Ashura Poems in English Explained and Annotated (volume 1)

Preface

The prime reason and motive for compiling the following anthology of devotional poems on Imam al-Husain is to record and mark my humblest degree of reverence and devotion to the unimaginably high status of Imam al-Husain,

and then to provide readers with a range of such poems so far composed in English.

When my colleague Mr. Abdul-Hosseyn Tale'i suggested to me to embark on such a task, it hardly seemed practicable; however, it has been certainly by divine grace that I have been able to gradually come across such poems here and there and produce the first volume of such an anthology.

Considering that this is my first endeavor to take a step toward collecting and anthologizing Ashura literature in English, I wish to request each and every esteemed reader to provide me with additional poems of the nature collected here.

This is just to work out a further revised and enlarged edition. Surely anybody who contributes to this collection they will receive the divine grace and will benefit from the favor of Imam al- Husain.

The poems are anthologized in this collection just as they appear on websites or in the sources from which they are taken.

I would sincerely appreciate any comment, suggestion, contribution, or reminder. I can be reached at the following addresses: dr_fakhr_1385@yahoo.com or P. O. Box: 37185- 744, Qom, Iran.

Qom, Iran Muhammad-Reza Fakhr-Rohani, Ph.D.

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I am thankful to Allah Who provided me with this opportunity to carry out the present task as the least cultural service to those who have got to know, or learned to love, Imam al-Husain (May Divine grace and salaams be bestowed upon him).

No doubt, it is a gratifying and blessed work which, I hope, will be recognized as a mark of my humblest service to the divine status of Imam al-Husain which is beyond conjecture. I simply hope to receive his graceful favor for such a humble task.

I am grateful to Mr. Abdul-Hoseyn Tale'i for his initial suggestion to compile such an anthology. Next, my sincere thanks go to Sheikh Ali al-Fatlawi, presently the Curator of the Library of Imam al-Husain's Sacred Sanctuary in Karbala for his permission to let us have the honor of indicating Imam al- Husain's Sanctuary as the publisher of the present volume.

This will certainly remain an everlasting honor for all those who have been involved in producing this book. I cannot forget Sheikh Muhammad al-Hassoun for his kind and sincere help.

Indeed, Sheikh Muhammad al-Hassoun's cooperation makes me indebted to him forever; he suggested to me to have this

book published in the series of the publications of Imam al- Husain's Sacred Sanctuary. Also Sayyid Hashim al-Milani, the Curator of the Library of Imam ?Al?'s Sanctuary in Najaf deserves my sincere appreciation for this support.

I express my sincere appreciation to Dr. Ali Afkhami and Dr. Ali-Muhammad Haghshenas-Lari, distinguished professor of linguistics at the University of Tehran, and his family for having read the final draft of the present volume and the suggestions they made.

My special thanks go to His Grace Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian, Sheikh Muhammad Sadiq Muhammad al- Karbasi, the editor of the London-based Imam al-Husain Encyclopedia, Sheikh Muhammad Kalbasi, Dr. Ali-Reza Babazadeh, and Mr. Kamal al-Sayyid.

Among my university students, Mr. Hamed Akhyani deserves my profound and special appreciation. He has always expressed keen academic interest as well as devoutly religious fascination and rendered his substantial assistance while the present volume was in gestation. I am, and will always remain, appreciative of his effective and invaluable cooperation and crucial help.

Regarding office jobs, Mr. Gholam-Reza Yazdandoost, Mr. Muhammad-Hosseyn Shahri, and Miss Minoo Jalali also helped me a lot.

I cannot forget the assistance I received from my good friends in New Delhi in the summer of 2006. Among a long list of friends who proved cooperative, I ought to mention the following: Mr. Morteza Shafi'i-Shakib, Mr. Mohammad- Hossein Mozaffari, Dr. Syed Quayam Hussain, all at Iran Culture House in New Delhi, Mrs. M. Vijayalakshmi,

Librarian of Sahitya Akademi(National Academy of Letters), New Delhi, Mr. Murad Ali Baig, Prof. Makarand Paranjape of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Mr. Mortaza Danesh Husaini and her eminent mother, Dr. Bilquis Fatimah Husaini of the University of Delhi, Dr. Nonica Datta, professor of history at the University of Delhi as well as at Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, Dr. Shah Muhammad Waseem of Aligarh, Prof.

Abdur Rahim Kidwai and Dr. Syed Faiz Zaidi both of Aligarh Muslim University. I am also grateful to Prof. Richard Parmentier of Brandeis University, and Dr. Tabish Khair of the University of Aarhus, Denmark, for contributing one of his poems to this collection. They helped me in many ways and made my short research trip to India as pleasant and fruitful as possible. May God reward them all.

Dr. Mahmoud Mahdavi-Damghani of Mashhad, Iran, Dr. Farideh Mahdavi-Damghani and her eminent father, Dr. Ahmad Mahdavi-Damghani (presently at Harvard University) showed great interest and encouraged me to go along with the project.

I also thank my French friend Dr. Mouslim Fidahoussen and the famous Lebanese Christian literary figure, Dr. Georges Gordak, widely renowned for his scholarship on the life of Imam ?Al? b. Ab? T?lib, for their moral support.

Last but not least, I offer my most heartfelt thanks to my wife for her patience and understanding and for creating a fitting environment for the accomplishment of this task.

Abbreviations

A./rabic b., Arabic ibn, son (of) E./nglish L./line Lit./eral(ly) Ll., lines P./ersian s.v., Latin sub verbo, under Var./iant, various

Permission (to fight) is given unto those upon whom war is made for they have been oppressed, and verily, to help them, God is Most Potent; Those who have been expelled from their homes unjustly save that they say: ?Our Lord is God!? The Holy Quran, 22 [al-Hajj]. 39-40.

And say not of those who are slain in God's cause, ?They are dead?: nay, they are alive, but you perceive it not. The Holy Quran, 2 [al-Baqara]. 154.

God loves whoever loves [Imam] al-Husain.

The Prophet Muhammad The place where [Imam] al-Husain is buried has been one of Paradise Gardens since he was buried therein.

Imam Jafar al-Sadiq

Once God wishes to do a favor to someone, He makes them love [Imam] al-Husain.

Imam Jafar al-Sadiq

In a distant age and climate the tragic scene of the death of Hussain will awaken the sympathy of the coldest reader.

Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall o f the Roman Empire The best lesson which we get from the tragedy of Karbala is that Husain and his followers were the rigid believers of God, they illustrated that numerical superiority does not count when it comes to truth and falsehood. The victory of Husain despite his minority marvels me.

Thomas Carlyle, Hero and Hero-worship