قامَ النبيُّ يومَ خُمِّ خاطِباً

بجانبِ الدَّوْحاتِ أو حِيالَها

The Prophet stood up one day at Khumm

Beside the pond, or facing it,

فقالَ من كنتُ له مولىً فذا

مَولاه رَبّي اشهدْ مِراراً قالَها

And said: "To whomsoever I am his master,

This Ali here is his master too." He said it over and over.

قالوا سَمِعنا وأطعنا كلُّنا

وأسرعوا بالأَلسنِ اشتغالَها

They all said: "We hear and obey,

Every one of us," and they hastened

وجاءهم مشيخةٌ يَقْدَمْهُمُ

شيخٌ يُهنِّي حَيدراً مِثالَها

To affirm it with their tongues.

And there came to him an aged band,

قال له بخٍ بخٍ من مِثلكا

أصبحتَ مولى المؤمنينَ يا لها

Led by an old man who congratulated Haydar,

Saying: "Bravo to you, well done!

يا عجباً وللزمانِ عَجَبٌ

يَلقى ذوو الفكرِ به ضُلاَّلَها

You have become the master of the faithful, hurrah!"

"Strange," he said, "by my life how strange!

إن رِجالاً بايَعَتْهُ إنّما

بايَعتِ اللهَ فما بَدا لَها

That the wise should fall into such pitfalls!"

"Surely those men only swore allegiance to you

وكيف لم تشهدْ رجالٌ عندما

أشهدَ في خُطبته رِجالَها

Because they were swearing allegiance to God?"

And how could men not bear witness when at his oration

وناشدَ الشيخَ فقالَ إنّني

كَبُرتُ حتى لم أجد أمثالَها

They bore witness to their allegiance?

And the old man challenged him, saying: "I have grown old,

فقال والكاذبُ يُرمى بالتي

ليس تُواري عَمّةً تَنالُها

And never seen the like of it."

He retorted: "By God, a lie cannot hide a truth!"