أَبلِغ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ رِسالَةً

أَبلِغ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ رِسالَةً

فَلَستُ عَلى رَأي قَبيحٍ أُوارِبُه

فَلَستُ عَلى رَأي قَبيحٍ أُوارِبُه

Convey a message to the Commander of the Faithful.

Deliver a message to the Commander of the Faithful

For I hold no shameful opinion that I disguise.

For I am not of an opinion I would hide from him

أَفي الحَقِّ أَن أُجفى وَيجعَلَ مُصعَبٌ

أَفي الحَقِّ أَن أُجفى وَيجعَلَ مُصعَبٌ

وَزيرَيهِ مَن قَد كُنتُ فيهِ أُحارِبُه

وَزيرَيهِ مَن قَد كُنتُ فيهِ أُحارِبُه

Is it just that I be shunned, and that Mus'ab appoint

Is it just that I be denied while Mus'ab

as his two ministers those I once fought for his sake?

Makes his foes whom I fought my ministers?

فَكَيفَ وَقَد أَبلَغتُكُم حَقَّ بَيعَتي

فَكَيفَ وَقَد أَبلَغتُكُم حَقَّ بَيعَتي

وَحَقِّيَ يُلوى عِندَكُم وَأُطالِبُه

وَحَقِّيَ يُلوى عِندَكُم وَأُطالِبُه

How, then, when I have rendered you the due of my pledge of allegiance,

For I have conveyed to you the truth of my pledge

while my due is withheld by you, though I demand it?

And my right is twisted with you though I seek it

وَأَبلَيتُكُم مالاً يُضَيَّعُ مِثلُه

وَأَبلَيتُكُم مالاً يُضَيَّعُ مِثلُه

وَآسَيتُكُم وَالأَمرُ صَعبٌ مَراتِبُه

وَآسَيتُكُم وَالأَمرُ صَعبٌ مَراتِبُه

And I gave you wealth, the like of which is squandered,

And I have wasted for you wealth that is never wasted

and aided you when the undertaking's stages were hard.

And led you when the matter was hard in its steps

فَلَمّا اِستَنارَ الملكُ وَاِنقادَتِ العِدا

فَلَمّا اِستَنارَ الملكُ وَاِنقادَتِ العِدا

وَأُدرِكَ مِن مالِ العِراقِ رَغائِبُه

وَأُدرِكَ مِن مالِ العِراقِ رَغائِبُه

Then, when kingship shone forth and the foes submitted,

So when the kingdom grew bright and the enemies yielded

and the choicest riches of Iraq were secured,

And spoils of Iraq were gained with pleasant sips

جَفا مُصعَبٌ عَنّي وَلَو كانَ غَيرُهُ

جَفا مُصعَبٌ عَنّي وَلَو كانَ غَيرُهُ

لأَصبَحَ فيما بَينَنا لا أُعاتِبُه

لأَصبَحَ فيما بَينَنا لا أُعاتِبُه

Mus'ab turned away from me; had it been someone else,

Mus'ab was cold to me, though had it been another

he would receive no reproach from me over what lay between us.

There'd be naught between us I would chide him

لَقَد رابَني مِن مُصعَبٍ أَن مُصعَباً

لَقَد رابَني مِن مُصعَبٍ أَن مُصعَباً

أَرى كُلَّ ذي غِشٍّ لَنا هُوَ صاحِبُه

أَرى كُلَّ ذي غِشٍّ لَنا هُوَ صاحِبُه

Indeed, what has troubled me about Mus'ab is that Mus'ab

For Mus'ab's deeds have vexed me, that Mus'ab

is, I see, the companion of every man who is false to us.

I see befriends any cheat against us

وَما أَنا إِن حَلأتُموني بِوارِدٍ

وَما أَنا إِن حَلأتُموني بِوارِدٍ

عَلى كَدَرٍ قَد غَضَّ بِالماءِ شارِبُه

عَلى كَدَرٍ قَد غَضَّ بِالماءِ شارِبُه

Nor, if you drive me away, will I come to drink

And I, if you give me the news in verses

from turbid water whose drinker has choked on it.

Am not bitter at one who sweetened water with his drink

فَإِن يَعيَ عَبّادٌ عَلَيَّ فَإِنَّني

فَإِن يَعيَ عَبّادٌ عَلَيَّ فَإِنَّني

أَنا المَرءُ لا تَعيا عَلَيهِ مَذاهِبُه

أَنا المَرءُ لا تَعيا عَلَيهِ مَذاهِبُه

So if Abbad is at a loss about me, then I—

If the people denounce me, I am the man

I am the man whose paths never leave him at a loss.

Whose ways denunciation does not shift

وَما لامرِئٍ إِلا الَّذي اللَّه سائِق

وَما لامرِئٍ إِلا الَّذي اللَّه سائِق

إِلَيهِ وَما قَد خَطَّ في الزَّبرِ كاتِبُه

إِلَيهِ وَما قَد خَطَّ في الزَّبرِ كاتِبُه

And a man has nothing but what God brings

A man gets only what God, the Guide,

to him, and what his scribe has inscribed in the records.

Has destined and what the Writer prescribed

إِذا قُمتُ عِندَ البابِ أُدخِلَ مُسلِمٌ

إِذا قُمتُ عِندَ البابِ أُدخِلَ مُسلِمٌ

وَيَمنَعُني أَن أَدخُلَ البابَ حاجِبُه

وَيَمنَعُني أَن أَدخُلَ البابَ حاجِبُه

When I stand at the gate, Muslim is admitted,

If I stand at the gate, Muslim is admitted

while his doorkeeper bars me from entering the gate.

Yet the guard bars me from entering the gate