أَسدٌa lion وَلكِنَّbut الكِلاthe dogs (word begins)
أَسدٌ وَلكِنَّ الكِلا
بَcompletes 'the dogs' تَعاوَرَتهُthey assailed him in turn بِالنِباحِwith barking
بَ تَعاوَرَتهُ بِالنِباحِ
A lion—but the dogs
A lion, but the dogs barked at him with howling,
assailed him in turn with barking.
They did not know their own misguidance,
لَمdid not يَعرِفواthey know لِضَلالِهِمbecause of their error
لَم يَعرِفوا لِضَلالِهِم
فَضلَthe superiority of الزَئيرِroaring عَلىover الصِياحِshouting
فَضلَ الزَئيرِ عَلى الصِياحِ
In their error, they did not know
The superiority of roaring over screaming,
the superiority of roaring over shouting.
And he called for withdrawal, when
وَدَعاand he called إِلىfor التَحيمِarbitration (uncertain reading) لَمwhen (word begins)
وَدَعا إِلى التَحيمِ لَم
ماcompletes 'when' عَضَّهُbit him حَدُّthe sharp point of الرِماحthe spears
ما عَضَّهُ حَدُّ الرِماح
And he called for [arbitration] when
The edge of spears did not bite him,
the spearpoints bit him.
So Abu Musa and Amr went
فَمَضىso he went forth أَبوfather of (Abū) موسىMūsā وَعَمand ʿAmr (name begins)
فَمَضى أَبو موسى وَعَم
روٌcompletes 'ʿAmr' جالِباbringing الشَرevil البراحِmanifest
روٌ جالِبا الشَر البراحِ
So Abū Mūsā and ʿAmr went forth,
Bringing constant harm.
bringing manifest evil.
Two gates were opened to
بابانِtwo gates قَدhave already فُتِحاbeen opened إِلىto
بابانِ قَد فُتِحا إِلى
شَرٍّevil يَدومendures عَلىin a state of اِنفِتاحِunfolding
شَرٍّ يَدوم عَلى اِنفِتاحِ
Two gates have been opened to
Evil that remains open.
evil that endures, ever unfolding.
They confirmed the order of the impudent one, increasing the words of the killer,
هُمthey أَكَّدواthey consolidated أَمرthe rule of الدَعِthe bastard (word begins)
هُم أَكَّدوا أَمر الدَعِ
يِّcompletes 'the bastard' يَزيدYazīd مَلفوظِspat forth by السفاحِfornication
يِّ يَزيد مَلفوظِ السفاحِ
They consolidated the rule of the bastard,
Who stretched over the soul of Al-Husayn and his family the entirety of injustice.
Yazīd, spat forth by fornication.
They slaughtered them, killed them,
فَسَطاthen he assailed عَلىagainst روحthe life of الحُسَيal-Ḥusayn (name begins)
فَسَطا عَلى روح الحُسَي
نِcompletes 'al-Ḥusayn' وَأَهلِهِand his family جَمَّgreat in الجماحِunruliness
نِ وَأَهلِهِ جَمَّ الجماحِ
Then he assailed the life of al-Ḥusayn
Slaughtering them like sacrifices.
and his family, wildly unbridled.
Oh tears, flow for the tragedy, then flow for the tragedy,
صَرَعوهُمُthey struck them down قَتَلوهُمُthey killed them
صَرَعوهُمُ قَتَلوهُمُ
نَحَروهُمُthey slaughtered them نَحرَas one slaughters الأَضاحيsacrificial animals
نَحَروهُمُ نَحرَ الأَضاحي
They struck them down; they killed them.
For the people of flow on the prayers and the people of flow on success.
They slaughtered them like sacrificial animals.
Yazid protects his women
ياO دَمعُtears حَيَّhasten! عَلىto اِنسِفاshedding (word begins)
يا دَمعُ حَيَّ عَلى اِنسِفا
كٍcompletes 'shedding' ثُمَّthen حَيَّhasten! عَلىto اِنسِفاحِpouring forth
كٍ ثُمَّ حَيَّ عَلى اِنسِفاحِ
O tears, hasten to be shed;
Among mattresses and veils.
then hasten to pour forth,
While the daughters of Ahmad were exposed
فيfor أَهلِthe people of حيَّhasten! علىto الصلاprayer (word begins)
في أَهلِ حيَّ على الصلا
ةِcompletes 'prayer' وَأَهلِand the people of حَيَّhasten! عَلىto الفَلاحِsalvation
ةِ وَأَهلِ حَيَّ عَلى الفَلاحِ
for the people of 'Hasten to prayer,'
To a sanctuary being violated.
and the people of 'Hasten to salvation.'
If only the wailings did not keep silent
يَحميprotects يَزيدُYazīd نِساءَهُhis women
يَحمي يَزيدُ نِساءَهُ
بَينَamid النَضائِدِthe piled cushions وَالوِشاحِand the sash
بَينَ النَضائِدِ وَالوِشاحِ
Yazīd protects his women
From crying and screaming,
amid piled cushions and sashes,
Oh my masters, my love is for you
وَبناتُand the daughters of أَحمَدAḥmad قَدhave already كُشِفbeen unveiled (verb begins)
وَبناتُ أَحمَد قَد كُشِف
نَthey (feminine plural ending) عَلىwithin حَريمٍan inviolable household مُستَباحviolated
نَ عَلى حَريمٍ مُستَباح
while Aḥmad's daughters have been unveiled
And it is calling for your praise,
within a violated sanctuary.
And with the mention of your superiority my morning begins
لَيتَwould that النَوائِحَthe mourning women ماnot سَكَتfell silent (verb begins)
لَيتَ النَوائِحَ ما سَكَت
نَthey (feminine plural ending) عَنfrom النِياحَةِwailing وَالصِياحand cries
نَ عَن النِياحَةِ وَالصِياح
Would that the mourning women never ceased
And every day I excel.
their wailing and cries.
Adhere to Ibn 'Abbad and sincerity to you
ياO ساداتيmy masters لَكُمُto you وداlove (word begins)
يا ساداتي لَكُمُ ودا
ديmy (completes 'my love') وَهوand it داعِيَةthe motive for اِمتِداحيmy praise
دي وَهو داعِيَة اِمتِداحي
O my masters, my love is yours,
Is most evident without slander.
and it is the motive for my praise.
وَبِذكرِand through recalling فَضلِكُمُyour excellence اِغتِباevening draught (word begins)
وَبِذكرِ فَضلِكُمُ اِغتِبا
قيmy (completes 'my evening draught') كلَّevery يَومٍday وَاِصطِباحيand my morning draught
قي كلَّ يَومٍ وَاِصطِباحي
And remembrance of your excellence is my evening draught
each day, and my morning draught.
لزمَheld fast to اِبنson of (Ibn) عبادٍʿAbbād وَلاloyalty (word begins)
لزمَ اِبن عبادٍ وَلا
ءكُمُto you (completes 'loyalty to you') الصَريحَthe sincere بِلاwithout براحdeparture
ءكُمُ الصَريحَ بِلا براح
Ibn ʿAbbād has held fast to allegiance to you—
sincere, never departing.
Partial English translation: 27 of 32 Arabic lines translated.