And a sister by the camp saw the horror of this trip...

And a sister by the camp saw the horror of this trip; as a knife tore the neck, where the Prophet (P) put his lips;50 Earth in grief, roared heavens and mourned, Sand turned red when al-Husain (A.S.) was torn.

And a child full of tears with her tiny bleeding ears, bruises on her face and her thirst so severe; She ran for her father who laid beheaded, and cried for the uncle for help she needed; Syeda Zainab (A.S.) looked for her in the sadness of that night; 61 did inquire every soul in the land of the plight; but Sakina was sleeping on the chest of a body; with the love of the father, from the fragrance of his boy.

Then the camp pushed down, while flames went up; little children rushed out, as their dresses lit up; it was night full of cries and the innocent quests; shattered were the dreams and broken were the nests. 60 All defenses laid to rest, after trials and the tests;65 left to face, one Imam, even history would detest, who fainted with the illness faced torture and torment; a Master of the pious and devotees' ornament.

Lashes on his back heavy chains on Imam; but ladies were the prisoners, was the wound of Imam; 70 No chador for them but their rope tied arms; and grief soared high from Kufa to Shaam. But, the daughter of Ali (A.S.) challenged, miseries with the messages; with the families in bazaars, and deadly courts of savages; With the depth of the patience and the Zenith of Braver Bravery; Islam was rescued for ever from the slavery.* 62 L. 6. ?A.S.?

is the abbreviated form of an originally Arabic honorific and prayer-like sentence. ??Alayhi al-Sal?m? for males, or ??Alayha al-Sal?m? for females are basic forms used to express one's reverence and high respect for the dignitaries mentioned. Although widely-used in Islamic, particularly Shiite, devotional and religious texts produced in English, the abbreviation ?A.S.? has not been recorded in English dictionaries. L. 13. For Hurr, see note to L. 181 above. L. 19.

Aun and Muhammad are two sons of Lady Zaynab who was martyred in Karbala. L. 19. ?Haider? is a title of Imam ?Al?. L. 21. Q?sim was son of Imam al-Hasan, Imam al-Husain's elder brother. Q?sim fought the enemy and was martyred in defense of his uncle, viz. Imam al-Husain. L. 25. ?[T]he Hashims? refers to the H?shimids present at Karbala, viz. Imam al-Husain and those of the H?shimid dynasty. L. 29. ?Abb?s (var. Abbas) b. ?Al? was Imam al-Husain's step- brother.