Jab Zulf Ko Khole Hue Laila-e-Shab Aayi جب زلف کو کھولے ہوئے لیلائے شب آئی

Stanza 1

When the Laila of night came with her tresses unbound,
A strange calamity fell on the Sayyids far from home;
The soul of the Lord of Arabia came crying out;
There was an outcry: the night of the killing of the thirsty-lipped King had come.
What soul-wasting griefs it showed the Sayyids!
May Allah never show anyone such a night of misfortune!

Stanza 2

How can the pen write on paper of the darkness of that night,
Whose darkness brings ruin on every side?
The birds of the air writhed on land, the fish in the sea;
The Beloved of God had come out of his grave;
There was a clamour of lament among the messengers of old;
Yasrib was shaken, and there was sorrow in Najaf.

Stanza 3

With the shock, the colour of the moon's face vanished;
The stars too became the pupils of eyes without light;
Grief spread everywhere; comfort left the heart of the world;
Every houri in Paradise became a picture of sorrow.
The angels said, "There will never be such a night again;
Even the stars had never seen so dark a night."

Stanza 4

The candle of joy in the gathering of the world had gone out;
The night too was clad in black, mourning for Shabbir;
Such was the grief that every heart had forgotten gladness;
Every eye surged with grief like the sea;
Ali was restless, and Zahra washed her face with tears;
Where the King's place of slaughter was, there Zahra wept.

Stanza 5

The tent of the exalted King of kings was a house of grief;
The storm blew so wildly that hearts were thrown into turmoil;
No torch would stay alight, nor did the candles give their light;
Even the tent looked black in the darkness;
Dust blew into the faces of the women of the Lion of God;
Even the floor frowned, creased by the gusts of wind.

Stanza 6

The wind of the wilderness, and the cries of wild beasts;
Mothers trembled as they hid their children;
They dreaded that in their terror the children might stray off who knows where;
One woman wept, and another recited prayers;
Even held in laps, the children found no comfort at all;
When the lions roared, the children took fright.

Stanza 7

At the children's sobbing the women lamented aloud;
Little Sakina had fainted many times;
Weeping, Shabbir's darling cried out,
"O honoured Abbas, my life is slipping away!
Alas, there is not a drop of water in the house,
And there is fire in my little heart."

Stanza 8

More than all, the daughter of Ali was anguished and restless;
Since evening her face had turned pale as the moon;
Tears of pure blood rained from her lashes onto her holy face;
When a sword cuts at the heart, who has the strength to bear it?
Her grieving soul writhed in anguish like a slaughtered bird;
Now she would rise, and now she would fall to the ground.

Stanza 9

Sometimes she said, "Today the Prophet is not here, alas, alas!
To whom shall I show my state? Haidar is not here, alas, alas!
The sky has fallen on the daughter; my mother is not here, alas, alas!
Shabbir is in distress, and Shabbar is not here, alas, alas!
No one has seen or heard of such cruelty as today's, O people;
He who was raised so tenderly is in need of water, O people!"

Stanza 10

"Tomorrow there is to be a battle with the army of the oppressor;
Here are a few thirsty men; there, the whole world;
My brother will not turn back from the battlefield without giving his head;
Haidar's full house will be swept away;
It was for this grief that Mother always washed her face with tears;
Tomorrow is the day for which Mother used to weep."

Stanza 11

Here, in the other tent, was the Prophet's grandson;
His brave companions were present at his court;
Qasim was at one side of him and Akbar at the other;
Beyond Akbar sat the beloved son of the anguished Zainab;
Shabbir spoke lovingly with them all;
Abbas Ali sat before him with respect.

Stanza 12

All the King's helpers were eager to die;
To Abbas the helper of tomorrow was saying,
"Keep a careful watch over the women's tent;
I fear the army of the unbelievers may do some outrage;
The faithless do not want me to have any rest;
A night raid from their side would be no surprise."

Stanza 13

They were still speaking of this when suddenly word came:
"O moon of the Hand of God, the night has reached its middle."
When the Hazrat saw how the stars had turned,
His heart turned to the remembrance of God, and his eyes filled with tears;
He said, "Great is the reward for keeping vigil at night;
O thirsty-lipped ones, this is the time for obedience to the Lord."

Stanza 14

"Now life is at its end, and so are our prayers;
No traveller reaches his halting place without provisions;
At every moment the Lord of both worlds is present and watching;
Those who are patient and thankful have their reward many times over;
Let one think no sorrow hard, and no affliction;
He alone is truly a servant who does not forget God."

Stanza 15

"Let His name be ever on one's lips, travelling or at rest;
Let one know Him present, whether in the wilderness or at home;
Let one only bow down to Him, whether life passes in pain or in comfort;
Let the night be spent in His praise, and the dawn in prayer;
Let one not forget the love of the fresh rose among the thorns of cruelty,
Nor forget the Beloved beneath the edges of the swords."

Stanza 16

"Let him kiss the notch of the arrow when arrows strike his breast;
Let him keep professing his love beneath the edge of the sword;
Let him count his wounds as a garden of honour he has been given;
Let the cry 'God is Greatest' be on his tongue at the moment of the takbir;
As his veins are cut, let no cry of pain escape him;
In every colour let the scent of the love of Allah come forth."

Stanza 17

When the King had spoken these words of the knowledge of God,
The eyes of every true lover filled with tears;
Not one of them brought any complaint of thirst to his lips;
Right there the brave men brought and spread their prayer mats;
Cries of 'God is Greatest' rose in the army of Allah and the Prophet;
All were lost in remembrance of the One God.

Stanza 18

Here there was praise of God, there prostration, elsewhere weeping;
One was reciting the Quran in a beautiful voice;
Another was pleading, "O exalted Maker,
Tomorrow morning our honour is in Your hands;
Grant us with honour a place among the martyrs, O Lord;
Grant us the strength of patience, O Lord."

Stanza 19

"We are the helpers of the darling of Your Beloved;
We have come here to die, leaving home and family;
This helpless servant is caught in affliction;
Have mercy, for Your being is merciful and forgiving;
Through hunger the strength of our bodies has waned;
From You we ask the strength to stand firm."

Stanza 20

"We are helpless, we are travellers; our homeland is far, our home is far;
Since the seventh this accursed army has hemmed us in;
Whether our bodies are riddled by arrows like sieves or shattered by swords,
We will not accept parting from Ahmad's grandson;
To whom could we show our faces if we abandoned our leader?
How could we abandon the court of the one You have accepted?"

Stanza 21

"For men it is a disgrace to fear swords;
In comfort or in torment, here we live and here we die;
If You will it, it is no hard thing to give up our heads;
O Helper of tomorrow, help us in the battle;
It is a joy to fight thousands while starving;
It is a joy if we can repay something of what we owe for his salt."

Stanza 22

Here the helpers and companions were making their supplications;
There the Lord of the righteous was saying the night prayer;
He had made the intention for the tasbih of Batool, the broken-hearted,
When all at once the sound of weeping began to come from the tent;
Turning, he signed to Akbar: "What is this?"
He submitted, "It is the sound of my aunt weeping."

Stanza 23

"For many nights now she has been anguished and restless;
There is no sign of comfort for her, and no means of rest;
When her tear-filled eyes closed for a moment in a faint,
She woke with a start, weeping, having just seen some dream;
Her sandals are in one place, her radiant veil in another;
Since then she has had no peace, like a slaughtered bird."

Stanza 24

"All the ladies are weeping, holding their children close;
Each one is anxious, each one is full of dread;
When anyone asks the reason, she says in deep despair,
'O people, I have no hope that Shabbir will survive;
Pray that help may come from the unseen to the helpless one;
Offer me as a ransom, so that the calamity may be turned away from my brother.'"

Stanza 25

"Such is her state, and this is my mother's condition:
The rain of tears from her eyes did not stop for a moment;
She is anxious for Asghar, and grieves for Sakina too;
The six-month-old child too is growing breathless;
Should she take him up in her lap, or comfort her?
Starving these two days, how many can she look after?"

Stanza 26

"Sometimes she goes and weeps at Abid's bedside;
Sometimes she comes and falls upon Asghar's cradle;
Finding him in a faint, she fans him with the Quran;
Sometimes, shedding tears, she soothes her daughter,
Who says, 'Mother, I will weep like this till morning;
I will sleep only when Father comes, Mother.'"

Stanza 27

"'Tell me, why does the King of jinn and men not come?
Little of the night is left; why does Father not come?
Is he displeased with me? Why does he not come here?
Will he sleep there tonight? Why does he not come home?
Now Father does not even hear the cries of the thirsty;
Does the Hazrat not hear the sound of my weeping?'"

Stanza 28

When Ali Akbar, weeping, had said this to the King,
The honoured Shabbir went, reciting his tasbih;
Seeing that moon-like face she had not seen for some time,
His sister ran and fell lovingly at his feet;
Finding that thirsty-lipped one so deeply distraught,
Shabbir clasped his sister to his breast.

Stanza 29

He said, "Sister, what state have you brought yourself to?
There is no band on your head, no veil, no kerchief;
Your forehead is covered in dust, your hair is dishevelled;
Do not beat yourself; Fatima's darling is still alive;
My life will be cut from my body and depart, Zainab;
Weep then, when the time for weeping comes, Zainab."

Stanza 30

"I am still alive, and already, alas, this turmoil!
This anguish, this pain and grief, this wailing, this crying out against wrong;
My senses, barely returned, are slipping away from me;
How will you watch me beneath the dagger?
Be patient now, or the children will lose their lives;
If you writhe like this, the children will die."

Stanza 31

"No one has yet raised a sword against me;
My breast is not yet pierced through by arrows, sister;
No one has yet drawn a dagger across my throat;
How has it been proven to you that your brother will die?
Although the hour of death is never put off,
If I am spared, is that beyond the power of God?"

Stanza 32

Zainab said, "I would be glad if my own death came;
Brother, may Allah save you from this calamity;
May the Creator never show me Abid orphaned;
May the sister take her brother's misfortune on herself and leave the world;
Dread does not let my heart be comforted;
My heart is restless and does not let me compose myself."

Stanza 33

"The thought of Sakina orphaned keeps coming to me;
At every moment I see this full house laid waste;
When your counsel soothes my heart a little, may I be your sacrifice,
The trappings of death pass again before my eyes;
Someone brings a rope to bind my arms;
Someone drags the veil from my head."

Stanza 34

"When I cover my face and sleep a moment on my bed,
I see the Prophet with his collar torn;
Sometimes Mother cries out like this, her head uncovered:
'Daughter, your wronged brother will not survive;
Why do you lie on your bed? Where are your thoughts, Zainab?
Shabbir is a guest for this one night only, Zainab.'"

Stanza 35

They were still speaking of this when Sakina called out,
"My sleep went away with you;
I am awake while the whole world sleeps;
Let not the morning star begin to shine in the sky;
Your daughter is sleepy; come and put her to sleep, Father;
Enough talk now; come over here, Father."

Stanza 36

The Hazrat said, "May I be a sacrifice for your voice;
Allah, you have not slept yet, my darling?
Where in exile is there any means of comfort and rest?
Without your father you have no peace for a moment;
This is not a good habit; do not keep crying, my lady;
Sometimes sleep at your mother's side as well, my lady."

Stanza 37

"What if one night we did not come home,
If we were forced to leave you and go away,
If you could not find us, nor we find you anywhere?
Tell me, my lady, how could we then put you to sleep on our breast?
In the wilderness many caravans are plundered, my lady;
Those who were together for years are parted, my lady."

Stanza 38

"When I was young, I too was parted from my mother like this;
I used to sleep just like this, holding close to the Lady of Paradise;
Before my eyes she departed from the world;
Mourning did not bring her back, nor weeping, nor lament;
These scars, this grief and sorrow, are for everyone;
Whose parents in this world have lived for ever?"

Stanza 39

"Death's is a road that is never closed;
Today the father departs, and tomorrow the son will go;
The pain of parting from one's children is many times greater;
But what power has a servant, if it is the will of the Lord?
All who have come into the world will depart;
The end of this life is just this: we shall die."

Stanza 40

The Hazrat was saying this when the call to prayer was heard;
On the bouquet of Islam the nightingale raised its cry;
In an instant the spring of the world's garden was changed;
The sword of autumn swept over the garden of the stars;
The moon vanished from the lotus-blue sky;
The rose of the sun blossomed in the breeze of dawn.

Stanza 41

A summer dawn, and the fragrance of the flowers;
The birds of the garden singing in the trees;
The stars now hiding and now shining;
The cool breeze, and the swaying of the green grass;
In that wilderness, as the dew wept for the King of the faith,
There was a carpet of pearls upon the emerald ground.

Stanza 42

The splendour of the break of dawn, that radiance;
The delightful sound of drum and pipe together;
The red of the dawn glow, faint along the horizon of the sky;
The dew scattering pearls into the cups of the flowers;
From the coolness, even the dry land looked like a watered valley;
But the master of the garden of Paradise was thirsty.

Stanza 43

Over there, in the army, there was a great stir of taking up positions;
Here the lovers of the Self-Subsisting began the obligatory prayer;
Behind was the congregation, and in front the wronged King;
It seemed as if angels stood ranked in rows;
All bowed and prostrated with the King of kings;
Seventy-two new moons shone beside the moon.

Stanza 44

The tent was the sky, he the moon, his friends the stars;
Such stars that the sky would offer up its own stars as a ransom for them;
The old man of the sky had bent double with shame;
The earth said, "Our fortune is at its height;
This is not the sun but the light of the sun of the faith."
The Throne itself was deceived, wondering, 'Is this I, or the earth?'

Stanza 45

Each row is a line of the clear Quran;
Facing the qibla, a wall of the Kaaba of the faith;
What a fine congregation of the people of certainty this is!
It is the adornment of the heavens and the glory of the earth;
How could that army be parted from the King of kings?
It is hard for a wave ever to be parted from the river.

Stanza 46

At that moment this voice came from behind the veil of Divine power:
"O holy ones, behold the worship of My servants;
No complaint of thirst, no grievance about hunger;
Such abstinence, such piety, such obedience, such devotion!
In both worlds they are possessors of good fortune and honour;
I know that the hearts of these people are turned towards Me."

Stanza 47

"With what humility these servants stand before Me;
Behold, these servants are the helpers of My Beloved;
These servants are wronged, helpless, far from home;
How should they not be few? Such thankful servants are these;
They are true; all of them bear love for My friend;
Their reward is the one that was given to the messengers."

Stanza 48

"For them there is no questioning in the grave and no reckoning;
They are worthy of mercy; the reward is for them;
The water that is clearer than pearls is for them;
The wine of which I am the cupbearer is for them;
They will receive the fruits of this tree of devotion;
The homes that are beneath the Throne will be theirs."

Stanza 49

When the faithful had finished the dawn prayer,
The Lord of the righteous rose to put on his garments;
The honoured Abbas, the standard-bearer, said,
"Come, warriors, now you too put on your arms for battle;
You are to give your lives for the son of Muhammad;
Gird your waists for the journey to the garden of Paradise."

Stanza 50

"The army of the unbelievers has been bent on evil since yesterday;
Today you are to be embraced by death;
Battle and strife lie ahead with the host of that army;
Our master too will come out of his quarters in a moment;
Come, you breakers of ranks, it is time to pray for victory;
The pennant of the standard of God's army is being unfurled."

Stanza 51

"We have longed for this very day for so long;
Now we shall meet the King of kings of Arabia;
The Sayyid ladies have been blessing you all since nightfall;
Form your ranks and come respectfully to the door of his noble house;
Today our lord will meet his grandfather in Paradise;
Today at Kausar you will receive robes of light."

Stanza 52

On hearing this good news the warriors armed themselves;
The Arab steeds of the mighty warriors began to come from the stables;
Every one of those at prayer was a lion of the battle line;
They cried, "May we be a sacrifice for the King of kings of Hijaz!"
At the doorway bloomed a garden of highest Paradise;
In the tent there was turmoil at the farewell of the King of the faith.

Stanza 53

The women were all around, and in their midst that lover of God;
Like the dawn, the face of every lady had turned pale;
The heart of the Lady of both worlds was split in her breast;
Zainab writhed so that the Hazrat was distressed;
Sakina would not move from Shabbir's side;
Whenever he stepped forward, Sakina clung to the hem of his robe.

Stanza 54

The King said, "My lady, let me go from the house now;
My heart is breaking; do not cling to your father."
She said, "If this shade is lifted from over my head,
Alas, alas, where shall I search for you, and from where bring you back?
Your daughter has no one but you, Father;
All night I did not sleep for this very fear, Father."

Stanza 55

The Hazrat reassured her, "May I be your sacrifice, my darling;
I will come back from the battlefield many times yet."
She said, "May I be a sacrifice for all you suffer;
I see the makings of my orphanhood;
If there is no battle ahead with the army of the wretched,
Why were you commending me to my aunt?"

Stanza 56

"Now your going shows that you will not come back;
Why were you saying, 'Zainab, let her sleep on your breast;
Bano, when I am gone, do not make Sakina cry;
If water can be had, quench her thirst;
Comfort her when she weeps and remembers me;
I shall writhe in my grave if she cries out'?"

Stanza 57

"I heard the last instructions you gave to Abid;
You, my lord, were foretelling the ruin of this house;
Alas, alas, at my age, this shock, this calamity!
Take me with you; I cannot bear to be parted from you;
If I go with you from this house of sorrows,
At least no one will tie my neck with a rope."

Stanza 58

At the innocent child's words the whole household wept;
In their mourning no heart had the strength for patience;
Nor could the Hazrat bear to be parted from his daughter;
He did not put her down from his arms until he reached the doorway;
The moment she was parted from him, Shabbir died while still alive;
With what pain Shabbir went out, weeping!

Stanza 59

When the Lord of the nations came to the door of his house,
The women in the house beat themselves until their breath came to their lips;
The army of Islam gathered to salute him;
With what majesty, fortune and splendour the standard came!
As it swayed, its radiance reached the Throne;
Its gleam held the sun in its grasp.

Stanza 60

The brave companions were saying among themselves,
"Let us see on whom this huma casts its shadow;
Command of the army is in Akbar's name;
The King of the faith will give Abbas the office of Jafar;
The Sultan of the nations has a deep love for this lion;
Now he looks at his brother, now at the standard."

Stanza 61

Zainab's sons were taking counsel together:
"Brother, shall we ask our uncle for the standard?
God's help is what we need, though we are young in years;
The world knows that this office is ours;
Everyone knows the honour of Haidar and Jafar;
In truth, we have the right to it from both sides."

Stanza 62

"Our father's father was a standard-bearer, and so was our mother's father;
We seek the office of our forefathers."
The elder said, "This is no time at all to make a request;
The King of all creation is master and sovereign;
The great office is to give our lives for our uncle;
Keep quiet, lest Mother hear and be displeased."

Stanza 63

"We want nothing of the standard, nothing to do with pomp;
Let every trace of us be wiped out: that alone is our office and our name;
Let these heads be sacrificed at the feet of the King whose end is blessed;
That honour may remain, brother, is my prayer morning and evening;
Let our master give the standard of God's army to whom he wishes;
We long for death; let him give us leave to die."

Stanza 64

Grieving Zainab, who was weeping near the curtain,
Heard every word of this talk of her sons;
That honoured lady said to Fizza,
"Find some way to signal to them both and call them here;
I have something to say; let them hear it, if they have time;
Let Abbas not see, nor the King of the faith learn of it."

Stanza 65

Zainab was saying this when those good boys came of their own accord;
Helpless Zainab said to the younger one,
"What were you saying to your brother just now, my darling?
At such a time, what office are you seeking?
You did not realise that your mother stands behind the curtain;
My house is being plundered, and you are set on office!"

Stanza 66

"Allah! What a great resolve you have made, girding on the sword!
Children! I never thought you were like this;
Mind, I shall be disgusted with you both this very moment;
Say nothing to your uncle; take care! Take care!
What right have you to meddle in the affairs of the Sultan of the nations?
I will never look at your faces again if you go near the standard."

Stanza 67

"Your looks have changed since the standard came out;
Who are you, to push ahead of everyone?
Go and stand respectfully behind the King;
Since last night I have known whose office this is;
In this matter let him show no favour to anyone else;
I will be glad if he carries out Ali's last will."

Stanza 68

"For two days my brother has suffered oppression and cruelty;
You are thinking of the standard, and I am in bitter grief;
You are small in stature, and still young in years;
Do not think it a game; this is the standard of Muhammad;
On no account say anything now to the exalted King;
If you speak to the King at all, ask him for leave to fight."

Stanza 69

"Granted, the office of Jafar comes down to you;
But is any office greater than serving our master?
My younger brother too is like a son to me;
He is a lover to the one who loves, and a brother to his brother;
I shall be angry if you raise any complaint, in any manner;
Would you shame me before Abbas?"

Stanza 70

When Zainab had spoken to them so reproachfully,
Those dear ones joined their hands and said,
"Have slaves ever argued with kings?
The King of the righteous is master; let him give the standard to whom he will;
We have girded on sword and shield to ask leave to fight;
Since morning we have been girded and ready to die."

Stanza 71

Zainab, taking their ills upon herself, said, "Go forth;
Now my heart is glad, my darlings;
Your mother is your sacrifice; offer your heads at the King's feet;
It would be Eid for me if you killed Umar ibn Saad and Shimr;
This is the time to help the Imam ordained from eternity;
May God give Ali's strength to your little hands."

Stanza 72

"I am your sacrifice; listen, for I tell you plainly:
You must be the first to lay your heads at the King's feet;
If Qasim and Akbar are wounded on the battlefield,
Then you are not my sons, nor am I mother to you two;
When the heart is displeased, what sons are they?
What use is a son who is of no use to his mother?"

Stanza 73

"If one of them sets out for the battlefield,
I swear by Zahra, I will not look upon your faces;
When I hear that these two have given their heads,
Only then will my milk have done you good;
If you die after them, I will not mourn;
Mark me, even when I die, I will die displeased."

Stanza 74

"Both my nephews are my darlings, my beloved;
That you be sacrificed for them is all I want;
To stay alive is not better, in any way or manner;
Should I forgive you my milk without your giving your heads? How fine!
If you endure suffering, you will find comfort too;
When your bodies come back, this treasure too will be yours."

Stanza 75

"Look, I am telling you plainly: take care! Take care!
If you come back alive, I will never forgive you my milk;
This is what lions do: the moment the sword is drawn,
They step forward and lay their throats beneath the bloodthirsty dagger;
They broke the ranks in battle when the field was strewn with the slain;
This is how Ali fought the army of the jinn."

Stanza 76

"Show the enemy the power of my milk;
Show the majesty of Hasan and the glory of Shabbir;
Show your mastery of the sword as Jafar did;
Stand tall and show the very image of the Hand of God;
You are close in kinship to the sun of the Imamate;
You are lions, sons of lions; beautiful, sons of the beautiful."

Stanza 77

"You are the darlings of a man as illustrious as Jafar, O brave ones;
You are the brave sons of a man as brave as Haidar, O brave ones;
You are mighty, ever-charging breakers of ranks, O brave ones;
You are lions, fierce lions, mighty lions, O brave ones;
Come back having pierced the hearts of their young men with your arrows;
Come back having broken down the gate of Kufa as at Khaibar."

Stanza 78

"Bear the battle as at the battle of the Trench;
You are children of the Lion of God; stake your lives;
Plunge among the swords; thrust back the spears with your breasts;
Put Kufa to the sword, and take Syria;
Give fresh polish to the mirror of the Arab sword;
Seize Rome, and Aleppo is in your grasp."

Stanza 79

"Neither the Khaqan's throne remained, nor Caesar's crown;
Come, warriors! Take tribute from China, Abyssinia and the land of the Zanj;
For brave young men, going into battle is an ascension;
Let the sword strike today so that the world is turned upside down;
Come back like this, wearing four-plated armour on your bodies,
As Ali used to come home after victory."

Stanza 80

"Let your bearing not be clouded; these are a soldier's virtues:
Whose men they are, his alone they are; where they stand, there they stay;
Now they are steeped in perfume, now drenched in blood;
In company they are companions; in battle they are shields;
They will bow to no one else, nor have they ever bowed;
Let their honour suffer no loss, for they have already sold their heads."

Stanza 81

When, having heard this, those brave ones came out of the tent,
With what love the Chief gazed at both their faces!
Akbar submitted, "O grandson of the Prophet,
The whole army of the qibla of both worlds is ready;
Over there the army of cruelty is in haste for battle;
Let whoever you command go forward with the standard."

Stanza 82

The King said, "Call brave Abbas;
Call my dear, beloved brother;
Call my lover, my helper, my supporter;
Quickly, call my Hamza, my Jafar;
This eminence, this rank, this glory are for him;
The standard is graced by him; the standard is meant for him."

Stanza 83

All began to gaze at the face of Abbas, high as the heavens in rank;
The King's standard itself took pride in its own height,
As if to say, 'My bearer is the very sign of the Lion of God';
The flag swelled with pride, and the pennant was its well-wisher;
Life had come into it on hearing this good news;
Even the hand at its crest beckoned to the brave one.

Stanza 84

Joyfully Ali Akbar called out to his uncle,
"Come quickly; the Chief is calling for you."
That breaker of ranks presented himself with joined hands;
Giving the standard to his brother, the King said,
"Bear it on your shoulder; this is your office;
Here, brother, may your father's office be blessed for you."

Stanza 85

Brave Abbas kissed the standard,
Bowed in salute, and laid his head at the King's feet;
He said, "I am a sacrifice for this kindness and grace;
Had I a hundred heads, I would give them all for the King of kings of the nations;
My Lord, you have raised to the highest one who was lowly a moment ago;
Your bounty has made the drop a river, my Lord."

Stanza 86

"The shade of this canopy, exalted as the heavens, over my head!
In this sun the pennant will be over my head;
This cloud over my head, this Tooba tree over my head!
May my master remain over my head for countless years;
These are the rewards of serving the Sultan of both worlds;
All this eminence has come from carrying his sandals."

Stanza 87

The Hazrat said, weeping, "What are you saying, my dear?
Even my life is yours, if it can be of use to you;
This was your share, and at last it has reached you;
You are the master now; I am at the edge of the grave;
What was in my heart, by God, cannot come to be;
Brother, I can never repay what I owe you."

Stanza 88

Saying this, the Chief of the faith went towards his steed,
Bearing his weapons and wearing his coat of mail;
He mounted, tucking up the skirts of his robe;
Allah, what radiance! The seat of the saddle was lit up;
Those feet were a source of light for the stirrups;
Beneath the feet of the sun were two new moons.

Stanza 89

At the touch of his thighs the night-black steed began to flash like lightning;
The wish of the rider's heart was spur enough for it;
When Shabbir, warming to it, urged on his Arab steed,
The troop of horsemen rode against the enemy at full gallop;
Every young Arab was the envy of the angels;
The standard of Allah's army reached up to the sky.

Stanza 90

Such was the blessing of that cavalcade that the whole road was strewn with gold;
On one side the sun was rising, on the other was the King's standard;
Between the two suns was the army of the exalted King;
Such glory shone on the hand at its crest: Allah, Allah!
Its gleam outshone the gleam of the shining sun;
Its light lay on the earth, its radiance on the sky.

Stanza 91

Every young man had put on the ornaments of war;
The gleam of the lances, and the surging of that sea!
The darlings of Jafar, the beloved ones of the Hand of God;
Each one would fight a Rustam and slay a lion;
If a swordsman like Marhab came, they would kill him with the sword;
An archer like Arjun they would kill with a single arrow.

Stanza 92

Several young boys made a band apart from all the rest;
In their eagerness for battle they had not slept all night;
Holding in their reins out of respect for the King of the faith,
They looked at the enemy with eyes of wrath;
The weapons they had girded on, how well they suited them!
All, with short swords poised, were bent on dying.

Stanza 93

Their moon-like faces, and their fair bodies;
Their delicate mouths would put even rosebuds to shame;
Their garments, like Joseph's, breathed out perfume;
When they died, those same clothes became their shrouds at last;
What beauty of faith! They were young men of wondrous heart;
All were of one voice in giving their lives for their master.

Stanza 94

Their ages differed, but all wore long locks;
In one band were many moons and many haloes;
Reared in the laps of the noble Sayyid ladies;
That whole cluster of buds was in the charge of rose-faced Akbar;
Among these fresh saplings he stood out;
He was the master of this garden of one colour.

Stanza 95

When the army of the faith lit up the field of slaughter,
The earth looked at the sky with contempt;
The moon-browed sky did not raise its head;
The highest Throne looked down on the earth with longing;
The specks of dust rose up again and again to show their sparkle;
The specks of dust began to rival the sun.

Stanza 96

When the brave standard-bearer unfurled the pennant,
The dawn breeze carried off the roses of Paradise;
The lotus-blue sky offered up its stars as a ransom;
When the flag opened out, the fairy let down her hair;
Jesus cried out, "May I be a sacrifice for its majesty!"
The sun laid its face on the hand at the standard's crest.

Stanza 97

When the order was given to draw up the ranks of the army,
Ali Akbar set the ranks of the army of Islam in order;
When the splendour of the rose-limbed young men appeared,
The banners of Kufa bowed, and the army of Syria trembled;
Allah, the majesty of those nobles and men of high birth!
Was this the army of Islam, or the power of God itself?

Stanza 98

Suddenly the drum sounded and the murderous army advanced;
The din of the clamorous kettledrum rose to the sky;
The dome of the heavens shook at the wail of the trumpet;
The globe of earth trembled at the sound of the drums;
Since the drums were beating for the killing of the Imam of Medina,
From the kettledrums came, clear, the sound of breast-beating.

Stanza 99

There was the din of instruments; here the cry 'God is Greatest';
Every brave man swayed, poising his sword;
Suddenly arrows began to fly towards God's army;
Abbas the standard-bearer looked at Shabbir's face
And said, "The wicked are coming to fight, my Lord;
What is your command? Arrows are falling on the thirsty now, my Lord."

Stanza 100

The King said, "I am ashamed; what command can I give, alas?
Seventy-two men are here, and there hundreds of the misguided."
The warrior said, "O King of all,
These are lions of Ali's reed-bed, and they are foxes;
If they are hundreds of thousands, what fear is that to the brave men of Arabia?
By our master's good fortune we will put them all to flight."

Stanza 101

He said, "My whole army is starving;
There is no water to wet their dry lips;
It is better that my head be cut from my body first."
The warrior said, "These breakers of ranks are hungry lions;
With their charges they will overturn the lines of the enemy army;
They hunger for wounds and thirst for blood."

Stanza 102

The Hazrat said, "Very well! Fight the army of cruelty;
I know that today you will all be parted from me;
I have no concern with the world, nor with rank and pomp;
My own throat too will be cut by the two-edged sword;
Those who help me are accepted;
People will long remember this battle too."

Stanza 103

When they heard these words of the qibla of both worlds,
The daring ones advanced, and swords began to clash with the army;
The charges of the thirsty were the wrath of the All-Subduing Lord;
The finest of the enemy's young men threw down their swords and fled;
Who could meet the eyes of the lions of Arabia?
When they raised their battle cries, everyone took to their heels.

Stanza 104

One loyal man after another fought ferociously;
Here the day was climbing; there the market of death was busy;
Those who sought the goods of martyrdom were selling their heads;
Buyer pressed forward and fell upon buyer;
'Let us buy first!': every one of them had his heart set on this;
Since the bargain was for the hereafter, the price too was steep.

Stanza 105

When the summons of death came for the kinsmen,
The sons of Jafar did great deeds on the battlefield;
When the children of Aqeel had given their lives for Shabbir,
The rose-limbed sons of the forlorn Muslim went out to fight;
It was like the Day of Resurrection; rivers of blood were flowing;
The boys had overturned the ranks of the enemy army.

Stanza 106

There was turmoil in the army; swords were striking fiercely;
Here the darlings of grieving Zainab were restless;
Looking at the Hazrat's face, they said each time,
"Are we to go against the army of the unbelievers only after them?
We would come alive if our lord gave us leave to die;
Let it not be that our lord gives Qasim leave for battle!"

Stanza 107

The glorious Chief was about to say something to them
When the cry went up that Muslim's darlings had been killed;
When their bodies too, rolled in blood, had been brought here,
The boys joined their hands again, asking leave for the battlefield;
The King said, "This loss is hard for me to bear."
The two laid their heads at their uncle's feet.

Stanza 108

The Hazrat said, "Have you taken leave of your mother too?
What are you saying? Shall I let my sister's treasure be plundered?
You alone are her wealth, you alone her whole fortune."
Holding back his tears, the younger one said to the Hazrat,
"We are not lying; ask anyone now;
Since last night Mother has given us leave to die."

Stanza 109

When the boys, with joined hands, had said this,
Shabbir looked at their faces and began to weep;
He said, "The aged sky is taking you from me too;
Very well, I consent, if it is my sister's wish;
That pure lady is the Prophet's granddaughter;
She is the sister of a generous man and the daughter of a bountiful one."

Stanza 110

Hearing this, the noble boys bowed in a last salute;
Before the sun, two moons became new crescents;
Looking towards the sky, Shabbir heaved a sigh;
The two lions mounted their horses and set off for the battlefield;
Their mother cried out from the doorway, "May your leave-taking be blessed!
May the robe of honour from the King of kings' court be blessed for you!"

Stanza 111

"The Sultan of both worlds has robed you in honour; I am your sacrifice;
Are you going, or is it a bridegroom's procession?
You grew to manhood, and all the celebrations are over;
Here, from afar I take your ills upon myself;
I am your sacrifice; go brandishing your lances;
Go, turning again and again to show me your faces."

Stanza 112

The two rose-faced boys bowed from their horses in salute;
Their mother's heart welled up so that tears began to fall;
When they lifted their reins, the horses became gazelles;
Gentle Zainab never saw them again;
Their mother was left gazing in despair towards the battlefield;
Like stars they flashed, and vanished behind a cloud.

Stanza 113

Those lions came onto the battlefield with wondrous splendour,
As if Haidar and Jafar had appeared together;
A cry went up: "The sons of the Hazrat's sister have come!"
Two moons had come down from the heavens onto the earth;
Their precious beauty surpasses Joseph's;
This is not sunlight in the desert; it is their shadow.

Stanza 114

Those moon-like faces, and those ambergris-scented locks;
Those cheeks like the full moon: how wondrous the power of the Sovereign!
All the splendour of the Hand of God, all the majesty of Haidar;
The same glance, the same anger, all the same looks;
What swordsman had ever seen such awe?
Whomever they looked at felt that a lion had looked at him.

Stanza 115

When those noble boys, standing tall, displayed their splendour,
The Hand of God would clasp them both to his breast;
Their stature like the box tree, neither too tall nor too short;
Brought up playing among swords, skilled in the art of war;
To their very fingertips they had all the ways of brave men in battle;
They were children, but the children of God's lion.

Stanza 116

In beauty the two had the same mirror-bright face;
Forehead, brows, head, chest and throat were alike;
The same bearing, the same grandeur; as their colour was one, so was their scent;
One heart, one spirit, one body, one blood;
And there is no one like them from west to east;
They are two halves of one apple; there is no difference.

Stanza 117

When those brave boys began to recite their battle verses,
Allah, what eloquence! The eloquent were struck dumb;
Every couplet was a two-edged sword for the enemy;
Every apt line had the sharpness of a dagger;
Who could answer them? Everyone was breathless;
There the brave men of Arabia were hard pressed for a rhyme.

Stanza 118

When, declaring their lineage, they named Muhammad,
All began to call down blessings on the Lord of Islam;
When those rose-faced boys went further, naming Ali,
Hearts shook; from Rome to Syria all began to tremble;
When they spoke of Jafar after Ali,
All the standards of the wretched army bowed in salute.

Stanza 119

They had begun to speak of the honour of the noble Shabbir
When, over there, the drum was struck and arrows began to fly;
Then the elder brother spoke to the younger:
"Raise your sword; why delay any longer?
If you say so, we will separate and go against the oppressors,
I among the horsemen, you against the archers."

Stanza 120

The elder brother said, laughing, "No, brother;
You are my life; even a moment's parting is hard;
Every rank can be swept away in an instant;
We will conquer it; what sort of battle is this?
Our arms are strong if hand does not let go of hand;
Let the head be cut from the body, but let us never be parted."

Stanza 121

"Come, let us charge the army as our grandfather did;
Stride proudly among the swords and take the spear-thrusts;
Show me the strength of these little hands;
I will shield you with my breast, and you protect me;
Not even Rustam will dare to face us lions;
When two have become one heart, no one can fight them."

Stanza 122

The younger joined his hands and said, "Very well."
At once the two drew their short swords together;
Two lightnings flashed, and the armies began to tremble;
Those lions burst into the reed-bed of lances;
In their rush they crushed the horsemen and laid them waste;
Even their steeds were riding on the horses of the wind.

Stanza 123

The cuts of those little swords were extraordinary;
Elbows were severed from wrists, and lances from hands;
The matchless squadrons that had drawn up their files,
It was these two who reviewed them all;
The brave men of Arabia had prided themselves on their skill;
Cutting their lances in two, the boys made them all vanish.

Stanza 124

Wherever the two short swords came, death came there;
Whenever a hand was raised, heads came falling at their feet;
If they cut down to the breast, at times they reached the waist;
They never came back empty; whomever they struck, they came back filled with blood;
Each short sword was lightning for the oppressors;
Two new moons were steeped in a twilight of blood.

Stanza 125

From fear no bloodthirsty man could raise his neck;
The crown of the helmet bowed, and the neck of the sword;
Some had their faces slashed, some their necks;
The rider's head flew off, and the neck of his steed;
The two short swords passed like lightning through waists;
The accursed were shrinking to half their size in fear for their lives.

Stanza 126

From two little swords came a Day of Resurrection;
From the hands of the innocent a miracle was seen;
The enemy saw the sign that their heads would be cut off;
Not even an iron shield was seen unbroken;
Not without reason did the faces of the cruel turn away:
These were the blows of a river's waves, the slaps of fate.

Stanza 127

Going on from the neck, they cut through the body and came out;
Showing their temper to the coats of mail, they came through;
They swam through the four-plated armour and came out beyond it,
Like two threads drawn evenly through soap;
Who has not been seen to bow beneath the arch?
No one has seen a fish held back by still water.

Stanza 128

In every band heads and bodies rolled and writhed;
Here lay gauntlets, there shields, there helmets;
When the short swords of these two rose together,
The oppressors hid their faces behind their shields in fear;
Neither old nor young had the strength to stop them;
The likeness of the two-tongued sword began to appear.

Stanza 129

Any rank they fought and turned from was laid waste;
With two strokes they destroyed hundreds and turned back;
They cut the commanders' heads from their bodies and turned back;
In every band they raised a Day of Judgement and turned back;
The cry went up, "Broken lines cannot hold;
In terror of losing our heads our feet cannot stand firm."

Stanza 130

The horses were will-o'-the-wisps, now here, now there;
They moved within the pupil of the eye, yet were hidden from sight;
If here they were light of foot, there they raced at full rein;
In one place they were lightning, in another flowing water;
Neither lightning nor deer could match such speed;
They were gusts of wind that rushed past with a whoosh.

Stanza 131

Without water for two days, yet so spirited were the horses;
At every moment the horses were ready to take flight;
Now they were on this side, now on that;
The whole army was the point, and the horses were the compass;
Ten or twenty died at a time, trampled under the hooves;
Not one could get beyond the circle of death.

Stanza 132

Wherever the two went, with chests thrust out,
The two passed through the waves of swords;
The two rode into every band without fear or dread;
When all fell back, the two stood their ground;
Seeing a rank overturned, a brother would laugh;
Brother would look at brother and laugh.

Stanza 133

When, after a breath, those mighty warriors sent their horses flying,
Those mighty warriors put the enemy's squadrons to flight;
Like lions those mighty warriors fell upon the army;
Any peerless champion they found, those mighty warriors made two;
When those lions killed, they killed men of rank;
Whenever an eye met theirs, they picked out the notable and slew them.

Stanza 134

In a moment they scattered the massed army;
In a moment they left lifeless those who were the life of the army;
In a moment their swords turned the wilderness into a rose garden;
In a moment they cut off the heads of the bloodthirsty and left them rolling;
The faithless who held the standards were left without hands;
The boys had seized the banners from grown men.

Stanza 135

The two had thrown two hundred thousand into confusion;
One brother's sword was at work, the other brother's lance;
When one drew his horse out, the other pressed forward;
When one took breath, the other took up the fight;
The two swift-footed horses came together in one place;
When the crowd pressed in a little, the two joined together.

Stanza 136

One spurred his Arab steed and burst in among the horsemen;
In a moment he had trampled the foot soldiers and come back;
When that lion-like one reached that side, this one came to this;
Life returned to each brother when he saw his brother;
When they came out from under the lances, dodging them,
One brother would throw his arms around the other's neck.

Stanza 137

If one brother fought a little better than the other,
That brother would pray for his brother's safety;
Each brother paid what he owed to his brother's love;
At every blow one brother praised the other:
"By Allah, brother, there is no breaker of ranks like you;
How well you fought! Allah keep you safe, brother."

Stanza 138

The younger said to the elder with all respect,
"Brother, I could put them to flight now if I had water;
Now my heart cannot bear the heat of thirst;
It is not a heart in my breast but quicksilver on a fire;
Have we no right to this flowing water?
My palate is pricked by the thorns on my tongue."

Stanza 139

The elder brother said, "May I be your sacrifice, my rose-faced one;
What have we dry-tongued ones to do with water?
Now may death come soon, so that we drink the cup of Kausar;
I too shall faint; do not speak of water;
Our eyes are locked with the swords of the oppressors;
Hush, Mother is standing at the door of the tent."

Stanza 140

"Taking this river is not so very hard;
What strength or heart have the accursed to stop us?
We could build a bridge of corpses on the bank right now;
But tell me, what would be gained by taking the river?
Do not look this way, though thirst torments you a hundredfold;
It would be a calamity if Mother did not forgive us her milk."

Stanza 141

His eyes filling with tears, the younger said, "Very well;
At every moment we seek our mother's approval;
We are not such as to be put to shame before our elders;
All I wished was that some cause for pride might come of it;
Now we will not even raise our eyes to look at the river;
Even if we drank, it would be after giving the exalted King to drink first."

Stanza 142

"If we are Jafar's grandsons, we are Haidar's grandsons too;
We are no thirstier than Ali Akbar."
Saying this, they began to fight the cruel ones again;
Alas! The army fell on the boys from behind;
When the blood from their heads ran down their faces, the two were dazed;
The two fell beneath the swords of two hundred thousand.

Stanza 143

Those two moons were sunk in the clouds of evening;
Zainab stood at the curtain, gazing towards the battlefield;
In anguish the exalted King said to Abbas,
"Now my two lions are being parted from me, alas;
How can the heart bear this grief and sorrow?
Brother, the house of my destitute sister is being plundered."

Stanza 144

"These darlings were raised by that lady through days of hunger;
They are her only wealth, her only glory and fortune;
They are only seven or eight years old; what age is that?
Everyone will wring their hands if these flowers are trampled;
These are the only two fresh flowers in Jafar's garden;
Their father will die at home when he hears the news of them."

Stanza 145

"At parting he wept and kept saying,
'I am the King's servant, and these two have eaten his salt;
They know nothing at all of the hardships of travel;
O daughter of Zahra, take care of my sons;
I cannot keep them back, for they are devoted to their uncle;
These two are now the staffs of my old age.'"

Stanza 146

"She has quite forgotten her husband's anguish;
Alas, alas, unhappy Zainab has been ruined for love of me;
No one sacrifices their children for a brother like this;
I look on, and my sister is being ruined;
When she weeps for her sons, how shall I console her?
How shall I show my face to grieving Zainab?"

Stanza 147

Abbas said, "My heart is torn in two;
They will not accept anyone's help;
They have been wounded, yet they called neither me nor Akbar;
If you give the sign, this slave of yours will go;
I will make them listen, adjuring them by you, my lord;
If they resist, I will carry them back in my arms."

Stanza 148

The Hazrat said, "Those two are men of honour;
They are the darlings of the King of sainthood;
Those two are lions of the reed-bed of valour;
By Allah, they are men of great courage;
Two hundred thousand is nothing; even if they are surrounded by millions,
They have never turned back without giving their lives, nor will they."

Stanza 149

Noble Qasim began to move towards the battlefield;
Akbar said, "I will go, O King;
Parting from those two is a soul-wasting grief to me;
My aunt's sons are alone among hundreds of thousands, alas;
Lest they be struck by spears and fall on the sand,
I will drive off the enemy and bring them back with me."

Stanza 150

In alarm Zainab called out from the door of the tent,
"I will come out bareheaded if you go, my darling;
My children are not dearer to me than you;
Tell me, whom do I love, them or you?
Let not helpless Qasim go towards the battlefield either,
Nor brave Abbas go among the swords."