While their triumph was but a deceit

فكنتَ ككفَّةٍ رجحتْ وَفاءً

فكنتَ ككفَّةٍ رجحتْ وَفاءً

وَكانوا كفَّةً شالتْ خفورا

وَكانوا كفَّةً شالتْ خفورا

You were like a scale-pan weighed down by fidelity,

You were like a scale weighted with loyalty

And they a scale-pan that rose through broken faith.

While they were a scale weighted with treachery

هويتَ فكنتَ صاعقةً عليهمْ

هويتَ فكنتَ صاعقةً عليهمْ

تشبُّ عَلَى مطامِعهمْ سعيرا

تشبُّ عَلَى مطامِعهمْ سعيرا

You fell, becoming a thunderbolt upon them,

You fell and were like lightning upon them

That kindles a blaze upon their ambitions.

Igniting their greed and avarice aflame

كذاك السيفُ أَمضى وَهو هاوٍ

كذاك السيفُ أَمضى وَهو هاوٍ

وَأَقطع مضرباً منه شهيرا

وَأَقطع مضرباً منه شهيرا

So too a sword is keener as it falls,

Thus the sword is most effective when falling

And sharper in its stroke than when held aloft.

And the most famous blows are those it lays

حكيتَ (محمَّداً) لمّا أَتته

حكيتَ (محمَّداً) لمّا أَتته

قريشٌ تبذلُ المالَ الكثيرا

قريشٌ تبذلُ المالَ الكثيرا

You resembled Muhammad when there came to him

You told how the Quraysh approached Muhammad

Quraysh, offering abundant wealth.

Offering him immense wealth and property,

فقالوا خلّ ما تدعو إليه

فقالوا خلّ ما تدعو إليه

وَكنْ إنْ شئتَ ملكاً أَو أميرا

وَكنْ إنْ شئتَ ملكاً أَو أميرا

They said, 'Abandon what you call people to,

Saying: "Desist from your preaching,

And be, if you wish, a king or a prince.'

And you can be king or ruler if you wish."

فقال وَعينه بالدَّمع شكرى

فقال وَعينه بالدَّمع شكرى

يروّي دمعُها الأملَ النَّضيرا

يروّي دمعُها الأملَ النَّضيرا

He replied, his eye brimming with tears,

He replied, with tears of thanks in his eyes

Its tears watering flourishing hope:

Watering the sapling of hope:

أَما واللهِ ربي لو وَضعتمْ

أَما واللهِ ربي لو وَضعتمْ

بكفي الشمسَ والقمرَ المنيرا

بكفي الشمسَ والقمرَ المنيرا

'Indeed, by God my Lord, if you placed

"By God, even if you placed the sun and moon

In my hands the sun and the radiant moon,

Directly into my hands,

لمّا خَلَّيْتُ ما أدعو إليه

لمّا خَلَّيْتُ ما أدعو إليه

وَلو إدراكُهُ أَمسى عسيرا

وَلو إدراكُهُ أَمسى عسيرا

I would not abandon what I call people to,

I would not abandon my preaching

Even if attaining it became difficult.'

Even if attaining it seemed difficult.

أبا الأملاك إنَّكَ طودُ عزٍ

أبا الأملاك إنَّكَ طودُ عزٍ

يردُّ الطرفَ من زيغٍ حسيرا

يردُّ الطرفَ من زيغٍ حسيرا

O Father of Kings, you are a mountain of glory,

O Master of Kingship, you are a pillar of glory

That sends the straying gaze back exhausted.

That turns away from deviance and disgrace."

أَعدتَ لنا (أَبا الحسنين) كَهْلا

أَعدتَ لنا (أَبا الحسنين) كَهْلا

وَشيخاً شيبة الحمد الوقورا

وَشيخاً شيبة الحمد الوقورا

You brought Abu al-Hasanayn back to us in mature manhood,

For us, you prepared Ali in his old age

And, in old age, venerable Shaybat al-Hamd.

A venerable elder with hair white as light,

وَجلَّلك المشيبُ فكان تاجاً

وَجلَّلك المشيبُ فكان تاجاً

يفيض جلالة وَهدى وَنورا

يفيض جلالة وَهدى وَنورا

Gray hair cloaked you, becoming a crown

And the white hair made his crown more lustrous,

Pouring forth majesty, guidance, and light.

Radiating majesty, guidance and light.

وَأشبهتَ (الوصيَّ) أَباك بأْساً

وَأشبهتَ (الوصيَّ) أَباك بأْساً

وَجدَّك (أحمداً) كرماً وَخيرا

وَجدَّك (أحمداً) كرماً وَخيرا

And in valor you resembled the Legatee, your forefather,

You made your Successor like your father in valor

And your grandsire Ahmad in generosity and goodness.

And your goodness resembled Ahmad's nobility.

خلعتَ الملكَ عَنْ كتفيك لمّا

خلعتَ الملكَ عَنْ كتفيك لمّا

بدا لك ثوبُه ضَيْقاً قصيرا

بدا لك ثوبُه ضَيْقاً قصيرا

You stripped kingship from your shoulders when

When kingship seemed to you too constricting,

Its robe seemed to you too narrow and too short.

You cast it off as a garment too tight and short.

تبوأْتَ القلوبَ سريرَ ملكٍ

تبوأْتَ القلوبَ سريرَ ملكٍ

غداة بذلتَ تاجَك والسريرا

غداة بذلتَ تاجَك والسريرا

You took hearts as a royal throne

You claimed the hearts as your throne

On the morning you relinquished your crown and throne.

When you removed your crown and throne.

ركلتَ التّاجَ لا ترضاه غلاّ

ركلتَ التّاجَ لا ترضاه غلاّ

وَغيرُك يعقدون التّاجَ نيرا

وَغيرُك يعقدون التّاجَ نيرا

You kicked away the crown, refusing it as a shackle,

You spurned the crown, deeming it an affliction,

While others bind the crown on as a yoke.

While others bind crowns on themselves like shackles.

وَربَّ مملَّكين علوا عروشاً

وَربَّ مملَّكين علوا عروشاً

كأَنهموا بها نزلوا قبورا

كأَنهموا بها نزلوا قبورا

And many crowned rulers have ascended thrones

How many monarchs have mounted their thrones

As though through them they descended into graves.

As if descending into their graves!

أَروني في أديمهمُ مصحاً

أَروني في أديمهمُ مصحاً

أَكنْ لهمُ (الفرزدق) أَو (جريرا)

أَكنْ لهمُ (الفرزدق) أَو (جريرا)

Show me one sound patch in their skin,

Show me among their finery and pomp

And I will be their al-Farazdaq or Jarir.

A Farazdaq or Jarir in their midst!

رضيتَ بأنْ تكون وَأنتَ حرٌ

رضيتَ بأنْ تكون وَأنتَ حرٌ

لتنقذنا وَتفدينا أَسيرا

لتنقذنا وَتفدينا أَسيرا

You consented, though a free man, to become

You chose to be free though it made you captive,

A captive, to save us and ransom us.

So you could save us and redeem the prisoners.

فكنتَ وأنتَ مأْسورٌ عزيزاً

فكنتَ وأنتَ مأْسورٌ عزيزاً

(كقيصر) (والرشيد) (وَأزدشيرا)

(كقيصر) (والرشيد) (وَأزدشيرا)

Thus, even in captivity, you were mighty,

Though captive you were noble and mighty

Like Caesar, al-Rashid, and Azdashir.

Like Caesar, Hisham and Anushirvan.

غضبتَ (لثالثِ الحرمين) حياً

غضبتَ (لثالثِ الحرمين) حياً

فكنتَ لحفظه سيفاً طريرا

فكنتَ لحفظه سيفاً طريرا

In life you rose in anger for the third holy sanctuary,

You raged for the Prophet's sake while alive

And became a keen-edged sword in its defense.

And were like an unsheathed sword in his defense.

وما أَغفلته ميْتاً ولكنْ

وما أَغفلته ميْتاً ولكنْ

ربضتَ ببابه أسداً هصورا

ربضتَ ببابه أسداً هصورا

Nor did you neglect it in death; instead,

You did not neglect him after death, but rather

You crouched at its gate, a mighty lion.

Crouched at his tomb like a snarling lion.

تقدسَّ حين قبَّل نعل طه

تقدسَّ حين قبَّل نعل طه

وضمَّك تربُه فغدا عبيرا

وضمَّك تربُه فغدا عبيرا

It became hallowed when it kissed Taha's sandal,

You were sanctified when Taha's shoes

And its soil embraced you, becoming perfume.

And earth kissed you and became fragrant.

سعيتَ وما بلغت مناك لكنْ

سعيتَ وما بلغت مناك لكنْ

شرعتَ لنا الطَّريقَ فَلَنْ نجورا

شرعتَ لنا الطَّريقَ فَلَنْ نجورا

You strove, and did not attain your desire; yet

You strove though you did not reach your goal,

You opened the road for us, and we shall not stray.

But charted the path so we will never stray.