Red, red were the flowers of martyrdom that bloomed on the hills of Sar Asya.
Many martyrs went to war.
They were cut to pieces by the shining swords.
Look at Mullah Khalil, the man of God!
What force he has, what grand eloquence!
From village to village he went, preaching Holy War,
And all the young warriors followed him, with their snake-like swords.
Kashkot came and Goriaki; Surk and Masar; and the Budyalvals and Dari-Noris.
But as soon as they heard the thunder of the British guns,
Those pigs ran away.
Mullah Khalil spoke:
" I could not give battle. God's mercy on me!
I preached the word of the Prophet!
But the hillmen ran away, with their faces where their buttocks should have been! "
There came a sudden noise.
An English squadron galloped toward Sar Asya.
And Karun Khan cried:
" Here rides the Commissioner of Severed Heads in storm and pomp!
Fly, men, for these people have come to slit our throats! "
And, led by that bastard Karun Khan,
The young men ran away toward the river.
Punish them, O All-Merciful Lord God!
Destroy them utterly!
They are cowards and traitors!
There is no worth in them.
They ran away, and there came to Kabul black clouds and crimson battalions;
English troops came in great numbers.
The banners of the unbelievers have been unfurled because those pigs,
Those fathers of pigs have run away.
God's mercy on the red flowers of martyrdom of Kalai Malak!
They gave battle with the shining, twisting swords!
In the hereafter they will be the sweet-voiced nightingales in the heavenly garden!
But a thousand curses on Malik Shafi!
He eats dung!
He drinks camels' offal!
He took foreign gold and caused those pigs of hillmen to laugh in their throats.
But the sisters of Agha Jan, the martyr weep.
They pray to Allah to send back to them their martyred flower with the handsome face.
They desire to see again his green turban, his shining sword, his red cloak, his black eyes.
O Ali Jan!
Their deep grief is a heavy weight upon your heart!
Many martyrs went to war.
They were cut to pieces by the shining swords.
Look at Mullah Khalil, the man of God!
What force he has, what grand eloquence!
From village to village he went, preaching Holy War,
And all the young warriors followed him, with their snake-like swords.
Kashkot came and Goriaki; Surk and Masar; and the Budyalvals and Dari-Noris.
But as soon as they heard the thunder of the British guns,
Those pigs ran away.
Mullah Khalil spoke:
" I could not give battle. God's mercy on me!
I preached the word of the Prophet!
But the hillmen ran away, with their faces where their buttocks should have been! "
There came a sudden noise.
An English squadron galloped toward Sar Asya.
And Karun Khan cried:
" Here rides the Commissioner of Severed Heads in storm and pomp!
Fly, men, for these people have come to slit our throats! "
And, led by that bastard Karun Khan,
The young men ran away toward the river.
Punish them, O All-Merciful Lord God!
Destroy them utterly!
They are cowards and traitors!
There is no worth in them.
They ran away, and there came to Kabul black clouds and crimson battalions;
English troops came in great numbers.
The banners of the unbelievers have been unfurled because those pigs,
Those fathers of pigs have run away.
God's mercy on the red flowers of martyrdom of Kalai Malak!
They gave battle with the shining, twisting swords!
In the hereafter they will be the sweet-voiced nightingales in the heavenly garden!
But a thousand curses on Malik Shafi!
He eats dung!
He drinks camels' offal!
He took foreign gold and caused those pigs of hillmen to laugh in their throats.
But the sisters of Agha Jan, the martyr weep.
They pray to Allah to send back to them their martyred flower with the handsome face.
They desire to see again his green turban, his shining sword, his red cloak, his black eyes.
O Ali Jan!
Their deep grief is a heavy weight upon your heart!