أَبلِغ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ رِسالَةً

فَلَستُ عَلى رَأي قَبيحٍ أُوارِبُه

Deliver a message to the Commander of the Faithful

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

أَفي الحَقِّ أَن أُجفى وَيجعَلَ مُصعَبٌ

وَزيرَيهِ مَن قَد كُنتُ فيهِ أُحارِبُه

Is it just that I be denied while Mus'ab

Makes his foes whom I fought my ministers?

فَكَيفَ وَقَد أَبلَغتُكُم حَقَّ بَيعَتي

وَحَقِّيَ يُلوى عِندَكُم وَأُطالِبُه

For I have conveyed to you the truth of my pledge

And my right is twisted with you though I seek it

وَأَبلَيتُكُم مالاً يُضَيَّعُ مِثلُه

وَآسَيتُكُم وَالأَمرُ صَعبٌ مَراتِبُه

And I have wasted for you wealth that is never wasted

And led you when the matter was hard in its steps

فَلَمّا اِستَنارَ الملكُ وَاِنقادَتِ العِدا

وَأُدرِكَ مِن مالِ العِراقِ رَغائِبُه

So when the kingdom grew bright and the enemies yielded

And spoils of Iraq were gained with pleasant sips

جَفا مُصعَبٌ عَنّي وَلَو كانَ غَيرُهُ

لأَصبَحَ فيما بَينَنا لا أُعاتِبُه

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

There'd be naught between us I would chide him

لَقَد رابَني مِن مُصعَبٍ أَن مُصعَباً

أَرى كُلَّ ذي غِشٍّ لَنا هُوَ صاحِبُه

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

I see befriends any cheat against us

وَما أَنا إِن حَلأتُموني بِوارِدٍ

عَلى كَدَرٍ قَد غَضَّ بِالماءِ شارِبُه

And I, if you give me the news in verses

Am not bitter at one who sweetened water with his drink

فَإِن يَعيَ عَبّادٌ عَلَيَّ فَإِنَّني

أَنا المَرءُ لا تَعيا عَلَيهِ مَذاهِبُه

If the people denounce me, I am the man

Whose ways denunciation does not shift

وَما لامرِئٍ إِلا الَّذي اللَّه سائِق

إِلَيهِ وَما قَد خَطَّ في الزَّبرِ كاتِبُه

A man gets only what God, the Guide,

Has destined and what the Writer prescribed

إِذا قُمتُ عِندَ البابِ أُدخِلَ مُسلِمٌ

وَيَمنَعُني أَن أَدخُلَ البابَ حاجِبُه

If I stand at the gate, Muslim is admitted

Yet the guard bars me from entering the gate