Jab Sarnigoon Hua Alam-e-Kahkashan-e-Shab جب سرنگوں ہوا علم کہکشان شب

Stanza 1

When the standard of night's Milky Way was lowered,
the sun's banner wiped out the banner of night;
night's bow was emptied of its meteor arrows;
the moonbeam levelled night's spear no more.
See, morning came, arrayed in the ornaments of war;
night took off its mail of stars and laid it aside.

Stanza 2

When the sword of the east swiftly climbed the sky,
the blade of the west showed its sheen no more;
so hot was the shining dagger of the sun
that no water was left in the azure spring.
The moon came to need a lustre of its own;
in the garden of the world the flower of the sun opened.

Stanza 3

The red of dawn was suffering from a rush of blood;
the bloodletter of morning came with lancet and basin;
when he opened the vein of the dawn, the horizon turned pale;
the book of the heavens was rose-red, page after page.
Fate reddened its pen in the blood of the dawn
and wrote out the features of the day of martyrdom.

Stanza 4

The King of noble nature turned to keeping watch;
the keeper of records opened the register of wishes;
when he set his mark of approval in liquid gold on the face of morning,
the ink of the dark night vanished like camphor.
He raised the moon in rank
and gave the sun the command of the vanguard.

Stanza 5

Then all that the day's writer of decrees set down
he wrote letter by letter as Destiny commanded:
he wrote down the sun as vanguard of the army of dawn,
and Hurr as vanguard of the King of noble lineage.
When the muster of the two vanguards was entered together,
the name of Hurr shone brighter than the sun.

Stanza 6

When night took the cotton of the stars out of its ears,
it heard from the sky the din of the drums of dawn,
and the beat of the drum for the master's departure from the world,
and the cry 'Alas, Husain (a)!' on the lips of the women;
it heard the call to prayer from the Imam's tents,
and from the army of Syria the cry 'Kill Husain (a)!'

Stanza 7

The king of dawn was busy seizing and arresting;
the base-born army was busy holding the river;
outwardly they had taken the river's water entirely,
inwardly the fire of Hell was what they all possessed.
A voice was coming from the tomb of the Prophet (s):
'The dowry of Batool (a) has been snatched from Batool's son!'

Stanza 8

So thick on every side was the throng of the army of Syria
that all the flowing water seemed dressed in black;
it was in mourning that the master of Kausar was parched;
in grief the bubbles had turned their cups upside down.
Since the river was kept far from the King's thirsty army,
it struck its own face with the hand of its waves.

Stanza 9

In the tent of Ibn Saad there was a countless crowd;
he sat pale-faced on a gilded chair;
spies stood at his sides, hoping for reward,
and the heralds waited for the order to draw up the ranks.
Every purpose there was the ruin of the faith;
every word spoken was of the weeping of Fatima (a) Zahra.

Stanza 10

That wicked man said gleefully to his companions,
'Young and old, I have had a dream today.'
The wicked men folded their hands respectfully and said,
'Tell us, commander, what is the dream you have seen?'
He said, 'I was restless with thoughts of battle;
in my dream I slaughtered our own Prophet (s).'

Stanza 11

All said, 'Congratulations on the victory, Umar ibn Saad!
Cut off Husain's (a) head and you cut off the Prophet's (s) head.'
Shimr cried, 'My dream is stranger still:
it is as if I sit astride the chest of the helpless King;
with no regard at all for the Messenger (s) of mankind,
I cut off the Imam's (a) head with a dagger.'

Stanza 12

Hearing this, Hurmala said, 'Hear my dream:
it is as if you have given me two robes of honour;
my arrow has two separate targets,
one the arm of Husain (a), the other a child's throat;
the blood of son and father flowed out together;
the one writhed and died, the other fell silent.'

Stanza 13

The enemy said, 'What need is there to say it?
After today's victory everything is yours;
the wound that cannot be stitched, the pain that has no cure,
let that be the custom today for the son of Fatima (a);
take the veils of the Sayyid women, take the King's head too;
take robes of honour, take titles, take wealth and gold.'

Stanza 14

Calling the spies close, he said this:
'Now you too tell me the news of the noble King:
how did he get through this whole night without water?
What befell the thirsty in the night, and how do things stand now?
He has not written a letter to the people of his homeland,
has he? He has not sent for anyone to help him?

Stanza 15

Have you heard to whom the King has given weapons?
To which lion was the sword of Haidar given?
Why was there an uproar in the camp late in the night?
Shabbir must be cursing us.
Is it a longing for death, or zeal for fighting in God's way?'
The spy said, 'It is only the remembrance of God.'

Stanza 16

'In every prostration his prayer was to intercede for the community;
what help? What need has Husain (a)?
The King was telling Akbar (a), "Son, go home;
there is great sweetness, my dear, in dying alone."
When has Husain (a) given weapons to anyone?
Husain (a) has shared out patience among them all.

Stanza 17

The story of the weeping in the last watch of the night is painful:
Shabbir had torn Sakina's shirt,
then rubbed dust on her face as on an orphan's;
all were saying, "No peace was made, O pure Imam."
Husain (a) said, "Tomorrow peace will be made,
but it will be such a peace that all creation will weep."

Stanza 18

When the Hazrat spoke these words in his helplessness,
his sister embraced her brother and began to weep;
she dressed her sons in two small shrouds;
Zainab lamented over Akbar's youth.
Faint after faint came over the peerless King
when Akbar (a) asked his mother to forgive him her milk.

Stanza 19

Husain (a) is thirsty, yet, my life for such restraint,
a spring remained in the camp until that hour:
the King let no one drink from it, nor drank himself;
he washed his shroud, bathed and made his ablutions.
The river of paradise had come of itself for his purification,
as if the power of God dwelt in the house of the Prophet's grandson.

Stanza 20

As we went about everywhere gathering news,
our feet would not go towards the back of the tent:
from there came the cry "Alas, alas, my son!";
Shabbir was saying, "This is my mother's voice."
Around the tent the roar of a lion could be heard;
a voice came: it was the Lion of God in distress.'

Stanza 21

'Today the victory is ours in every way;
come, let the skilled young men buckle on their arms.'
The heralds tucked up their skirts and ran this way and that;
two hundred thousand made ready to kill Husain (a).
Justice was saying, 'What thought is this?
You tyrants, this is the one son left to Batool (a)!'

Stanza 22

When the lines were drawn up, the standards all unfurled at once;
the arrows of cruelty were weighed in the scales of the bows;
the blare of the horns, the clamour of the drums,
at whose sound the blood would dry and the body waste away!
Seeing the arrows in the quivers, one would think
they were putting their fingers in their ears against the din.

Stanza 23

The sweepers made the battlefield a mirror;
the water-carriers poured a river over the field of war;
the din of the drums brought the message of the Last Trumpet;
the heralds' call raised the spirits of the enemy.
The cry went up that in a moment the King of both worlds would be no more,
that Zainab (a) now had no one to lean on in the world.

Stanza 24

Now come and see the majesty and glory of Husain (a):
in the wilderness the garden of God's power is in bloom;
the army is on the field, the King is in his tent;
the stars are on the move, the moon is in its house of exaltation.
How loyal is the army of the King, the refuge of the faith!
Two days of thirst bear witness to their loyalty.

Stanza 25

Since the son of Abu Turab was about to come,
Khizr held a gleaming staff in his hand;
Ilyas (a), with tearful eyes, was sprinkling water;
the moon, as attendant, had spread a golden carpet;
the daughter of the refuge of prophethood was distraught:
she was sweeping the ground of the place of slaughter with her hair.

Stanza 26

My life for the court of Husain (a), my life for his army!
The tent is as majestic as the sky, the army as high as the Throne;
galleries like paradise, the adornment of the world, with houris for consorts;
mail like a river, shields like crocodiles, swords of lightning, surging like waves.
What is the might of Sohrab and Zaal before them?
For awe of their majesty Zaal is a feeble old woman.

Stanza 27

One man's face is a commentary on 'By the sun' and 'By the morning light';
another's mole translates 'By the star when it sets';
another's face among his locks is like the full moon in the dark;
another's lofty head is an exegesis of 'By the sky'.
The helmet is the crown of the head, yet the helmet owes its height to the head;
every helmet on a head expounds 'the sky of the constellations'.

Stanza 28

Akbar stands, having drunk the cup of the knowledge of God,
with a few companions of his own age in his train,
having placed the coin of his youth in the hand of Fate,
having pledged martyrdom to God in his heart.
Beneath these heavens he was the very image of the Prophet (s);
in his eighteenth year he was hidden beneath the dust.

Stanza 29

From face to navel he is the Prophet of the age,
the beloved of the age, a second beloved of the Lord of favours.
Is it a navel, or the reflected bud of his mouth?
It is quite wrong to call it a musk-pod of Khotan:
when has a musk-pod of Khotan had the scent of this navel?
This navel is the delight of the spirit of Abd Manaf.

Stanza 30

His lips are blue with thirst, which gives a new beauty:
the bud of his mouth has become a lotus bud.
In Qasim, gentleness and forbearance are the inheritance of Mujtaba;
here the wrongs of Husain (a) show from head to foot.
This one is the sun of beauty, that one the moon of beauty;
that one is the king of beauty, this the emperor of beauty.

Stanza 31

Majesty itself would give itself for the majesty of the famed Abbas (a):
he is the sword of Allah and the shield of Shabbir,
with the grandeur of Hamza, the nature of Aqeel, a master of every skill,
ready for battle like Jafar the Flier.
He says, 'Though my standard is the tree of my desire,
I am Sakina's (a) water-bearer, and that rank is higher.'

Stanza 32

The green pennant waves in all its splendour;
the sun gives itself for the hand that crowns this standard;
two fathas are set upon the one word alam:
in both worlds this standard-bearer has no equal.
Why should he not be peerless at loosening knots,
when, like a key, the staff of his standard has no knot?

Stanza 33

Turning towards Najaf, that peerless lion says,
'Mother, for Husain's (a) sake forgive me what I owe for your milk';
towards Najaf he prays, 'Be my support.'
The voice of Ali comes: 'O shining moon,
give up your head and become the ransom of Husain (a);
Abbas (a), this is the debt you owe your parents.'

Stanza 34

Side by side stand the sons left by Muslim and Zainab,
four moons in one place, or four suns,
worthy, high in rank, honoured and dignified,
ready to give their lives and heads, distinguished and renowned;
their cheeks like flowers for which spring would give itself,
so tender in years that youth itself would give itself for them.

Stanza 35

Their radiant faces are a Quran that shames the moon;
on their pure faces the down of a first beard faintly shows,
with the grace with which the Sura of Sincerity is brief:
the sura is short, but its merit is all the greater.
In their faces shows the likeness of Husain (a) and Hasan;
the colour of the garden would give itself for their parched lips.

Stanza 36

You have seen the splendour of the army; now hear what befell the King.
When the King's last devotions were ended,
he raised his hands and prayed at the court of God:
'O Lord, may good come to the community of the pure Messenger.
It is easy if my head should go upon the spear-point,
but if Zainab (a) is made captive, woe to Husain (a)!'

Stanza 37

Weeping, Zainab said to the grandson of the Prophet,
'Brother, your sister would give a thousand lives for you;
let my head go unveiled, so long as I am in your shade;
let my neck be bound, so long as your throat is not cut;
prison, the loss of my veil, the clamour of disgrace:
Zainab accepts it all, so long as Husain (a) lives.'

Stanza 38

Husain (a) said, 'Enough: my heart is broken in pieces.
I know you would give yourself for me like a mother;
God will give you patience then, and reward at the Gathering,
but while I live you will not be unveiled.
How could it go against the will of the Almighty Lord?
Let Shabbir be slaughtered first; then let Zainab (a) be made captive.'

Stanza 39

Throwing her arms around his neck, Zainab (a) called out,
'I am holding him fast; Fizza, call Akbar (a) and Abbas (a).'
When Akbar (a) and Abbas came in, she said,
'See, now even my dear brother has turned against me.
My mother died, my father died too;
I shall die if he too goes and leaves me.

Stanza 40

I am still in mourning for four of my elders:
four wounds fester in my heart, four scars are on my breast;
now fate has brought on a fifth scar.
Why did I not die with my mother, wounded to the heart as I am?
Ask the sister whose only refuge is one brother,
ask her, the daughter of Zahra (a), how she fares.'

Stanza 41

At these words the Great Doom itself appeared;
the tears of brother and sister ran down their cheeks;
the ladies around them, bareheaded, were saying,
'We are being ruined, yet no one may say a word.'
The King says, 'Today is the day of trial;
I must go to the place I have promised.'

Stanza 42

Commanding them all to be patient, in great haste
the noble one came out from the sanctuary of the women;
Abbas (a) brought the mount of the son of Abu Turab;
the reins kissed his hands, the stirrup fell at his feet.
So the master of this world and the faith graced the saddle,
as the holy Quran is set upon its stand.

Stanza 43

The steed of Husain (a): the power of God, the handiwork of the Almighty,
with the gait of Duldul, a bridle of lightning, the feet of Buraq,
a sun for a saddle, a full moon for a brow, as radiant as the moon;
what shall I say of the delicacy of its body, if not that of the rose?
If the breeze should kiss it as it rides through a garden,
at once the tulip's dark spot would show on its skin.

Stanza 44

It boasted over Rafraf and Buraq:
'My rider is the one who rode on the Prophet's (s) shoulders.'
Michael and Gabriel kissed its reins again and again;
such was its speed that the rein had only to stir and it was beyond the sky.
Always the light of its moonlike hooves was on the heavens;
its bridle was such lightning that its gleam lay on the Milky Way.

Stanza 45

The army of God presented itself before the King;
the Hazrat ordered them all to draw up in ranks;
the Trusted Spirit went ahead and cleared the way.
When the light of the King's radiant face spread,
the beauty of his face had a wondrous brilliance:
on the fourth heaven the sun turned its face away.

Stanza 46

Arrows brought the message of war from the enemy's army;
the cruel shot arrows at the loyal;
hungry and thirsty for two days, the thirsty took the arrows.
Husain (a) said, 'Let no one shoot an arrow from this side.'
When they asked why, the King said, 'Do you not know?
There is one of ours over there too, a lover of Husain (a).'

Stanza 47

Here patience was at its height, there cruelty was in full force;
the ill-starred Ibn Saad drew the sword of his tongue
and said, 'Where is brave Hurr, the man of rank?
It was he who hemmed in the King with his women and brought him here;
now let it be Yazid's sword in Hurr's hand,
and the throat of the virtuous King beneath the sword.'

Stanza 48

Since dawn Hurr had been standing apart in a corner,
biting his finger in regret, and this was his shame:
'Allah, I repent! Alas, I have done a great wrong;
I hemmed in the Sayyid and brought him here: what an outrage!
The tyrants have closed in on the virtuous King;
water is barred to the son of the Cupbearer of Kausar.'

Stanza 49

His brother and his son said to Hurr, 'What is this?
O Rustam of the age, you have fought thousands,
yet your hands and feet tremble before seventy-two men.'
Hurr said, 'Why should I not tremble with fear?
Here the fight is against the son of Mustafa,
and after it, one day, we must face God.

Stanza 50

Since last night this has been settled in my heart;
this is my firm intent, if the grace of God is with me:
to make up my mind and go myself to join the Imam;
perhaps by that means I may be saved.
I mean to stand by the patient and the grateful;
I would be turning from God if I sided with the unbeliever.'

Stanza 51

'Now tell me of yourselves: what do you intend?'
Both replied, 'Whatever you wish.'
Hurr's slave too came forward and said,
'This servant born in your house is also devoted to the King of guidance;
I love the virtuous King with all my heart;
do not leave me behind anywhere.'

Stanza 52

Hurr gave the order: 'Saddle the horses and bring them;
this is a time for haste: step out quickly;
have no fear at all of the numbers of the army of Syria;
take up your reins in the name of Husain (a);
come out from the torment of the Fire and enter the gardens of paradise;
present yourselves before the master of all creation.'

Stanza 53

Hurr, his son, his brother and his good slave,
brave men, mounted each his own horse;
the bold men came before the worthless Ibn Saad.
Hurr said, 'You man of cruel ways, take heed:
now it is forbidden for me to stay here even a moment;
why should I not part from unbelief? My name is Hurr.'

Stanza 54

I knew nothing of this heart-rending state;
how can I say how I have lived to see this dawn?
Unlike you, I have no greed for wealth and gold;
this head is a heavy burden on my shoulders.
Do the faithful ever fall into the net of the world?
Look: this is how the seekers of God go.

Stanza 55

Since evening I have meant, as soon as dawn came,
to join the army of the emperor of sea and land,
so that no one could say that fear had mastered my heart
and Hurr slipped away in dread under cover of night.
Now let anyone with courage step up and challenge the lion;
give the order to your whole army: let it stop me!'

Stanza 56

Ibn Saad said, 'You, a seasoned man of war,
your fear and alarm show on your face;
you talk wildly in your confusion.
The battle is about to begin: stay alert with your troop.
Your blood has dried at the lightning of Zulfiqar's edge;
you are afraid of battle with Husain's men.

Stanza 57

Know this: you will lose your post;
remember, once dismissed you will never be restored;
your family will be made captive by oppression and cruelty;
alas, you have no thought at all for your honour.
For an officer, to face disgrace is death;
for a brave man, to turn from battle is death.

Stanza 58

How fine! You are making a new tie
and breaking the bond of years;
for nothing you desert your own company;
you turn away from the ruler at such a time.
How can I listen today to these words of yours?
Only yesterday you hemmed in the Imam and brought him here.

Stanza 59

Well, did you lay hands on the King's reins or not?
Did you have your heart's desire or not?
Did the lion of Ali (a) hold back his anger or not?
Were you not a mouthful for the sword of Haidar?
Had that mood held, it would have been your end that moment;
had it grown a little more, it would have been your end that moment.'

Stanza 60

Hurr said, 'It is for this very thing that I feel remorse;
I am bewildered at the wrong I have done;
could I ever have the strength to turn against him?
My longing is to give myself at the King's feet.
If he cuts off my head, that is the punishment for my crime;
and if he forgives my wrong, that is pure grace.'

Stanza 61

Boundless is the throng of grief and sorrow on my heart;
all my life I shall feel this deep remorse.
I and my troops were in a sorry state from thirst;
may the son of Murtaza be kept safe from all harm!
He kept nothing for himself and gave us water to drink;
the cloud of his generosity brought the dying back to life.

Stanza 62

I cannot put this kindness of his out of my heart;
I cannot turn my face from the qibla of the nations;
I cannot walk into Hell on my own feet;
I cannot pull down the Kaaba for an idol.
I cannot grieve the heart of the Prophet's (s) grandson;
I cannot raise the hand of oppression.

Stanza 63

Unlike you, I have no greed for land and wealth;
a curse on such wealth when its end is evil!
I have done with obeying the faithless and wicked;
shame on service that brings the ruin of faith!
This office and rank do not please my eye;
I am trampling on this honour and dignity.'

Stanza 64

Cutting Hurr short, that mischief-maker said,
'You breaker of ranks, this is not the way of rank-breakers;
your son too is with you, you who court affliction:
with your own hand you are bringing this moon into eclipse.
Where are your wits, you man of sense?
Is anything in the world dearer than one's children?'

Stanza 65

Hurr said, 'I have no fear for that;
with a hundred lives I am devoted to the emperor of sea and land.
This is why I take this son with me:
I will offer him up for the likeness of the Prophet (s).
I will take leave of the Imam and come to fight;
I will be the first of all to enter the garden of paradise.'

Stanza 66

So saying, Hurr proudly turned his reins;
his well-reined steed flashed out of the army;
with him were his brother and his young son;
his slave followed behind him like a shadow.
Calling the name of Ali (a), out of that great throng
those followers of Husain (a) left the army of Syria.

Stanza 67

Famous Hurr came out of the army of Syria
as the bright sun from eclipse, the moon from a cloud,
praise from the tongue, sight from the eye,
Joseph from the well, the face of dawn from the veil of night.
The cry went up that Moses had come out of the Nile,
that Khizr had crossed the river of darkness.

Stanza 68

When that loyal man came near the army of God,
brave Hurr called out to the grandson of the Prophet:
'Son of the Lion of the Almighty, my life for you;
it is time for help, O heart and soul of Murtaza;
your slave is deeply abashed and much ashamed;
master, your slave hopes for forgiveness.'

Stanza 69

When that dignified man came into the King's presence,
he ran and clasped the feet of the renowned King;
laying his head on the King's feet, he pleaded again and again:
'This humble man hopes for mercy and kindness;
I deserve punishment: punish me;
end the matter: cut off my head.'

Stanza 70

Pressing his head to his breast, the King of the nations said,
'Allah knows that I am pleased with you;
what sin, what wrong, O man of good nature?
Your name is written in the roll of martyrdom.
Here I have met with cruelty, sorrow and grief;
why do you beg pardon? It is I who must beg pardon.'

Stanza 71

'You are the guest of Husain (a), loyal Hurr;
I am at a loss how to entertain you:
this is the third day without water or food;
my moon-faced children are dying of thirst;
the little one who cannot speak has had neither water nor milk;
the six-month-old soul faints again and again.'

Stanza 72

Hurr said, 'Have you forgiven my wrong as well, O Imam?'
The King said, 'All your sins are forgiven.'
Pointing to his brother and his son, that man of good name
said, 'Your slave is fit for nothing more:
your servant's head is an offering to the grandson of the Prophet (s);
this one is an offering to Abbas (a), this one to Akbar (a).'

Stanza 73

Then loyal Hurr asked the King's leave;
the King of the faith said, 'Why the hurry yet?'
Hurr pleaded, 'O heart and soul of Murtaza,
instead of a feast, grant me paradise;
for God's sake, do not hold back this suffering man now;
for Akbar's (a) sake, give your slave leave to go.'

Stanza 74

Taking leave of the Imam, in all his splendour,
the thirsty guest of the thirsty went out to fight in God's way.
From the doorway Fizza said, 'May Haidar be your guardian;
Hurr, the daughters of Zahra (a) give you their blessings.'
Joyfully the brave man mounted his brave steed,
as if a lion had mounted a lion's back.

Stanza 75

Now here comes a sign of the Almighty's favour:
'Draw and show the form of the vanguard of the King of the faith.'
My life for that sign, my life for that kindness!
No one has yet written a portrait of Hurr from head to foot.
God's treasury is full of bounty;
this theme was left over as my share.

Stanza 76

I write of the beauty of the face of Hurr, loyal by nature;
the Shia will praise me, and the Panjtan will give me paradise.
Whoever wrote this praise had paradise for his destiny;
whoever wept for Hurr, the field of forgiveness turned green for him.
Whose end was ever as blessed as Hurr's:
his head on the knee of Husain (a), Fatima (a) at his pillow?

Stanza 77

Hurr is the bright sun rising in the east of love and loyalty;
Hurr is a treasury of love for the Family of the Cloak;
since Hurr has become the crown of the Shia of Ali,
it is as if Hurr were the footprint of the son of Fatima (a).
It is an honour to be the slave of Hurr of good name;
where the master is like Husain (a), let the slave be like Hurr.

Stanza 78

This guest of the guest of Karbala is loyal:
he came thirsty, and thirsty he went out to die;
why then should his honour not be greater before God?
No one ever heard of a thirsty guest but Hurr.
See how he prized his love for the grandson of the Prophet (s):
he accepted a feast of nothing but the dry water of the sword.

Stanza 79

Over the fate of Hurr the martyr, you who understand,
praise is due, and weeping is due too:
praise for the loyalty he showed before the King,
and weeping for his lonely state: how far away his grave is!
Even now, when Batool (a) comes to the place of slaughter and weeps,
she weeps for Hurr as not even a mother would.

Stanza 80

Now quickly make your hearts as clear as the dawn,
so that the face of Hurr may shine out like the sun:
to behold the beauty of the servant of Abu Turab
is surely a pilgrimage to the King of heavenly rank.
This was what was written in Hurr's destiny:
at night he was in Hell, at dawn in paradise.

Stanza 81

His face is a document signed by the secretary of Loyalty,
the seal of friendship with the grandson of Mustafa,
a prescription to cure the disease of unbelief;
his cheeks are two suns, two mirrors of light:
one the sun of knowledge, the other of certainty;
one the mirror of the law, the other of the faith.

Stanza 82

Each month the moon grows for two weeks;
these cheeks grow in beauty all the more;
but not for one night can it match the face of Hurr:
this full moon of a face shines at the height of eternity.
That beauty is passing; what trust can one place in it?
That is stained, this is clear; that wanes, this waxes.

Stanza 83

On what ground could the moon and the sun have any worth here?
This radiant face is honoured above the written Quran;
to the Prophet it is a scripture of loyalty;
it is as dear as a son to the Mother of the Book.
Let pure blood flow from your eyes onto its page,
and mark the vowels on this scripture in red.

Stanza 84

Now set down in writing the praise of his features;
burn the stars like rue-seed over this stanza;
gladden your heart by writing the praise of his face;
take ten times more pride in a single dot than in the moon.
The praise of brow, cheek and mole is plain to see:
a moon within a sun, a star within the moon.

Stanza 85

His face has the glory of the moon; consider the two brows:
what month is this, that has two crescents?
Now the praise of the pearls of his teeth is beyond me;
if I could find his mouth, I would offer some likeness for them.
His teeth are pearls of Aden, his mouth the envy of a jewel-casket:
thirty-two suns in a single mansion of the sky.

Stanza 86

Why should the praise of Hurr's eye not now be a duty on each of us,
an eye on which rests the very eye of the noble Husain's (a) forgiveness,
an eye whose aim is the peace of Zahra's heart?
Why then should this eye not be a duty on every Shia?
His brow signals that his wish is granted:
'Let me be the stroke on the petition; this eye is the mark of approval.'

Stanza 87

When the pleasant breeze of paradise comes,
the wakeful narcissus closes again and again;
but why is the watchful eye closed in the hour of battle?
It is plainly in mourning for the grandson of the Prophet.
Seeing the ways of the world, Hurr is angry:
lash pressed to lash, his eye is dressed in black.

Stanza 88

How fresh is the theme of praising his two lips!
They are like two witnesses to the sweetness of his tongue;
these lips have two tasks every evening and every dawn:
the remembrance of God and the praise of the Lion of God.
If the qualities of the sweetness of his mouth were to be written,
the pens would be sugar-cane and the inkwells fields of sugar.

Stanza 89

There is a hidden meaning in his locks and face lying side by side:
they make the world acquainted with morning and evening;
the beauty of the line 'By the night' is likened to his locks;
the opening 'By the dawn' is drawn from his face.
His lock, which never fades, lies close beside his face:
the face is the sun, the lock the shadow of the sun.

Stanza 90

Since the head of Hurr bows low at the feet of Husain (a),
here every height is low when it comes to rank;
the summit of the Throne must take pride in Hurr's head;
from the first day God exalted Hurr.
The King's knee is his pillow for the sleep of paradise;
I would give myself for that head: what a destiny!

Stanza 91

In the sun his face is thick with beads of sweat,
or pearls are rising from the fountain of the sun;
as this proud man sets out in the heat to fight in God's way,
do not take them for drops: today light is raining on his face.
The thirsty man gives his life for his Imam;
the spring rain scatters pearls on Hurr of good name.

Stanza 92

Are these brows, or the two lines of a single couplet of Zulfiqar,
or the edges and notches of a gleaming sword?
The glory of his brow shows the loftiness of the sky;
this dignified brow is truly a crescent moon.
That this new moon on his forehead is beyond dispute
is because the horizon too is clear for sighting it.

Stanza 93

The favour of the Almighty rests on the beauty and grace of Hurr:
that splendour of the forehead, that radiance of the cheek!
The sweat of his face gave the taste of the water of life;
it hid the Fountain of Life in the dimple of his chin.
The light of his shining nose that falls into this well
is the lamp of Sinai shining over the spring of Khizr.

Stanza 94

Beside the whiteness of Hurr's neck the dawn is a page of evening;
the candle of the sanctuary bows its neck in greeting;
on the dawn of his throat every degree of light is complete:
this is the place where the kerchief of Fatima (a) is tied.
For light, only a patch of light will do;
the kerchief of Fatima (a) is the scarf this throat needs.

Stanza 95

Hurr's breast is the tablet on which love and loyalty endure;
it is a city of devotion to the Gate of all knowledge;
how well the Kaaba of the heart is matched in it!
Where in the Kaaba is the treasure that the heart holds?
The Kaaba and the heart are both the house of the Lord of glory,
but the heart was built by God, the Kaaba by the Friend of God.

Stanza 96

The radiance of his hands shines out through his sleeves
like the lamp of Sinai seen in the lantern of the Kaaba;
what a wealth of light there is on his fingernails!
If men of understanding liken them to the new moon,
the crescent would gain such lustre from the likeness
that it would grow not into a full moon but into a sun.

Stanza 97

Why should the stature of Hurr not be worth more than the Tooba tree,
when all the prophets, standing tall as cypresses, honour him?
Again and again, in the passion of picturing his graceful form,
the Tooba cries, 'Blessed are you; I am your ransom!'
They call the image of Hurr's stature the cypress's master;
that is why they call the cypress free.

Stanza 98

Now let young and old look at the adornment of his arms:
helmet and spear, mail and sword, bow and arrow.
The names of Akbar (a) and Asghar are engraved on them, a delight to the heart:
what a Great Jaushan, what a Small Jaushan!
The temper of sword, spear and arrow is plain to see;
this is the plain testimony of 'No sword but one, no hero but one'.

Stanza 99

From the praise of his mail this secret is wholly revealed:
count them: there is a four-plate breastplate and a shield;
these five seals shine clearly on the mail.
Do not take it for mail: coming to the King, he has
written a testimony to his love for the family of the Prophet (s),
and these are the seals of the Panjtan, setting their approval on it.

Stanza 100

Gabriel is witness that his spear is a branch of the Tooba tree;
the disc of his shield is the proof of the full moon on the Night of Power;
his flowing sword is a miracle of the glorious Sayyid:
its temper is peerless and its gleam unmatched.
Wonder of wonders: lightning and cloud in a single grip!
Such is the power of God: water within fire.

Stanza 101

My pen runs swiftly in praise of Hurr's horse,
before which the wave of the wind is a feeble pulse;
like a two-edged sword it stops nowhere;
the pupils of the eyes spin as they ride after it.
When it runs on the battlefield it is spark-scattering lightning;
or is it a peacock in its pride, strutting in a garden?

Stanza 102

If, to take the life of the enemy of the King of the age,
Death should ride along beside this horse,
and the rider gave no more sign with the rein than 'Go',
then after that 'Go', where would Death be, and where the horse!
If you looked for both on the field of battle,
you would find the horse over the enemy's head and Death still on the road.

Stanza 103

Think upon the splendour and majesty of Hurr's coming:
this awe, this pomp, this dignity, this glory!
Before the battle lines he recites his boast:
'Friends, I am the slave of the virtuous emperor;
I have parted from those who found relish in unbelief;
I have joined the one through whom God is found.

Stanza 104

I give my life for him who is the life of Zahra (a);
I am the guest of him who is Death's guest;
I am under the protection of him who protects all;
to whomever he is kind, God is kind.
Now my hand holds the hem of Husain's (a) robe;
I am with him with whom God is.'

Stanza 105

Ibn Saad said, 'We have heard all this before;
we do not understand what you are saying.
You look us in the eye and feel no shame:
Yazid's patronage, and this your treachery!
How well you have repaid the salt of Yazid!
You are the one who has torn the nail from the flesh.'

Stanza 106

Hurr cried out in anger, 'Enough, enough! Guard your tongue;
do not forget the truth; look into your own heart.
And you, ill-starred man, what salt? Where are your wits?
It is you who are false to the salt; I am true to it.
Why do you turn the mercy of God into wrath?
Water and salt came as the dowry of Zahra (a).

Stanza 107

This is the third day of hunger for the women of the Panjtan;
tell the truth: who invited them here as guests?
To honour the salt is to give my life for the Hazrat;
the river was Fatima's dowry, and you have taken it.
Is this Yazid's realm, or is it the property of Batool (a)?
Next you will be saying that the Messenger (s) is his grandfather too!

Stanza 108

Whatever Yazid's forebears, he is an unbeliever, Umar ibn Saad;
but think in your heart who your father was:
it is a wonder that the son of Saad should be so ill-starred.
I am not wicked, though my father was not good.
Having put out the lamp at the tomb of the Best of Mankind,
is this how you make your name shine today?

Stanza 109

At the Trench my father was on the side of the unbelievers,
your father was on the side of Ahmad the Chosen;
today you are on the side of evil Yazid,
and I am on the side of the son of Haidar-e-Karrar.
Judge fairly: who is the man of honour and glory?
Who stands with falsehood, and who with the truth?'

Stanza 110

Umar ibn Saad said, 'What arrogant talk is this?
Your whole family will weep in mourning for you;
after you die we will take revenge even on your corpse;
your head will go as an offering to the ruler of Syria.'
Hurr said, 'I have no idle fear;
I carry my head in my hand; I care nothing for head or foot.'

Stanza 111

So saying, Hurr drew his finely sheathed sword
and, crying 'O Husain (a)!', set out for the fight;
Victory circled round the head of brave Hurr;
his clear face turned red as the sun with anger.
When the pole of the right wing moved towards the left,
the heavens stood stunned and the earth shook.

Stanza 112

From that side the son of Hajjaj came out to fight,
commander of the right wing of the army of Umar ibn Saad,
a sword in one hand and a shield in the other,
with armed bands on either side to help him.
Hurr said, 'Today this is the test:
I am Haidar's young man, you are Yazid's.

Stanza 113

In those charges not one in a thousand will be left.'
He said, 'You are matchless in the world;
in the battle line you prevail over a thousand.'
Hurr said, 'Now my strokes are cleaner still:
now I am the slave of the son of the King of Zulfiqar;
then I had the strength of a thousand, now of a hundred thousand.'

Stanza 114

In anger he struck with his lightning sword;
what can aimless lightning do to the sun?
Hurr caught that gleaming sword on his shield,
weighed his own sword and cried, 'O King of Zulfiqar!'
This is what they call quickness: in no time at all
this sword was on his head, that sword still in his hand.

Stanza 115

He lost his senses as soon as this sword came down on his helmet;
cutting through the helmet it went whistling into his chest;
as it went, the enemy's breath stopped;
ask the tyrant what passed through his heart.
On his body the mail burst open, knot by knot;
nay more, the knot of every joint came undone.

Stanza 116

His young son, who shared his name, was there;
he came and joined his father, levelling his spear;
he thrust with it here and shot away like an arrow.
Hurr challenged him: 'Stand, if you are a brave man!'
He turned back from the road like fortune reversed;
no sooner had he turned than he fell from his horse in two pieces.

Stanza 117

Victory said, 'This is a blow struck with a clear head;
how wonderful that God knows your worth!
Be cheerful, if your grieving heart is sad;
look to Kausar, if you are thirsty.'
Courage cried out, 'Do not lose heart in the battle;
come, brave man, bring back the head of Shimr!'

Stanza 118

In the heat of battle Hurr's courage grew;
he pressed forward, calling down blessings on Husain (a).
What were those cowards worth, that the envious should fight?
They were motes without substance, drops without being.
Then heads were no longer on bodies, nor bodies on horses:
was it a sword that came, or lightning falling on a cotton field?

Stanza 119

Hurr's sword parted the swordsmen from their heads;
the archers, for their part, shrank from his arrows;
gardens of wounds bloomed on every body;
pupil from eye, eye from head, head from body, all were parted.
The blow of his mace was doom to those inglorious bodies;
how Hurr smashed every mountain of a man to pieces!

Stanza 120

How could the enemy flee from the presence of that sword?
The curve of its temper showed like a noose:
here it made flowers bloom, there it went round necks like a garland;
on the field, in the rebels' autumn, it was spring.
With every stroke it made flowers of wounds bloom;
it strolled through a tulip-bed of blood.

Stanza 121

So Haidar's young man fought Yazid's men;
fearlessly he charged here and there across the field.
Suddenly a wretch's spear struck his chest;
the brave man fell from his horse, half dead.
He called out to his master, 'Your servant has given his life;
master, your slave has repaid his debt of salt.'

Stanza 122

At what a moment the son of Ali (a) reached Hurr's body:
it was the hour of death; that good man was breathing his last;
his breast was a little warm, his body as cold as ice.
In deep sorrow the King lifted him into his arms;
he wiped the dust and grime from his face,
and lovingly the King laid Hurr's head on his knee.

Stanza 123

Hurr opened his eyes a little and looked about;
when the King of the faith asked him, that good man said,
'A lady has come to weep over your servant's body;
I hear her weeping, but I cannot see her.'
The King said, 'Fatima (a) is giving herself for you;
Hurr, this is my mother weeping in mourning for you.'

Stanza 124

Hearing this, Haidar's young man gave up his soul to God;
the emperor of men and jinn wept over Hurr's body.
Husain (a) was saying, 'O my guest,
I could not entertain you here at all;
when you meet the King of the universe,
Ali (a) will give you the cup of Kausar with his own hand.'

Stanza 125

Though the King had his good companions with him,
the virtuous King brought Hurr's body himself;
he laid it near the tent and drew a screen around it;
weeping, the grandson of the Prophet said to the women,
'This good man has no kin here;
come and console me for good Hurr.'

Stanza 126

'Ali (a) is pleased with him, and Mustafa content;
he stood by the helpless in their exile: well done!
We were thirsty, so he too drank no water;
before all the rest he became a ransom for God.
Give my benefactor the good news of the gardens of paradise;
grant him the reward of your good deeds.'

Stanza 127

As he was saying this, the King of the age saw
a river of blood surging from Hurr's throat;
laying his hand on it, he said to Zainab (a),
'Sister, open the chest of sacred relics;
in Hurr truth, kindness and love reach their crown;
I will bind the kerchief of Fatima (a) on his wounded throat.'

Stanza 128

When the kerchief of Fatima (a) adorned his throat,
the beauty and radiance of Hurr's throat grew greater;
this was a miracle of her who is a part of the Messenger of God:
no trace of the wound was left, nor any sign of blood.
The community showed no regard for the veils of the Family of the Cloak;
they stripped the veils from the daughters and daughters-in-law of Zahra (a).

Stanza 129

Enough, Dabeer: the angels have torn their collars;
this poem shows it has help from the unseen;
to praise one's own verse oneself is a grave fault;
beyond all doubt the grace of Husain (a) is upon you.
Say to the Creator, 'Accept this plea of mine:
after death may I be granted the service of the King.'