nothing but beauty

ya Zaynab, the time has come to bid Hussain farewell
horrors to pass the looming of a bloody moon foretells
 
ya Zaynab, with the rising of Ashura’s sun
to come to the aid of your Hussain there will be left no one
 
ya Zaynab, to the battlefield he is to go
and will shower down upon him rain of merciless arrows
 
ya Zaynab, facing thousands he’ll stand as one
yet all will scatter from the sword of Ali’s fearless son
 
ya Zaynab, seeing light, the darkness will be scared
more archers will be signaled and more swordsmen prepared
 
ya Zaynab, then wounds on wounds will kiss his skin,
and when they do the enemy will start to circle in…
 
ya Zaynab, from his horse he’ll be shot down
and snarling wolves snapping their jaws your lion will surround
 
ya Zaynab, and when he falls to his knees
the heavens will hear wailing of an anguished sister’s screams
 
ya Zaynab, will choke with grief your tears!
as the chest of your Hussain is ripped and torn apart with spears
 
ya Zaynab, his head from his body will be severed
and the brother you held close to you will in his blood be covered
 
ya Zaynab, this world for you will turn to ash
when your brother, your Imam, when your Hussain breathes his last
 
ya Zaynab, yet Hussain will leave you with this mission
to remain strong and carry on the message of his revolution
 
so ya Zaynab,
 
even when your tents they come to burn
even when you are imprisoned by those who truth’s call have spurned
 
ya Zaynab, even when they tie your hands
even when they drag you as captives across miles of lonely land
 
ya Zaynab, even when the tyrant brings you in his hall
your spine will not be broken, like your brother you’ll stand tall
 
ya Zaynab, you will not have with you a sword
but each tyrant’s throne will shatter by the grandeur of your words
 
ya Zaynab, in fear before you they will stand
when you pronounce the Prophet’s blood is dripping from their hands
 
ya Zaynab, for all who listen you’ll attest
the truth of who these tyrants are, of who has devoured your flesh
 
ya Zaynab, to them you will proclaim
their strongest efforts will not erase the splendor of your names
 
ya Zaynab, in fear they’ll shout: your brother died!
with sweaty palms cry out: Hussain is no longer alive!
 
but ya Zaynab, you’ll call towards the sky
do not name as dead those in God’s way slain – no, they are alive (2:154)
 
ya Zaynab, with your brother’s head they will then taunt
with this, in fright, their assumed victory in Karbala they’ll flaunt
 
but ya Zaynab, you will still look them in the eye
and declare with the firmest gaze the victory of the Most High
 
and ya Zaynab, all will tremble, in your voice they’ll hear Ali:
as they realize that Karbala was nothing but beauty
 
as we realize
 
that Karbala
 
was nothing
but
beauty