A Reminder from Ahlul Bayt (Laysal Ghareeb)

Background
This is a beautiful reminder from the great great grandson of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be on him. The poem (Arabic: Qaseedah قصيدة) is called 'Laysal Ghareeb' (ليس الغريب) which literally translates into 'The Stranger is Not'. It is a self-provoking, soul-searching poem reflecting on life, death and beyond.

It's a very popular poem in Yemen and elsewhere. Ponder upon the words of the poem for a moment ...

Listen to the poem



Listen with subtitles in French, in Dutch.
Listen to other Recitors of the same poem here and here.
Download audio version of the recitation from here.

Arabic Poem with Translation

لزين العابدين علي بن الحسين ين علي بن أبي طالب
Written by Zain al-'Aabideen ‘Alee bin al-Hussayn bin ‘Alee bin Abee Taalib [The Great great grandson of the Prophet]

لَيْسَ الغَريبُ غَريبَ الشَّأمِ واليَمَنِ
إِنَّ الغَريبَ غَريبُ اللَّحدِ والكَفَنِ
The stranger is not the stranger to Yemen or Shaam (Syria)
But the stranger is the stranger to the grave and the coffin

إِنَّ الغَريِبَ لَهُ حَقٌّ لِغُرْبَتـِهِ
على الْمُقيمينَ في الأَوطــانِ والسَّكَنِ
Verily the stranger has rights for his absence
Over the residents of the dwellings & homelands

لاتنهـــرن غريب حال غربته
الدهـــر ينهــــره بالـــــذل والمحــن
Don’t chase away the outlander in his state of unfamiliarity
For time is also chasing him with hardship & distress

سَفَري بَعيدٌ وَزادي لَنْ يُبَلِّغَنـي
وَقُوَّتي ضَعُفَتْ والمـوتُ يَطلُبُنـي
My travels are far and my provisions will not suffice me
My strength has weakened and death is calling unto me

وَلي بَقايــا ذُنوبٍ لَسْتُ أَعْلَمُها
الله يَعْلَمُهــا في السِّرِ والعَلَنِ
I still have sins which I know not of
Allah knows of them; those made in secret & in manifest

مـَا أَحْلَمَ اللهَ عَني حَيْثُ أَمْهَلَني
وقَدْ تَمـادَيْتُ في ذَنْبي ويَسْتُرُنِي
How merciful has Allah been to me by giving me respite
And I have increased in sins but Allah has always shielded me

تَمُرُّ سـاعـاتُ أَيّـَامي بِلا نَدَمٍ
ولا بُكاءٍ وَلاخَـوْفٍ ولا حـَزَنِ
The hours of my days pass by without regret
No crying, no fear, no sadness

أَنَـا الَّذِي أُغْلِقُ الأَبْوابَ مُجْتَهِداً
عَلى المعاصِي وَعَيْنُ اللهِ تَنْظُرُنـي
I am the one who closes the doors with fatigue
On disobedience, And the Eye of Allah watches over me..

يَـا زَلَّةً كُتِبَتْ في غَفْلَةٍ ذَهَبَتْ
يَـا حَسْرَةً بَقِيَتْ في القَلبِ تُحْرِقُني
O’ that which was written in a moment of heedlessness
O’ the sorrow which remains in my heart is burning me

دَعْني أَنُوحُ عَلى نَفْسي وَأَنْدِبُـهـا
وَأَقْطَعُ الدَّهْرَ بِالتَّذْكِيـرِ وَالحَزَنِ
Leave me to bewail myself and weep
and pass the time in sadness and remembrance

دَعْ عَنْكَ عَذْلي يَا مَنْ كان يَعْذِلُني
لَوْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ مَا بي كُنْت تَعْذُرُني
Leave off your blaming of me O’ you who do so
If you were but to know my situation you would have excused me..

دَعْني أَسِحُّ دُمُوعاً لا انْقِطَاعَ لَهَا
فَهَلْ عَسَى عَبْرَةٌ مِنْهَا تُخَلِّصُني
Let me cry out tears that have no ending to them
for there will be no lesson that will set me free

كَأَنَّني بَينَ تلك الأَهلِ مُنطَرِحــَاً
عَلى الفِراشِ وَأَيْديهِمْ تُقَلِّبُنــي
It is as though I am with that family, laying..
Upon the mattress with their hands turning me over

وَقد أَتَوْا بِطَبيبٍ كَـيْ يُعالِجَنـي
وَلَمْ أَرَ الطِّبَّ هـذا اليـومَ يَنْفَعُني
And they came to me with a doctor that he may cure me..
But of today, I think not that medicine will benefit me..

واشَتد نَزْعِي وَصَار المَوتُ يَجْذِبُـها
مِن كُلِّ عِرْقٍ بِلا رِفقٍ ولا هَوَنِ
My sufferings increased and death began to pull at me..
From every vein, without ease or comfort..

واستَخْرَجَ الرُّوحَ مِني في تَغَرْغُرِها
وصـَارَ رِيقي مَريراً حِينَ غَرْغَرَني
My soul was then removed from me with a gurgle..
And my saliva became bitter at that point..

وَغَمَّضُوني وَراحَ الكُلُّ وانْصَرَفوا
بَعْدَ الإِياسِ وَجَدُّوا في شِرَا الكَفَنِ
They then shut my eyes and left me…
after a long moment of despair ... they hurried to the purchase of the shroud

وَقـامَ مَنْ كانَ حِبَّ النّاسِ في عَجَلٍ
نَحْوَ المُغَسِّلِ يَأْتينـي يُغَسِّلُنــي
And he who was dearest to me got up in a hurry..
To summon the person who was to wash me..

وَقــالَ يـا قَوْمِ نَبْغِي غاسِلاً حَذِقاً
حُراً أَرِيباً لَبِيبـاً عَارِفـاً فَطِنِ
He said: O’ my people we have attained a Washer who is skillful, clever, bright & intelligent..

فَجــاءَني رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ فَجَرَّدَني
مِنَ الثِّيــابِ وَأَعْرَاني وأَفْرَدَني
So then one of the men came and removed my clothing..
He undressed me and denuded me…

وَأَوْدَعوني عَلى الأَلْواحِ مُنْطَرِحـاً
وَصـَارَ فَوْقي خَرِيرُ الماءِ يَنْظِفُني
They then placed me on top of a board
And the sound of water above me began to clean me

وَأَسْكَبَ الماءَ مِنْ فَوقي وَغَسَّلَني
غُسْلاً ثَلاثاً وَنَادَى القَوْمَ بِالكَفَنِ
He poured the water on top of me and washed me..
Three times, before calling out to the people for the shroud..

وَأَلْبَسُوني ثِيابـاً لا كِمامَ لهـا
وَصارَ زَادي حَنُوطِي حيـنَ حَنَّطَني
They shrouded me in a sleeveless garment..
And my provisions became the embalmment in which they embalmed me

وأَخْرَجوني مِنَ الدُّنيـا فَوا أَسَفاً
عَلى رَحِيـلٍ بِلا زادٍ يُبَلِّغُنـي
They bore me towards my journey out of this world, oh how sorrowful!
Will be this journey for which I have no provisions to take along with me

وَحَمَّلوني على الأْكتـافِ أَربَعَةٌ
مِنَ الرِّجـالِ وَخَلْفِي مَنْ يُشَيِّعُني
Upon their shoulders, they carried me, Four….
Men, and behind me are those who come to bid me farewell

وَقَدَّموني إِلى المحرابِ وانصَرَفوا
خَلْفَ الإِمـَامِ فَصَلَّى ثـمّ وَدَّعَني
They set me before the mihraab then turned away from me
Behind the Imam they went and he prayed on me then bade me farewell

صَلَّوْا عَلَيَّ صَلاةً لا رُكوعَ لهـا
ولا سُجـودَ لَعَلَّ اللـهَ يَرْحَمُني
They prayed over me a prayer consisting of neither Rukoo’ (bowing) nor Sujood (prostration)
Asking that Allah may have mercy upon me

وَأَنْزَلوني إلـى قَبري على مَهَلٍ
وَقَدَّمُوا واحِداً مِنهـم يُلَحِّدُنـي
They lowered me into my grave slowly
And one of them came forward to place me in the Lahd

وَكَشَّفَ الثّوْبَ عَن وَجْهي لِيَنْظُرَني
وَأَسْكَبَ الدَّمْعَ مِنْ عَيْنيهِ أَغْرَقَني
He raised the garment from my face to gaze upon me
And the tears spilt from his eyes awashing me

فَقامَ مُحتَرِمــاً بِالعَزمِ مُشْتَمِلاً
وَصَفَّفَ اللَّبِنَ مِنْ فَوْقِي وفـارَقَني
Then he stood, honouring me, firm and resolute
And lined the bricks on my body then left me

وقَالَ هُلُّوا عليه التُّرْبَ واغْتَنِموا
حُسْنَ الثَّوابِ مِنَ الرَّحمنِ ذِي المِنَنِ
Then he stood, honoring me, firm and resolute
And lined the bricks on my body then left me

في ظُلْمَةِ القبرِ لا أُمٌّ هنــاك ولا
أَبٌ شَفـيقٌ ولا أَخٌ يُؤَنِّسُنــي
In the darkness of the grave, no mother is there nor,
Is there an affectionate father, or a brother to comfort me

فَرِيدٌ .. وَحِيدُ القبرِ، يــا أَسَفـاً
عَلى الفِراقِ بِلا عَمَلٍ يُزَوِّدُنـي
Alone….The only inhabitant of the Grave, oh how Sorrowful!
Am I on parting the world bearing no deeds to provision me

وَهالَني صُورَةً في العينِ إِذْ نَظَرَتْ
مِنْ هَوْلِ مَطْلَعِ ما قَدْ كان أَدهَشَني
And a sight which beheld my eye struck terror into me
From a place of terror it came and startled me..

مِنْ مُنكَرٍ ونكيرٍ مـا أَقولُ لهم
قَدْ هــَالَني أَمْرُهُمْ جِداً فَأَفْزَعَني
Munkar and Nakeer (Angels in Grave), what shall I say to them?
The thought of them strikes terror into me, it causes me fear

وَأَقْعَدوني وَجَدُّوا في سُؤالِهـِمُ
مَـالِي سِوَاكَ إِلهـي مَنْ يُخَلِّصُنِي
And they made me to sit and put forth their questions
I have none other than You now, O Lord to deliver me!

فَامْنُنْ عَلَيَّ بِعَفْوٍ مِنك يــا أَمَلي
فَإِنَّني مُوثَقٌ بِالذَّنْبِ مُرْتَهــَنِ
So bestow upon me from your mercy, O Lord; how I hope in You!
For verily I am fettered in my sins, I am confined by them

تَقاسمَ الأهْلُ مالي بعدما انْصَرَفُوا
وَصَارَ وِزْرِي عَلى ظَهْرِي فَأَثْقَلَني
The relatives have divided my wealth amongst them after leaving me
And my sins are now upon my back, burdening me

واستَبْدَلَتْ زَوجَتي بَعْلاً لهـا بَدَلي
وَحَكَّمَتْهُ فِي الأَمْوَالِ والسَّكَـنِ
My wife has taken another husband in my place
And she has appointed him as overseer over my wealth and my home

وَصَيَّرَتْ وَلَدي عَبْداً لِيَخْدُمَهــا
وَصَارَ مَـالي لهم حـِلاً بِلا ثَمَنِ
She has made my children into servants to bid unto her needs
And my wealth has become to them a worthless means of enjoyment

فَلا تَغُرَّنَّكَ الدُّنْيــا وَزِينَتُها
وانْظُرْ إلى فِعْلِهــا في الأَهْلِ والوَطَنِ
So let not this world and its adornments deceive you
And look at its (evil) effects in your family and homeland

وانْظُرْ إِلى مَنْ حَوَى الدُّنْيا بِأَجْمَعِها
هَلْ رَاحَ مِنْها بِغَيْرِ الحَنْطِ والكَفَنِ
And look at the one who collects the wealth of this dunya (life in this world) in abundance
Will he depart from this world bearing other than the death shroud and embalmment?

خُذِ القَنـَاعَةَ مِنْ دُنْيَاك وارْضَ بِها
لَوْ لم يَكُنْ لَكَ إِلا رَاحَةُ البَدَنِ
Take from the dunya (worldly life) that which suffices you and be content with that
Even if you were to have nothing but good health

يَـا زَارِعَ الخَيْرِ تحصُدْ بَعْدَهُ ثَمَراً
يَا زَارِعَ الشَّرِّ مَوْقُوفٌ عَلَى الوَهَنِ
O you who sow good, you will reap the fruit of your efforts
O you who sow evil you will find yourselves overcome with grief

يـَا نَفْسُ كُفِّي عَنِ العِصْيانِ واكْتَسِبِي
فِعْلاً جميلاً لَعَلَّ اللهَ يَرحَمُني
O soul of mine, abstain from sinning and attain instead
Deeds which are beautiful, for which Allah may be merciful towards me

يَا نَفْسُ وَيْحَكِ تُوبي واعمَلِي حَسَناً
عَسى تُجازَيْنَ بَعْدَ الموتِ بِالحَسَنِ
O soul of mine, woe upon you! Turn towards your Lord in repentance, and do that which is good
So that you will be recompensed after your death with that which is delightful

ثمَّ الصلاةُ على الْمُختـارِ سَيِّدِنـا
مَا وَضّـأ البَرْقَ في شَّامٍ وفي يَمَنِ
Lastly sending prayers upon the Chosen One, our Sayyid (leader)
Of that which the light has lit up in Shaam and in Yemen

والحمدُ لله مُمْسِينَـا وَمُصْبِحِنَا
بِالخَيْرِ والعَفْوْ والإِحْســانِ وَالمِنَنِ

All praise is unto Allah, may He fill our days and nights with that which is good, with forgiveness, with excellence (Ihsan) and grace.