الكُتْبُ تَتْرَى والكتائبُ تَدلِفُ

والبأسُ بينهما يَثورُ ويعصِفُ

The books are scattered, and the armies advance,

And calamity arises between them, raging and storming.

الله وكَّلَ بالملوكِ رَسولَه

فإذا العروشُ بهم تَميدُ وتَرجُفُ

God has entrusted the messengers with the kings,

So the thrones through them sway and tremble.

أهِيَ القلوبُ تَلجُّ في خَفَقاتِها

أم تلكَ أجنحةٌ تَظلُّ تُرفرفُ

Are they hearts that melt in their throbbings,

Or are those wings that hover and flutter?

رُسُلُ النبيِّ بكلِّ أرضٍ جُوَّلٌ

تَرمِي بهم هِمَمٌ نواهِضُ قُذَّفُ

The messengers of the Prophet roam every land,

Hurling at them determined souls that hurl and pelt.

حَملوا القُلوبَ الصُّمَّ يَعصِمُهم بها

دِينٌ لهم صلْبٌ ورأيٌ مُحْصَفُ

They carried the deaf hearts that He protects through them-

A religion for them, steadfast, and sound judgment.

تَرمِي الجَلامِدَ والحديدَ بِقوّةٍ

تمضِي فتصدعُ ما تشاءُ وتَقصِفُ

It hurls boulders and iron with such force,

Marching on, splitting what it wills and crushing.

يَخشَى العَتِيُّ المُستَبِدُّ نَكالَها

ويَهابُها المُسْتكبِرُ المُتَغطرِفُ

The arrogant tyrant fears its punishment,

And the haughty braggart dreads it.

سِرْ في ذِمامِ اللهِ دِحْيَةُ إنّها

لك حاجةٌ ما دونها مُتخَلَّفُ

Travel secretly under the protection of God- verily it is

For you a need without which you will lag behind.

أيْقِظْ هِرَقْلَ فقد تطاولَ نَومُهُ

وأبَتْ عَمايتُه فما تَتَكشَّفُ

Awaken Heraclius- his sleep has grown long,

And his blindness refuses to be lifted and dissipate.

أيْقِظهُ إنّ اللهَ ليس كَدِينهِ

دِينٌ وليس له شَريكٌ يُعرَفُ

Awaken him- God is not like his religion-

A singular religion with no partner known.

أخَذَ الكتابَ ورَاحَ يسألُ كلّما

وَضح اليقينُ لهُ يُلِحُّ ويُلْحِفُ

Heraclius presented to his people that indeed

A fair heart had inclined to Islam within him.

ماذا أرادَ اللَّهُ ما شأنُ الذي

بَعثَ الكتابَ بأيِّ شَيءٍ يُوصَفُ

They were angry, and he said: "Calm yourselves; I have naught

But to discern, and who among us is immune?"

قُلْ يا أبا سُفيانَ لا تُطِعِ الهَوى

وَدَعِ المَلامَ لِمن يَجورُ ويَجْنِفُ

He sent the scripture, and he said: "I am a Muslim,

But they are my intractable people I fear."

أبدى هِرقلُ لقومِهِ أنْ قد صَغا

مِنْهُ إلى الإسلامِ قلبٌ مُنصِفُ

And he chose from what he loves a gift

That he casts from his tricks to ingratiate.

غَضِبُوا فقال رُوَيْدَكُم ما بي سوى

أن أستبين وأين منا المصرف

The Prophet said: "A missive from a deceitful one

Feigning satisfaction, and a hypocrite pretending."

بعث الكتاب فقالَ إنّي مُسلمٌ

لكنّهم قومي الأُلى أتَخوَّفُ

"A contemptible gift and contemptible is its speech-

Falsehood is of its names, and vanity."

وَاخْتَارها مِمّا يُحِبُّ هَدِيَّةً

ألقى بها من مَكْرِهِ يَتزلَّفُ

"Woe to you, O Chosroes! What do you seek?

What do you think of one you request and implore?"

قال النبيُّ رِسالةٌ من كاشحٍ

يُبدِي الرِّضى ومُنافقٍ يَتكلَّفُ

Tamima tore from the books of the Prophet

In them the springs of mercy, never waning,

وهَديَّةٌ سَاءتْ وسَاءَ حَدِيثُها

فالزّورُ من أسمائِها والزُّخْرُفُ

And a treasure he who finds treasures all

Discovers in his hands when the receiver seizes them.

كِسرَى لكَ الويلاتُ ماذا تَبتغِي

ماذا تظنُّ بِمَنْ تُغاثُ وتُسْعَفُ

You asked Bahram for the head of Muhammad-

If he does not repent, you are indeed prodigal and wasteful!

مَزقَّتَ من كُتبِ النبيِّ تميمةً

فيها مَنابِعُ رَحمةٍ لا تَنْزَفُ

You will see certainty by the hand of your son- so beware!

For you is an appointed time, soon to come.

وذخيرةً يَجِدُ الذَّخائِرَ كُلَّها

بِيَدَيهِ حينَ يُصيبُها المتلقِّفُ

The Prophet spoke true, and Chosroes tasted his death

From Sheroe- he had none to sympathize.

أطلبتَ من باذانَ رأسَ مُحمّدٍ

إن لم يَتُبْ بل أنتَ غاوٍ مُسرِفُ

And Bahram saw guidance after misguidance,

So he walked the shining path, without deviating.

سَتَرى اليقينَ على يَدِ ابنكِ فَانْتَبِهْ

لَكَ مَوْعِدٌ عمّا قليلٍ يَأزَفُ

He abandoned desire, so he woke and became Muslim,

And called others with him-they did not lag behind.

صَدَقَ النبيُّ وذاقَ كِسرَى حتفَهُ

مِن شِيرويه فما له من يَعطِفُ

The resolve of the people was not in vain-their God

United hearts upon guidance, so they reconciled.

وَرأى الهُدى باذانُ بعد ضلالةٍ

فمضَى على البيضاءِ لا يتعسَّفُ

And the Negus came the scripture, and he was not

Of those who bar from right and cast aside.

نَبَذَ الهَوى فَصَحا وأصبحَ مُسلِماً

ودَعا الأُلَى معه فلم يَتخلَّفوا

An honor presented itself to him, and might sustained him-

The pious one is the mightiest and most noble.

لا خابَ جَدُّ القومِ إنّ إلههم

جمعَ القلوبَ على الهدى فتألَّفوا

And the Muqawqis refused to abandon his religion-

The ignorant fears what the foolish libertine fears.

وأتى النجَاشيَّ الكتابُ فلم يكن

مِمّن يَصُدُّ عنِ الصَّوابِ ويَصدِفُ

He sent gifts, avoiding with his benevolence

What the spiteful plotter avoids.

شَرَفٌ أُتِيحَ له وعِزٌّ زانَهُ

إنّ التقيَّ هو الأعزُّ الأشرفُ

The wicked one hoarded his kingdom, and tomorrow he will see

Another's hand in his kingdom, freely disposing.

وأبى المُقْوقِسُ أن يُفارِقَ دِينَهُ

يَخْشَى الذي يَخْشَى الغَبِيُّ المُتْرَفُ

This the Prophet foretold, and thus did

The One who builds and topples thrones act.

بَعثَ الهدايا يَتَّقي بحسانِها

ما يتّقِي ذُو البِغْضَةِ المتلطِّفُ

And al-Mundhir took the straight path

Before the scripture, intuiting and inclining toward it.

ضَنّ الخبيثُ بِمُلكِهِ وغَداً يرى

يد غَيْرِه في مُلْكِهِ تتصرَّفُ

He asked the Prophet, who said: "I will not

Act against the people when they stray and distort."

هذا الذي قال النبيُّ وهكذا

صَنَعَ الذي يبنِي العُروشَ وينسِفُ

The command came to him to seize them thereby

And establish it with the truth, without deviating.

والمنذرُ اتَّخذَ السّبيلَ مُسدَّداً

قَبْلَ الكتابِ يُخِبُّ فيه ويُوجِفُ

The Muslims have their affairs, and upon

He who strays, the fair tax that does not wrong.

سألَ النبيَّ فقالَ ما أنا فاعلٌ

بالقومِ إذ ضَلُّوا السّبيلَ وَزَيَّفُوا

And Jayfar, his ignorance and obstinacy prevailed,

So he refused `Amr and turned away disdainfully.

فَقَضى إليهِ الأمرَ يأخذُهم بهِ

ويُقيمُه بالحقِّ لا يَتحرَّفُ

And he saw him spewing threats, so it deterred him,

And the morrow came, so he submitted without hesitation.

للمسلمينَ أمورُهم وله على

مَن ضلَّ جِزيةُ عادلٍ لا يُجحِفُ

And his brother followed, led on-

Well-mannered, clement, and learned.

وطحا بجيفرَ جَهلُهُ وعِنادُه

فأبَى على عمروٍ وأعرضَ يأنَفُ

And her messenger came to Yamama with the scripture,

For so the ambitious tyrant raves.

ورآهُ يَهدِرُ بالوعيدِ فراعه

وأتى غَدٌ فَانْقَادَ لا يَتوقَّفُ

The arrogance of her poet and the ignorance of her orator

And the deception of her chieftain, lethal and corrupting.

وَانْساقَ يَتبَعُه أخوهُ وإنّه

لَمُهَذَّبٌ سَمْحٌ الخِلالِ مُثقَّفُ

He sought the impossible from the Prophet, and he did not stop-

The ignorant always craves the impossible and is impassioned by it.

وأتى اليمامةَ بالكتابِ رَسُولُها

فكذاكَ يَهذِي الطّامِحُ المتعَجْرِفُ

He raves with some of the matter, cutting it off for himself,

While the matter is not as the cutting sword splits.

طُغيانُ شاعرِها وجَهْلُ خطيبها

وغروُ صاحِبها المُبيدُ المُتلِفُ

And wretched al-Harith fell in his stupidity-

Addled, which infects minds, so they weaken.

طَلَب المحالَ من النبيِّ ولم يَزَلْ

ذُو الجهلِ يُولَعُ بالمحالِ ويُشْغَفُ

He cast aside the scripture and said: "My kingdom is not for me

A match, so it is seized from my hand and snatched."

يَهْذِي ببعضِ الأمرِ يَقطعهُ له

والأمرُ ما قطع الحُسامُ المُرهَفُ

"Look to the bravery of the horses and soldiers-

They meet the enemy, attacking and charging."

والحارثُ المأفونُ طاحَ بِلُبِّهِ

خَبَلٌ تُصابُ بِهِ العقولُ فَتَضْعُفُ

"And remind your friend of the discourse- perhaps

The honorable shrink, and the aimed at flee."

ألقى الكتابَ وقالَ مُلكي ليس لي

كُفْؤٌ فَيُنزَعُ من يَديَّ ويُخْطَفُ

Then he prepared and came to Caesar a visiting delegate

With a missive from him, persisting and prevailing,

انْظُرْ شُجاعُ الخيلَ والجُندَ الأُلَى

تَلْقَى العدوَّ بهم تَكُرُّ وتزحَفُ

Foolish, rage billowing within its lines,

And malice kindling in its letters.

وَاذْكُرْ لِصاحبكَ الحديثَ فَرُبَّما

كَفَّ المناجِزُ وارْعَوى المُسْتَهْدِفُ

He rode arrogance and said: "I hurl

An army at Yathrib- it is a mere flat plain."

ثم استعدَّ وجاءَ قيصرَ وافدٌ

بصحيفةٍ منه تَصِرُّ وتَصْرُفُ

He said: "Be deterred- you are not its match,

And refrain- you are the agitator frightening."

حَمْقاءَ يَطغى الغيظُ بين سُطورِها

وتَشُبُّ بالشَّنآنِ منها الأحرفُ

So he came to his senses, and he employed deception as habit,

Not ashamed of it, nor refined.

رَكِبَ الغُرورَ وقال إنّي قَاذفٌ

بالجيشِ يثرِبَ فَهْيَ قاعٌ صَفْصَفُ

He sent greetings with Ibn Wahb and pretended

The claim of one who loosens the mask and covers.

قالَ ازْدَجِرْ ما أنتَ من أكفائها

واسْكُنْ فإنّك لَلغوِيُّ المُرجِفُ

He said: "Reserve me, O courageous one, for I have

A heart for the religion of guidance that longs."

فأفاقَ واتَّخَذَ الخِداعَ سَجِيَّةً

لا يَسْتَحِي منها ولا يَتعفَّفُ

"I am a follower of the way of Muhammad,

And to you comes compensation with benevolence."

بَعثَ السلامَ مع ابنِ وَهْبٍ وَادَّعَى

دَعْوَى الذي يُرخِي القِناعَ ويُغْدِفُ

The Prophet heard his discourse, so a veiled soul

And a concealed heart were revealed.

قال ادَّخرني يا شُجاعُ فإنّ لي

قلباً إلى دينِ الهُدَى يَتشَّوفُ

"A kingdom perishes, and a possessor is hoped

For a time that comes, and a promise that is not broken."

إنّي لمتبِعٌ سبيلَ مُحمّدٍ

وإليكَ رِفْدُكَ بالكرامةِ يُرْدَفُ

The wanton refuses guidance, elevating his status,

So when he falls, you find him full of regrets.

سَمِعَ النبيُّ حدِيثَهُ فتكشَّفتْ

نَفسٌ مُقنَّعةٌ وقلبٌ أغْلَفُ

For truth there is a minaret and a caller making heard

In all things among creation, shouting.

مُلكٌ يبيدُ ومالِكٌ يُرجَى إلى

أجلٍ يَحينُ وموعَدٍ ما يُخْلَفُ

The kings were amazed at the two unyielding ones-

Determined minds that swayed from the thrones and turned away.

يَأبَى الغَوِيُّ الرُّشدَ يرفعَ شأنَهُ

فإذا هوى ألفيتَهُ يَتأسَّفُ

The reverent, they are the kings, even if they shunned

The ease of life and its luxuries, so they lived modestly.

لِلحقِّ مِئذنةٌ وَدَاعٍ مُسمِعٌ

في كلِّ شيءٍ بالخلائقِ يَهتِفُ

They applied themselves to the verses of the Book, so they succeeded,

While the ignorant busied themselves with sins.

عَجِبَ الملوكُ لِكابرِينَ سَمَتْ بهم

هِممٌ تَميلُ عنِ العُروشِ وتَعزِفُ

المُتّقونَ هُمُ الملوكُ وإن أبَوْا

رَغدَ الحياةِ ولينَها فتقشَّفوا

عَكَفوا على آيِ الكتابِ فأفْلَحُوا

والجاهلونَ على المآثِمِ عُكَّفُ