Aras Bardh Iltufuf (A Wedding Upon the Lands of Karbala)

عرس بأرض الطفوف

A wedding upon the land of al-Tufuf (Karbala)

فرح بين الحتوف

Joy amidst the deaths

الهلاهل للسيوف

The ululations are for the swords

مضاربهن رنين

Their blows ring out

نزل للحومة شاب

A young man descended into the battle

على هيئة عذاب

In the form of torment

قره بأول خطاب

His very first words were

حبيبي يا حسين

"My beloved, O Husayn"

حسين، طلعت من روحه

Husayn, he came forth from your very soul

حسين، تم فرض جروحه

Husayn, with him your wounds reached their full measure

حسين، حسين

Husayn, Husayn

هلا مدلل عمامه

Welcome, his uncle's cherished one

هلا بهاي الوسامة

Welcome this beautiful charm

هلا بوحي الجمال الهاشمي الما ينخفي

Welcome the revelation of Hashemite beauty that cannot be hidden

عطر من خيمه طالع

A fragrance rose from the tent

فشل دور البراگع

The veils failed at their task

ضوه يضاهي الشمس، وين الشمس خل تنطفي

A light that rivals the sun, where is the sun? Let it go out

جميل، حومته بحسنه غزاها

Beautiful, he conquered the battlefield with his beauty

جميل، غازلت شعره بهواها

Beautiful, the breeze brushed softly through his hair

جميل، صورة بيها للجمال

Beautiful, an image in which beauty…

بلغ آخر كمال، حسيني الخصال

Reached its final perfection, like Husayn in his qualities

شجاع، تمشي ويا هاشميته

Brave, courage walks with his Hashemite blood

شجاع، الحسن غارس حميته

Brave, al-Hasan planted his protective zeal within him

شجاع، علي جده الأمير

Brave, Ali the Commander is his grandfather

منو مثله يغير؟ حچه من الأخير

Who can charge like him? He spoke, and left no word unsaid

حرب نار وحديد

War was fire and iron

وبعث إلها بريد

And he sent war a message

يشد شسعه يريد

He only wants to fasten his sandal strap

ولا باله القتال

The fighting does not even occupy his mind

إله بحربه طقوس

He has rituals of his own in battle

المعاره التحني روس

In the battle that bows heads

حسبها أجمل عروس

He saw the battle as the most beautiful bride

وخذاها ابن الرجال

And the son of brave men achieved his prize

حسين، أذن وطب ليها

Husayn gave him permission, and he entered (the war)

حسين، جاسم واليها

Husayn, Qasim became (the war’s) master

حسين، حسين

Husayn, Husayn

طبگ خط الحواجب

He drew his brows together

دفاع اعله المضارب

Defending the tents

عالمكاون حزم، من ظلمته يبين شرار

At the battlefront his resolve is set, sparks flash from his grimness

غضب بان اعله عينه

Anger appeared in his eye

نضح زود ابجبينه

Valour beaded upon his brow

شذر منها تبده من عرگ وعليها طار

Pearls of sweat scattered from it and flew across him

يريد ينفرض بالطف كلامه

He wants his word to impose itself upon al-Taff

يريد الحچي يلمه بحسامه

He wants his sword to gather every word into one

يريد بيها ياخذ نصيب

He wants to take his share from it

ولخيام الحبيب نصر إلها يجيب

And bring victory back to the tents of the Beloved

شباب، بني هاشم بس فوارس

The youth of Banu Hashim are nothing but knights

شباب، مدرسة تخرج أشاوس

Youth from a school that graduates lions

شباب، طبها زين الشباب

Youth, The finest of the youth entered it

إجه شايل عذاب

Carrying torment with them

بده فن الحراب

And began the art of battle

إله وشعشع ضواه

His light radiated

ولمن يخفگ لواه

And when his banner flutters

خسف يصبح وراه

Devastation is left behind him

لأن صيده الثگال

For the mighty are his quarry

يدمدم من يغير

He thunders when he charges

وجماله أكثر يصير

And his beauty only increases

وعدوه بي يحير

His enemy is left bewildered by him

المفر منه محال

Escape from him is impossible

حسين، حياه وشدت

Husayn hailed him, and the battle grew fierce

حسين، ودروب انسدت

Husayn, and every road was closed

حسين، حسين

Husayn, Husayn

هلا بحسن الهواشم

Welcome, beauty of the Hashimites

هلا بزودك يا جاسم

Welcome your valour, O Qasim

هلا بهاي الشهامة الـ إلها عباس ابتسم

Welcome this chivalry which made Abbas smile

نزل وبگلبه نية

He descended with an intention in his heart

يحني الغاضرية

To make al-Ghadiriyya (Karbala) bow

العرس بالحومة قرر

He decided his wedding would be in the battlefield

شد على الشگرة وعزم

Mounted the mare and set his resolve

يميل، الجيش إذا مالت مهرته

Swaying, The army sways whenever his mare does

يميل، عالكتيبة وكلها حصته

Swaying upon a battalion, and all of it becomes his share

يميل، سيفه فوگ الرگاب

Swaying his sword is above the necks

امتطى ظهر السحاب

He mounted the back of the clouds

هلا بالما يهاب

Welcome the one who knows no fear

وراه، بينت كسرة بزلمها

Behind him, a fracture appeared among their men

وراه، ذلها من طيح علمها

Behind him came their humiliation as their banner fell

وراه، أبو فاضل يشوف

Behind him Abu al-Fadl watches

لوه أذن الطفوف

He twisted the ear of al-Tufuf

واحد وذل ألوف

One man humbled thousands

كريم بطبع أبوه

Noble by his father's nature

ويعزب بالأجوه

Set apart among all faces

اطلبوا موت وخذه

Ask him for death and take it

هلا بابن الكريم

Welcome the son of the Noble One

مرامه الانتصار

His aim is victory

اليشوفه بوصفه حار

Whoever sees him is bewildered in describing him

الحسن لو ذو الفقار؟

Is this al-Hasan, or Dhu al-Fiqar?

شبه جده العظيم

He resembles his mighty grandfather

حسين، سر بجسامه

Husayn rejoiced in his Qasim

حسين، ونشد أحزامه

Husayn tightened his belt

حسين، حسين

Husayn, Husayn

خيم بيها أمهاته

In the tents, his mother…

يشوفنه اشحلاته

watched how beautiful he was

عطر هب عالمخيم واليشمه تردله روح

A fragrance blew across the camp, whoever smelled it felt his soul return

لچن گلب اليتاني

But the heart of the one who waited

طفت بيه الأماني

Had all its hopes extinguished

وتتاني رملة عرسه وتالي شافت بس جروح

Ramla waited for his wedding, but in the end she saw nothing but wounds

حبيب، تظلم خيامه بدونه

Beloved, his tents darken without him

حبيب، يذبل الفارگ عيونه

Beloved, her eyes wither for the one she lost

حبيب، قاسم الأمنيات

Beloved, Qasim of all hopes

أخذ وياه حياة

When his life was taken he also took…

گلب بشوگه مات

A heart which died from longing for him

مصاب، شكاتب لرملة المنية

O tragedy, what has death written for Ramla?

مصاب، شحلت إلها الغاضرية

O tragedy, what has al-Ghadiriyya (Karbala) brought down upon her?

مصاب، بده هذا العذاب

O tragedy, this torment began

بدر اعله التراب

A full moon upon the dust

حچت بلا جواب

She spoke, but received no answer

تنادي: راح أموت

She cries, "I am going to die

ردت يا وليدي صوت

I wanted your voice, my son

ذبحني هالسكوت

This silence has slaughtered me

أظل اسنين أنوح

I will spend years mourning"

عمر عشته بدلال

A lifetime you lived cherished

ونهاية هالجمال

And the end of all this beauty

صبح حصة الرمال

Became the share of the sands

وآنه حصتي الجروح

While my share became the wounds

حسين، بي شم الخوة

Husayn smelled his brother in him

حسين، ظل بلا سلوة

Husayn was left without consolation

حسين، حسين

Husayn, Husayn