Click here for overall comments and on any stanza for meanings and discussion.  After Mohammed’s death, Islam spread to more established and ancient regions beyond Mecca and Medina. The regions had become more powerful than the center. The governors sent from Mecca to govern these regions became very corrupt, wealthy and powerful and acquired standing armies whereas Mohammed’s immediate successors raised volunteer armies on an as needed basis. The governor of Syria marched on Mecca and claimed the Khilafat and after his death his son Yazid laid claim to the Khilafat and demanded “bai’at” (acknowledgement, allegiance) from Husain, the grandson of Mohammed. Husain refused to acknowledge his legitimacy – on pain of certain death. Since then the Shia community mourns Husain’s and his followers’ death at the battle of Karbala as a major cultural/religious practice to this day. Josh in this marsia describes this event. He treats this as the epitome of how even death with all its ugliness is more beautiful than life.

51
ae Mohammad, maut vo tere navase ko mili
aaj tak jis se daraKhshaaN¹ hai zamir² e aadmi
allah, allah raushni tere chiraGh e zahn ki
karbala ki dhoop par chhiTki hai ab tak chandni
ye ani³ par sar nahiN, tere ana⁴ ka taj hai
karbala tere nizam e fikr⁵ ki meraj⁶ hai1. bright 2. inner heart, conscience 3. point (of lance on which Husain’s head was mounted) 4, selfhood, existence 5. order of thought 6. climax
O, Mohammed, your grandson achieved a death that to this day keeps the heart of humanity aglow with its light. The lamp of wisdom that you lit had such brilliance that it still glows like soothing moonlight in the fierce sun of Karbala. This is not a head at the tip of the lance, but the crown of your being. Karbala is the epitome of your of thought.

52
aashna¹ bahr e sadaqat² ka husain ibn e ali
madrasa³ dars⁴ e shahadat⁵ ka husain ibn e ali
mo’jiza⁶ fikri najabat⁷ ka husain ibn e ali
hausla⁸ teri nubuvvat⁹ ka husain ibn e ali
jis ne bujhne di na shama’ e aadmiyat¹⁰ vo husain
sans jis ke dam se leti hai mashiyat¹¹ vo husain1. acquainted with, 2. sea of truth/justice 3. school 4. lesson, exemplar 5. martyrdom 6. miracle, pinnacle 7. nobility of thought 8. courage 9. prophethood, message 10. humanity 11. will (of god)
He who could navigate the ocean of truth, that Husain. He who is the exemplar of martyrdom, that Husain. He who was the pinnacle of the nobility of thought, that Husain. He who personified the courage of your message, that Husain. He who kept the light of humanity lit, that Husain. He who gives life to the will of god, that Husain.

53
aKhz¹ karta hai jo Gham se shadmani² vo husain
jis ki ab tak hai diloN par hukmrani vo husain
maut thi jis ki nigahoN meN suhani vo husain
tishnagi³ se pi thi jis ne zindagani vo husain
surKh⁴ angaroN ko jis ne Khaak kar ke rakh diya
jis ne damaan e hukumat⁵ chaak⁶ kar ke rakh diya1. to derive 2. happiness 3. thirst 4. red 5. apron (dress) of the state 6. tear
He who drew happiness out of suffering, that Husain. He who still reigns over hearts, that Husain. He in whose eyes death was comforting, that Husain. He who drank the full draught of life from thirst, that Husain. He who turned red hot embers to dust. He who tore up the institutions of the state.

54
turra¹ e tarf² e kulah³ e azm⁴ o himmat⁵ hai husain
sura e iKhlas⁶ o quraan e sadaqat⁷ hai husain
minbar⁸ e tasdiq⁹ o takmil e risalat¹⁰ hai husain
pusht e zauq e marg¹¹ par mohr¹² e nubuvvat¹³ hai husain
aye mere parvardigar e aadmiyat¹⁴ assalam
assalam aye davar¹⁵ e yaum-e-shahadat¹⁶ assalam1. jewel crowning the cap 2. equal (in status, qualities) 3. cap 4. determination 5. courage 6. verse of the Quraan (qul hu allah) considered the essence 7. veracity, truthfulness 8. pulpit, declaration 9. authentication 10. completion (crowning achievement) of prophethood 11. back of the desire for (death) martyrdom 12. seal, certification 13. prophethood 14. nurturer of humanness 15. king 16. day of martyrdom
The jewel on the crown of determination and courage. The Qura’an of truthfulness, the essence of the Qura’an. The declaration of truth and the crowning achievement of Mohammed. The stamp of (approval of) prophethood on the desire for martyrdom. O, provider/nurturer of the spirit of humanity, salutations. Salutations O king of the day of martyrdom.

55
hun barasta¹ hai shahadat ka tere kirdaar² se
fikr³ meN sehat⁴ hai tere aabid e bimaar se
haaN vo jannat ser⁵ hai jo sabza-o-anhaar⁶ se
maaNgti hai bheek tere saya-e-divaar⁷ se
aye Khatib⁸ e auj-e-faaraN⁹ ke navase assalam
aye mere tasnim-dar-aaGhosh pyaase assalam1. raining wealth, showering benevolence 2. character 3. thought, principles 4. health, strength 5. full, abundant 6. greenery and streams 7. shadow of the wall, the protection of 8. speaker, teacher 9. the peak of Mount FaaraN 10. tasnim (stream in paradise) at your side/at your command
Your character (O, Husain) showers benevolence of martyrdom. Your principles remain strong because of your ailing son, Abid. Husain’s oldest son, Abid was ill during the battle of Karbala, and thus survived, and according to Shia tradition continued with the principles that Husain fought for. But look at the juxtapositon of “sehat” and “bimaar”. The jannat that is verdant and plentiful with streams begs your protection and patronage. O, grandson of the preacher of Mt. FaraaN, salutations. Mohammed supposedly delivered sermons at Mt. FaaraN near Mecca. You chose to remain thirsty even with Tasnim at your command, salutations. During the battle of Karbala, Husain and his followers were denied access to water and died thirsty (a major feature of Shia mourning). This is often portrayed as Husain intentionally accepting the pain of thirst in order to make his message strong. Hence the reference to “tasnim dar aaGhosh” i.e. even with Tasnim at your side, at your command, you chose to stay thirsty.

56
maut ko tu ne bahar¹ e kamrani² baKhsh³ di
Khaak ko iksir⁴, piri⁵ ko javani baKhsh di
himmat e insaaN ko dajle⁶ ki ravani baKhsh di
barf ko lau⁷,  oas ko aatish fishani⁸ baKhsh di
iltehab⁹ e tishnagi¹⁰ ko mauj e zam zam¹¹ kar diya
aanch ko aisa buna, damaan e mariyam¹² kar diya1. spring 2. success, triumph 3. grant 4. elixir 5. old age 6. River Tigris 7. flame 8. spreading flames 9. inflammation, pain 10. thirst 11. wave of the spring Zam Zam 12. apron of Mary, soothing/healing
You (O, Husain) granted death a triumph, pleasant like spring. You granted elixir to dust, youth to old age. You granted humanity courage like the constant flow of dajla (Tigris). You granted flame to ice and dew the ability to set fire. You converted the pain of thirst into the wave of zamzam. You wove flame into such a pattern that it could heal like the apron of Mary.

57
imtezaj¹ e shaadi o shaivan² hai teri daastaN
jism par Khuni kafan³ hai fatah⁴ ka sar par nishaN
ek taraf tera gala hai aur Khanjar be amaaN⁵
ek taraf teri rag e jaN⁶ KhanjaroN par hai ravaN⁷
ek taraf mauj e tarahhum⁸, ek taraf maatam⁹ hai tu
ek nirala naGhma¹⁰ o faryad¹¹ ka sangam¹² hai tu1. mixing 2. celebrating and mourning 3. burial shroud 4. success, joy 5. unforgiving dagger/knife 6. jugular vein 7. flowing, running 8. rahm, kindness 9. mourning 10. joyous singing 11. wailing, crying, mourning 12. confluence
Your story is a mixture of joy and sorrow. The blood stained shroud on your body is a symbol of victory. On one side your throat and the unforgiving knife. On the other your jugular vein running over knives. On one side waves of kindness, on the other mourning. You are an unusual mixture of joyous song and mournful wailing. Husain succeeded in establishing the culture of resistance against tyranny by refusing to do “bai’at”, i.e. accept the leadership of Yazid even in the face of certain death. Hence the mixture of joy and sorrow, blood stained burial shroud a symbol of victory. Josh plays the theme of the jugular vein being triumphant over dagger/knife in many places. Here too he says that on the one hand your throat was slit by a knife … on the other your jugular is running over knives i.e. triumphant over power. The story of Karbala also has it that Husain was kind to his adversaries … hence “mauj e tarahhum” juxtaposed against maatam (sorrow).

58
tu ne Khud bujh kar jalaae haiN jo zahnoN¹ meN chiraGh
dil hai Gharq² e aah o shaivan³, shaad o nazaaN⁴ hai dimaGh
is taraf jhulse⁵ hue Khaime⁶ udhar shaadab⁷ baGh
ek taraf nusrat⁸ ke moti ek taraf seenoN ke daGh
ek nirala rabt⁹ e gulbaang¹⁰ o fuGhaaN¹¹ hai aye husain
jhuTpuTe¹² meN ek dhudalka¹³ par fashaN¹⁴ hai aye husain1. mind 2. drowned in 3. sighing and crying 4. joyous and proud 5. burnt, singed 6. tents 7. verdant 8. victory 9. relationship 10. truimphant song 11. lament 12. dusk, day-night 13. greyness, light-dark 14. spreading light
You extinguished yourself to light lamps in many minds. Hearts are drowned in lament while the mind is proud of your sacrifice. On the one side we see burnt tents, on the other a verdant garden. On one side pearls of victory, on the other scars on our bosom. You are an enchanting relationship between song of joy and cry of lament, O Husain. You are a shining light in the growing darkness of dusk, O Husain.