أمthe mother of عيسىJesus نسبةa kinship bond واحدةone
أم عيسى نسبة واحدة
بثلاثin three تزدهىglories فاطمةFatimah
بثلاث تزدهى فاطمة
The mother of Jesus has but one bond of kinship;
The mother of Jesus has one bond of kinship;
in three does Fatima glory.
Fatimah glories in three.
قرةdelight of العينthe eye لخيرfor the best of الأولينthose of old
قرة العين لخير الأولين
خاتمthe Seal of الرسلthe messengers وخيرand the best of الآخرينthose to come
خاتم الرسل وخير الآخرين
She is the delight of the eye of the best of former generations:
The delight of the eyes of the best of those of old,
the Seal of the Messengers and the best of later generations—
The Seal of the Messengers and best of those to come,
نافخbreather of الروحthe spirit بدنياinto a world of الوهنweakness
نافخ الروح بدنيا الوهن
خالقcreator of العصرthe age جديدnew in السننways
خالق العصر جديد السنن
he who breathed spirit into a world of frailty,
Who breathed life into a world of weakness,
shaper of the age, renewer of its ways.
Creator of an age with new ways.
وهيand she زوجthe wife of المرتضىal-Murtada ذاthis البطلthe hero
وهي زوج المرتضى ذا البطل
أسدthe Lion of اللهGod الحكيمthe wise الفيصلthe decisive judge
أسد الله الحكيم الفيصل
And she is the wife of al-Murtada—that hero,
And she is the wife of al-Murtada, this hero,
the Lion of God, the wise and decisive arbiter:
The Lion of God, the wise and decisive judge.
ملكa king فيin الكوخthe hut زهداout of asceticism قدindeed أقامhe dwelt
ملك في الكوخ زهدا قد أقام
كلall ماthat يملكhe owns درعa coat of mail وحسامand a sword
كل ما يملك درع وحسام
a king who chose to dwell in a hut, renouncing the world;
A king who, in ascetic simplicity, dwelt in a hut;
all that he owned was a shield and a sword.
All he owned was a coat of mail and a sword.
وهيand she أمthe mother of السيدينthe two lords الأكرمينthe two noblest
وهي أم السيدين الأكرمين
حسنHasan خيرbest of حليمa forbearing man وحسينand Husayn
حسن خير حليم وحسين
And she is mother of the two most noble lords:
And she is mother to the two noblest lords:
Hasan, best of the forbearing, and Husayn.
Hasan, best of the forbearing, and Husayn.
ذاthis one سراجa lamp فيin ظلامthe darkness of الحرمthe sanctuary
ذا سراج في ظلام الحرم
حافظguardian of وحدةthe unity of خيرthe best of الأممnations
حافظ وحدة خير الأمم
The former was a lamp amid the Sanctuary’s darkness,
This one, a lamp in the sanctuary's darkness,
preserving the unity of the best of nations.
Guardian of the unity of the best of nations.
ازدرىhe scorned الملكkingship ابتغاءseeking الألفةconcord
ازدرى الملك ابتغاء الألفة
أطفأhe extinguished النيرانthe fires بينbetween الإخوةthe brothers
أطفأ النيران بين الإخوة
He renounced kingship in pursuit of concord
He scorned kingship in pursuit of concord;
and quenched the fires among the brothers.
He quenched the fires between brothers.
ذاكthat one فيamong الأبرارthe righteous ربmaster of العلمthe banner
ذاك في الأبرار رب العلم
أسوةa model for الأحرارthe free فيin الخطبaffliction العمىblinding
أسوة الأحرار في الخطب العمى
The latter, among the righteous, was a lord of resolve,
That one, the standard-bearer among the righteous,
an exemplar to free men amid all-encompassing calamity.
A model for the free in blinding affliction.
سيرةthe conduct of الأولادchildren صنعthe handiwork of الأمهاتmothers
سيرة الأولاد صنع الأمهات
وخلالand the traits of الخيرgoodness طبعthe imprint of الأمهاتmothers
وخلال الخير طبع الأمهات
Children’s character is the handiwork of mothers,
Children's conduct is the handiwork of mothers,
and virtuous traits bear mothers’ imprint.
And good qualities are the imprint of mothers.
زهرةa flower فيin روضةthe garden of الصدقtruthfulness البتولthe Chaste One
زهرة في روضة الصدق البتول
أسوةa model for النسوةwomen فيin الحقtruth البتولthe Chaste One
أسوة النسوة في الحق البتول
A flower in the garden of truth—the Chaste One,
The Chaste One is a flower in the garden of truthfulness;
the Chaste One, exemplar of women in righteousness.
In truth, the Chaste One is a model for women.
فاقةthe need of السائلthe beggar أذرتmade flow دمعهاher tears
فاقة السائل أذرت دمعها
ليهوديto a Jew أباعتshe sold درعهاher gown
ليهودي أباعت درعها
The beggar’s need made her tears fall;
The beggar's need made her tears flow;
to a Jew she sold her shield.
She sold her gown to a Jew.
كلall منwho فيon الأرضthe earth قدindeed طاعobeyed لهاto her
كل من في الأرض قد طاع لها
ورضاهاand her contentment حينwhen ترضىshe pleases بعلهاher husband
ورضاها حين ترضى بعلها
Everyone on earth had yielded to her,
All who were on earth obeyed her,
yet her delight lay in pleasing her husband.
And her contentment lay in pleasing her husband.
نشئتshe was raised ماwhat lies بينbetween صبرpatience ورضىand contentment
نشئت ما بين صبر ورضى
فيin الفمthe mouth القرآنthe Quran والكفand the hand الرحىthe millstone
في الفم القرآن والكف الرحى
She grew up amid patience and contentment,
She was raised amid patience and contentment,
the Qur’an upon her lips, the hand-mill in her palm.
The Quran on her lips, the millstone in her hand.
دمعهاher tears منfrom خشيةfear of اللهGod جرىflowed
دمعها من خشية الله جرى
فيin مصلاهاher place of prayer يفوقsurpasses الجوهراjewels
في مصلاها يفوق الجوهرا
Her tears flowed from reverent fear of God;
Her tears flowed from fear of God;
in her place of prayer, they outshone jewels.
In her place of prayer, they outshone jewels.
لقطgathered الروحthe Spirit الأمينthe trustworthy الدرراthe pearls
لقط الروح الأمين الدررا
وعلىand upon العرشthe Throne المعلىthe exalted نثراhe scattered
وعلى العرش المعلى نثرا
The Trusty Spirit gathered up those pearls
The Trustworthy Spirit gathered the pearls,
and scattered them upon the Exalted Throne.
And scattered them upon the exalted Throne.
أناI لولاwere it not that الشرعsacred law عنfrom هذاthis نهيforbade
أنا لولا الشرع عن هذا نهي
وإلىand to شرعthe law of الرسولthe Messenger المنتهىthe ultimate limit
وإلى شرع الرسول المنتهى
Were it not that sacred law forbade me this—
I, had sacred law not forbidden this—
and the Messenger’s law is the final authority—
And the Messenger's law is the final authority—
طفتI circled حولaround القبرthe grave إجلالاin reverence لهاfor her
طفت حول القبر إجلالا لها
ناثراstrewing منsome of سجداتيmy prostrations حولهاaround her
ناثرا من سجداتي حولها
I would circle the grave in reverence for her,
Would have circled the grave in reverence for her,
scattering some of my prostrations around her.
Strewing some of my prostrations around her.