Struck By Calamities

She was born to the noblest of parents and
Was the radiant light of truth 
The wife of the prince of the believers
And the mother of two martyred sons

Struck by loneliness and grief
By the death of her mother
Then bereft of her father
And her Muhsin was never to be born
Yet the calamities rained down upon her
And turned the days to nights
Struck by calamities was she

In Kufa the prince goes to pray
And into prostration he falls
Ibn Muljim raises his sword and strikes
Injuring him, grieving her
Killing him, drowning her
Struck by calamities was she

In Madinah Al Hasan is killed
Then his bier by a shower of arrows struck
Each striking his corpse and piercing her heart
Struck by calamities was she

In Karbalaa they lined up
One after the other went heaven’s way
The infant was slain, blinded was she
Then Husayn was struck and she was hit
And the horses trampled and she wept in grief
Struck by calamities was she

In Shaam they snatched veils
And bared Zaynab to the market’s crowd
Burning tents, setting her soul on fire
Snatching earrings, tearing her heart
Struck by calamities was she

In the world today darkened by absence of Imam
Each oppression is Fadak snatched again
Each curse is Ali struck again
Each treachery is Al Hasan’s death repeated
Each lie is the betrayal of Al Husayn
Each exposed hair, the veil of Zaynab snatched
Each sin, an arrow striking the rose of Zahraa
Struck by calamities is she

Yet this is Zahraa who freshens our souls
Who sees only beauty at Karbalaa through Zaynab’s eyes
And pleaded for Him to take as He pleased
And who succeeded by the Lord of the Ka’abah
And whose shia cry today and respond ‘Labayk ya Husayn!’
To the query ‘Is there none amongst mankind to save us?’
Pleased with Him, pleasing to Him
Content was she, though
Struck by calamities was she.