A Journey from Kufa to shaam
It was peak of the mischief and virtues in chains;
Just laws were sacked with rules insane;
As the tyrants on the rise, and mass confused,
offered lust with lies, and faith abused.
Thus the signs indicated, and time dictated.
Some souls elevated as al-Hussein (A.S) navigated;
a seed of the Prophet (PBUH) and the sight of his Parents(A.S)
that time in deluge, he was ark so apparent.
In the Name of God, for the sake of Islam;
for the freedom of life and soul of Islam;
gave greatest sacrifice, but not his hands,
with the members of his kin and many of his friends.
Hur, Muslim and the friends those hearts so pure;
they offered their lives as shield and cure;
thus tyrants came forth from the curtain way old;
then peace was bought and lives were sold.
And daring in the manners were the two young brothers;
in the boldness of their moves were the teachings of a mother
Shone Aun and Muhammad with the valor known as Heider (A.S);
Those children were slain not the feeling of the mother.
With a message from his father was Qasim bin Hassan (A.S);
a radiant jewel of Islam was this glowing young son;
but Qasim into pieces with a bride day old;
on the sand in heat it was savage and cold.
Then the pride of the Hashims rode back from the river;
And the tyrants made sure that he did not deliver;
they cut off his arms, but spirit was set;
till an arrow hit the bag, only eyes got wet.
Fell Abbas (A.S) from the horse, with no hands for resort;
then al-Hussein (A.S) rushed to shore for a brother's end resort;30
those children who waited with the patience were told; and thirst in the camp was three days old. Soon Akbar cam down with spear in his chest;
which a father had to pull so severe was the test;
He was image of the Prophet (PBUH), and the life of al-Hussein (A.S);
He was vision of a mother and the eyes of al-Hussein (A.S)
Now the Leader was alone as he called for the help,
then a baby fell down; a response from the crib!
This thirsty, pure, infant was a son of Imam,
Who, acknowledged his father and the call of Imam.
Thus al-Hussein (A.S) brought him for some water in the field,
and showed them baby's dried lips and appealed;
but the six months old got an arrow so thick,
that turned him over and tore his neck.
Ali Asghar went to sleep, with his father and no fear; 45
with the cradle on the fire, and their head on spear;
and the mother's empty hand, with the tear dried eyes,
who looked for the baby to sing lullabies.
And a sister by the camp saw the horror of this trip;
as a knife tore the neck, where the Prophet (PBUH) put his lips;50
Earth in grief, roared heavens and mourned,
Sand turned red when al-Hussein (A.S) was torn.
And a child full of tears with her tiny bleeding ears,
bruises on her face and her thirst so severe;
She ran for her father who laid beheaded,
and cried for the uncle for help she needed;
Syeda Zeinab (A.S) looked for her in the sadness of that night;
did inquire every soul in the land of the plight;
but Sakina was sleeping on the chest of a body;
with the love of the father, from the fragrance of his boy.
Then the camp pushed down, while flames went up;
little children rushed out, as their dresses lit up;
it was night full of cries and the innocent quests;
shattered were the dreams and broken were the nests.
All defenses laid to rest, after trials and the tests;6
left to face, one Imam, even history would detest,
who fainted with the illness faced torture and torment;
a Master of the pious and devotees' ornament.
Lashes on his back heavy chains on Imam;
but ladies were the prisoners, was the wound of Imam;
No chador for them but their rope tied arms;
and grief soared high from Kufa to Shaam.
But, the daughter of Ali (A.S) challenged, miseries with the messages;
with the families in bazaars, and deadly courts of savages; With the depth of the patience and the Zenith of Braver Bravery;
Islam was rescued for ever from the slavery.*
Notes:
L. 6. (A.S) is the abbreviated form of an originally Arabic honorific and prayer-like sentence. Alayhi al-Salam for males or Alayha al-Salam for females are basic forms used to express one's reverence and high respect for the dignitaries mentioned. Although widely-used in Islamic, particularly Shiite, devotional and religious texts produced in English, the abbreviation A.S has not been recorded in English dictionaries.
L. 19. Aun and Muhammad are two sons of Lady Zeinab who was martyred in Karbala.
L. 19. Heider is a title of Imam Ali (A.S)
L. 21. Qasim was son of Imam al-Hassan, Imam al-Hussein's elder brother. Qasim fought the enemy and was martyred in defense of his uncle, viz. Imam al-Hussein.
L. 25. [T]he Hashims refers to the Hashimids present at Karbala, viz. Imam al-Hussein and those of the Hashimid dynasty.
L. 29. Abbas (var. Abbas) bin Ali was Imam al-Hussein's step- brother. He typifies and symbolizes bravery, religious zeal, politeness, and entire obedience toward Imam al-Hussein.
L. 33. Akbar lit. Elder is a title of Ali bin al-Hussein, the elder brother of the fourth Infallible Imam. Akbar is used here as a shortened form. On Ashura, he was the first of the Hashimids who went to the battlefield, fought the enemy, and was martyred.
L. 45. Ali Asghar, Arabic title Ali al-Asghar, is Ali bin al- Hussein. [Asghar means the youngest.] When Imam al-Hussein lost all his companions, he got back to the tents and found him suffering from intense thirst. To prevent his baby from dying of thirst, Imam Hussein brought him to the enemy so as to get him some water. Imam Hussein requested some water from the enemy soldiers to save him from certain death, but a wicked and cruel soldier shot an arrow and slew the baby in the Imam's arms.
L. 57. Sayeda Zeinab. Syeda (lit. Lady, Miss, or Mrs.) is the feminine form of Syed itself the Indian-Subcontinent English variant form of sayyid which means Mr. or Sir.
Regarding Zeinab, or Zeinab bint Ali, she was Imam Hussein's younger sister who accompanied Imam Hussein from Medina to Karbala. (Bint means daughter of) She married her cousin Abd Allah bin Jafar and had four sons and a daughter. Two of her sons, Awn (var. Aun) and Muhammad, were martyred in Karbala on Ashura. She bravely acted as the leader of the survivors of the Karbala incident and eloquently acted as the disclosing voice of the Karbala revolt to disclose the real face and unjust character of Yazid.
L. 59. Sakina (Sakina bint al-Hussein), was Imam Hussein's daughter.
L. 72. Kufa to Shaam. Kufa, or al-Kufa (Arabic al-Kufa), is a town on the western bank of the Euphrates. It is now quite close to al-Najaf. Al-Kufa served as a seat of Imam Ali's government, hence a refuge and centre for the Shiites. Just prior to the Karbala incident, several of its inhabitants wrote letters, inviting Imam al-Hussein to move there; however, most of them betrayed him and participated in the unbalanced war against him in Karbala.
L. 72. Shaam, or al-Sham refers to the Levant that is a region presently comprising Syria, and the neighbouring parts of Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan. It specifically refers to Damascus, the capital and seat of the Umayyad dynasty.
In Shiite culture, it implies the hardest and most unbearable phase of captivity for the survivors of the Karbala incident.
Anonymous
Taken from: Ashura poems in English Compiled by Muhammad Reza Fakhr Rohani
Other links:
On the Morn of Muharram
Tragedy of Muharram
