1. تَقَدَّمْ فهذا مَطلعُ الحقِّ والهُدَى

    ألستَ تَرى النُّورَ الذي جَاوَزَ المدى

    Advance, for here is the dawn of truth and guidance.

    Do you not see the light that has passed beyond the horizon?

  2. أتيتَ رَسُولَ اللهِ تَتبعُ دِينهُ

    وتُؤثِرُ خيرَ الزَّادِ فيمن تَزَوَّدا

    You came to God's Messenger, following his faith,

    and choosing the best provision among those who take supplies.

  3. لكَ الله يا حجَّاجُ أَمْسَيْتَ مُشْرِكاً

    وأصبحتَ تَدعوهُ تَقِيَّاً مُوَحِّدَا

    God be with you, Hajjaj! At evening you were an idolater,

    and by morning you called upon Him, devout and affirming His oneness.

  4. سَيغفِرُ ما أسلفتَ من جَاهليَّةٍ

    لَيالِيَ تأبَى أن يُطاعَ وَيُعْبَدَا

    He will forgive what you did in pagan ignorance,

    on nights when you refused to have Him obeyed and worshipped.

  5. سألتَ رسولَ اللهِ ما لو سألتَهُ

    سِواهُ لأعطاكَ الحُسَامَ المُهَنَّدَا

    You asked God's Messenger for something; had you asked

    anyone else, he would have answered you with the keen Indian blade.

  6. تقولُ له دَعْنِي أزوِّرْ مَقَالةً

    تَسُوءُكَ إنّي أحذرُ المعشرَ العِدَى

    You say to him, “Let me fabricate a tale

    that will distress you; I fear those hostile people.

  7. بِمكَّةَ لي مالٌ كثيرٌ مُوزَّعٌ

    أخافُ عليهِ أن يضيعَ وَيُفقدا

    In Mecca I have much wealth, scattered about;

    I fear it may go to waste and be lost.

  8. سأكتمُ إسلامِي وأُوذِيكَ إنّهم

    هُمُ القومُ لا يُؤذونَ إلا مَنِ اهْتدَى

    I will conceal my Islam and malign you, for they

    are people who harm none but those who find guidance.”

  9. وَرُحْتُ تُحابِيهم وتَشْفِي صُدورَهم

    بِخرقَاءَ تستهوي الغَبِيَّ المُبَلَّدَا

    And I went, while you courted them and soothed their hearts,

    with a foolish tale that captivates the dull-witted fool.

  10. تقولُ لقد فازَ اليهودُ وأدركوا

    على الفاتحينَ الغُرِّ نَصْراً مُؤَيَّدا

    You say, “The Jews have triumphed and won

    an assured victory over the illustrious conquerors.

  11. أغاروا فَرَدُّوهُم وأمسى مُحَمّدٌ

    أسيراً لدى ساداتِهم ليس يُفتَدَى

    They raided, but were driven back, and Muhammad became

    a captive with their chiefs, not to be ransomed.

  12. أبَوْا أن يَذوقَ القتلَ إلا بمكةٍ

    وإنّ له عمّا قريبٍ لَمَوْعِدَا

    They refused to let him taste death anywhere but Mecca,

    and his appointed hour is now very near.”

  13. فَطاروا سُروراً واستمرَّ غُواتُهم

    يُذِيعُونَهُ زُوراً وإفكاً مُرَدَّدا

    They soared with joy, and their wayward men went on

    spreading it—a lie and a falsehood, repeated again and again.

  14. وَطَاشتْ عُقُولُ المسلِمينَ فأصبحوا

    حَيَارَى يَرَوْنَ العيشَ أَغْبَرَ أَنْكَدَا

    The Muslims' minds reeled, and they became

    bewildered, seeing life as dust-gray and wretched.

  15. وأرضَى الألى ضَلُّوا السَّبيلَ بشيرُهم

    لَدُنْ جَمَعوا مِن مالِهِ ما تَبَدَّدا

    And their bearer of glad tidings pleased those who had lost the way,

    when they gathered up his scattered wealth.

  16. تَزَوَّدَ همّاً كلُّ من كانَ مُسلِماً

    وأَعْيَا على العبّاسِ أن يَتَجَلَّدَا

    Everyone who was a Muslim took grief as his provision,

    and al-Abbas found it beyond him to bear up.

  17. فَأَرْسَلَ ما هذا الذي أنتَ قائِلٌ

    قُلِ الحقَّ يا حَجّاجُ وَانْقَعْ بِهِ الصَّدَى

    So he sent word: “What is this that you are saying?

    Speak the truth, Hajjaj, and with it quench my thirst.

  18. تَبَارك ربِّي إنّه جَلَّ شأنُهُ

    لَحَقٌّ عليهِ أنْ يُعِزَّ مُحَمَّدَا

    Blessed is my Lord; His majesty is truly exalted.

    It is surely incumbent on Him to exalt Muhammad.”

  19. فقال نَعَمْ عُدْ يا غلامُ وَقُلْ له

    أبا الفضلِ أبْشِرْ وانتظِرْ مَقدمي غدا

    He replied, “Yes. Return, lad, and tell him:

    ‘Abu al-Fadl, rejoice, and await my coming tomorrow.’”

  20. فأَعتقَ من فَرَطِ السُّرورِ غُلامَهُ

    وَرَاجَعهُ مِن أمرِهِ ما تَعَوَّدَا

    So, in overflowing joy, he freed his servant,

    and his usual spirits returned to him.

  21. ووافَاهُ حجّاجٌ بأنباءِ خَيْبَرٍ

    فَأمسَى الذي أخفَى من الأمرِ قد بَدَا

    And Hajjaj came to him with news of Khaybar,

    and what he had concealed of the affair was now revealed.

  22. وناشَدَهُ أن لا يُذيعَ حَدِيثَهُ

    ثَلاثَةَ أيّامٍ حِذاراً مِنَ الرَّدَى

    He implored him not to spread his news

    for three days, for fear of death.

  23. فَلَمّا انقضَتْ رَاعَ الرجالَ بِطَلعَةٍ

    تَشُقُّ على الأعداءِ مَرْأَىً ومشهدا

    When they had passed, he startled the men with a countenance

    that pained his enemies to behold and witness.

  24. تَدَفَّقَ بِشراً وَجهُهُ وجَرَى السَّنا

    على صَفْحَتَيْهِ سَاطِعاً فَتَوقَّدا

    His face overflowed with gladness, and radiance streamed

    bright upon both his cheeks, and his face blazed.

  25. يقولونَ لا تحزَنْ فيا للأُلى عَمُوا

    ويَا لكَ من حُزنٍ أقامَ وأَقْعَدَا

    They say, “Do not grieve!” Oh, how blind they were!

    And what a grief, that made him rise and sit!

  26. رماهم بأخبارِ الفُتوحِ فَغَاظَهُم

    وَردَّ ذَلِيلاً كُلَّ عاتٍ تَمرَّدا

    He hurled news of the conquests at them, enraging them,

    and sent every insolent rebel back humbled.

  27. يَضِجُّونَ أينَ ابنُ العلاطِ أما لنا

    إليهِ سَبيلٌ إنّه كان مُفْسِدا

    They clamor, “Where is Ibn al-ʿIlat? Is there no way for us

    to reach him? He was a mischief-maker!

  28. لقد غَرَّنَا كَيْما يَفُوزُ بِمَالِهِ

    فحاقَ بنا من إثمِهِ ما تَعَمَّدا

    He deceived us just to secure his wealth,

    and the wrong he deliberately devised has overtaken us.

  29. فواهاً لَهُ مِن ماكرٍ لو نُصِيبُه

    إِذَنْ لَجَزَيْناهُ الجزاءَ المشَدَّدا

    Ah, what a schemer he is! If only we could catch him,

    then we would surely repay him with severe punishment!”

  30. جَزاهُم إلهُ النَّاسِ ما ذنبُ مُسْلِمٍ

    كَريمِ السَّجايا ما أَسَاءَ ولا اعْتَدَى

    May the God of mankind requite them! What fault lies with a Muslim,

    noble in character, who did no wrong and never transgressed?

  31. رَأى شَرَّهُمْ فاحتالَ يَحفظُ ماله

    عليهِ ويَأْبَى أن يُغادِرَهُ سُدَى

    He saw their evil and devised a ruse to preserve his wealth

    for himself, refusing to let it go to waste.