1. الكُتْبُ تَتْرَى والكتائبُ تَدلِفُ

    والبأسُ بينهما يَثورُ ويعصِفُ

    Letters follow one another, and battalions advance;

    and war's fury rises and rages between them.

  2. الله وكَّلَ بالملوكِ رَسولَه

    فإذا العروشُ بهم تَميدُ وتَرجُفُ

    God charged His Messenger with the kings,

    and behold, their thrones sway and tremble beneath them.

  3. أهِيَ القلوبُ تَلجُّ في خَفَقاتِها

    أم تلكَ أجنحةٌ تَظلُّ تُرفرفُ

    Are these hearts persisting in their beating,

    or wings that keep on fluttering?

  4. رُسُلُ النبيِّ بكلِّ أرضٍ جُوَّلٌ

    تَرمِي بهم هِمَمٌ نواهِضُ قُذَّفُ

    The Prophet's envoys roam through every land;

    soaring, far-hurling aspirations fling them onward.

  5. حَملوا القُلوبَ الصُّمَّ يَعصِمُهم بها

    دِينٌ لهم صلْبٌ ورأيٌ مُحْصَفُ

    They bore unyielding hearts, safeguarded through them

    by their steadfast faith and firmly grounded judgment.

  6. تَرمِي الجَلامِدَ والحديدَ بِقوّةٍ

    تمضِي فتصدعُ ما تشاءُ وتَقصِفُ

    They strike boulders and iron with a force

    that presses on, cleaving and shattering whatever it wills.

  7. يَخشَى العَتِيُّ المُستَبِدُّ نَكالَها

    ويَهابُها المُسْتكبِرُ المُتَغطرِفُ

    The defiant despot fears its chastisement,

    and the arrogant, overbearing man dreads it.

  8. سِرْ في ذِمامِ اللهِ دِحْيَةُ إنّها

    لك حاجةٌ ما دونها مُتخَلَّفُ

    Go under God's protection, Dihyah; this is

    a task for you, with no stopping short of it.

  9. أيْقِظْ هِرَقْلَ فقد تطاولَ نَومُهُ

    وأبَتْ عَمايتُه فما تَتَكشَّفُ

    Awaken Heraclius, for his sleep has grown prolonged,

    and his blindness persists, refusing to clear.

  10. أيْقِظهُ إنّ اللهَ ليس كَدِينهِ

    دِينٌ وليس له شَريكٌ يُعرَفُ

    Awaken him: God's religion is matched by no

    religion, nor has He any known partner.

  11. أخَذَ الكتابَ ورَاحَ يسألُ كلّما

    وَضح اليقينُ لهُ يُلِحُّ ويُلْحِفُ

    He took the letter and went on asking; whenever

    certainty grew clear to him, he pressed and insisted.

  12. ماذا أرادَ اللَّهُ ما شأنُ الذي

    بَعثَ الكتابَ بأيِّ شَيءٍ يُوصَفُ

    What did God intend? What of the man who

    sent the letter—how is he described?

  13. قُلْ يا أبا سُفيانَ لا تُطِعِ الهَوى

    وَدَعِ المَلامَ لِمن يَجورُ ويَجْنِفُ

    Speak, Abu Sufyan; do not obey desire,

    and leave reproach to those who wrong and swerve from justice.

  14. أبدى هِرقلُ لقومِهِ أنْ قد صَغا

    مِنْهُ إلى الإسلامِ قلبٌ مُنصِفُ

    Heraclius showed his people the leaning

    of a fair-minded heart within him toward Islam.

  15. غَضِبُوا فقال رُوَيْدَكُم ما بي سوى

    أن أستبين وأين منا المصرف

    They grew angry; he said, 'Gently! I seek only

    to see clearly—and where is our escape?'

  16. بعث الكتاب فقالَ إنّي مُسلمٌ

    لكنّهم قومي الأُلى أتَخوَّفُ

    He sent the letter, saying, 'I am a Muslim,

    but it is my own people whom I fear.'

  17. وَاخْتَارها مِمّا يُحِبُّ هَدِيَّةً

    ألقى بها من مَكْرِهِ يَتزلَّفُ

    And he chose it as a gift from what he cherished,

    offering it in his cunning to curry favor.

  18. قال النبيُّ رِسالةٌ من كاشحٍ

    يُبدِي الرِّضى ومُنافقٍ يَتكلَّفُ

    The Prophet said, 'A message from a secret enemy

    who displays approval, and a hypocrite putting on a show;

  19. وهَديَّةٌ سَاءتْ وسَاءَ حَدِيثُها

    فالزّورُ من أسمائِها والزُّخْرُفُ

    and an ill gift, whose tale was ill as well:

    for falsehood and gilded deceit are among its names.'

  20. كِسرَى لكَ الويلاتُ ماذا تَبتغِي

    ماذا تظنُّ بِمَنْ تُغاثُ وتُسْعَفُ

    Khosrow, woe upon woe to you! What do you seek?

    What do you suppose? By whom will you be rescued and aided?

  21. مَزقَّتَ من كُتبِ النبيِّ تميمةً

    فيها مَنابِعُ رَحمةٍ لا تَنْزَفُ

    From the Prophet's letters you tore apart a talisman,

    within which are springs of mercy that never run dry,

  22. وذخيرةً يَجِدُ الذَّخائِرَ كُلَّها

    بِيَدَيهِ حينَ يُصيبُها المتلقِّفُ

    and a treasure—one finds all treasures

    in one's hands when one grasps and gains it.

  23. أطلبتَ من باذانَ رأسَ مُحمّدٍ

    إن لم يَتُبْ بل أنتَ غاوٍ مُسرِفُ

    Did you demand Muhammad's head from Badhan

    if he did not repent? Rather, you are astray and exceed all bounds.

  24. سَتَرى اليقينَ على يَدِ ابنكِ فَانْتَبِهْ

    لَكَ مَوْعِدٌ عمّا قليلٍ يَأزَفُ

    You will see the truth at your son's hand—take heed!

    You have an appointed hour, soon drawing near.

  25. صَدَقَ النبيُّ وذاقَ كِسرَى حتفَهُ

    مِن شِيرويه فما له من يَعطِفُ

    The Prophet spoke truly, and Khosrow tasted his doom

    from Shirawayh, with none to show him pity.

  26. وَرأى الهُدى باذانُ بعد ضلالةٍ

    فمضَى على البيضاءِ لا يتعسَّفُ

    Badhan found guidance after error,

    and followed the white path, without straying.

  27. نَبَذَ الهَوى فَصَحا وأصبحَ مُسلِماً

    ودَعا الأُلَى معه فلم يَتخلَّفوا

    He cast off desire, came to his senses, and became a Muslim,

    and called those with him, and they did not hold back.

  28. لا خابَ جَدُّ القومِ إنّ إلههم

    جمعَ القلوبَ على الهدى فتألَّفوا

    May the people's fortune never fail! Indeed, their God

    gathered their hearts around guidance, and they united.

  29. وأتى النجَاشيَّ الكتابُ فلم يكن

    مِمّن يَصُدُّ عنِ الصَّوابِ ويَصدِفُ

    The letter reached al-Najashi, who was not

    one who turns away from what is right and shuns it.

  30. شَرَفٌ أُتِيحَ له وعِزٌّ زانَهُ

    إنّ التقيَّ هو الأعزُّ الأشرفُ

    Honor was granted him, and glory adorned him;

    indeed, the God-fearing man is the most exalted, the noblest.

  31. وأبى المُقْوقِسُ أن يُفارِقَ دِينَهُ

    يَخْشَى الذي يَخْشَى الغَبِيُّ المُتْرَفُ

    Al-Muqawqis refused to leave his religion,

    fearing what the foolish, pampered man fears.

  32. بَعثَ الهدايا يَتَّقي بحسانِها

    ما يتّقِي ذُو البِغْضَةِ المتلطِّفُ

    He sent gifts, seeking through their beauty to ward off

    what an ingratiating man full of hatred seeks to avert.

  33. ضَنّ الخبيثُ بِمُلكِهِ وغَداً يرى

    يد غَيْرِه في مُلْكِهِ تتصرَّفُ

    The wicked man clung jealously to his kingship; tomorrow he will see

    another's hand wielding power in his kingdom.

  34. هذا الذي قال النبيُّ وهكذا

    صَنَعَ الذي يبنِي العُروشَ وينسِفُ

    This is what the Prophet said, and thus

    did the One who builds thrones and blasts them away.

  35. والمنذرُ اتَّخذَ السّبيلَ مُسدَّداً

    قَبْلَ الكتابِ يُخِبُّ فيه ويُوجِفُ

    Al-Mundhir took the path, rightly guided,

    even before the letter, trotting and galloping along it.

  36. سألَ النبيَّ فقالَ ما أنا فاعلٌ

    بالقومِ إذ ضَلُّوا السّبيلَ وَزَيَّفُوا

    He asked the Prophet, 'What am I to do

    with people who have lost the path and dealt in falsehood?'

  37. فَقَضى إليهِ الأمرَ يأخذُهم بهِ

    ويُقيمُه بالحقِّ لا يَتحرَّفُ

    So he conveyed the ruling to him, to bind them by it

    and enforce it justly, without swerving:

  38. للمسلمينَ أمورُهم وله على

    مَن ضلَّ جِزيةُ عادلٍ لا يُجحِفُ

    the Muslims have their own affairs, and he may exact from

    those astray a poll tax, levied justly and without oppression.

  39. وطحا بجيفرَ جَهلُهُ وعِنادُه

    فأبَى على عمروٍ وأعرضَ يأنَفُ

    Jayfar's ignorance and obstinacy swept him away,

    so he refused Amr and turned away in disdain.

  40. ورآهُ يَهدِرُ بالوعيدِ فراعه

    وأتى غَدٌ فَانْقَادَ لا يَتوقَّفُ

    Then he saw him roaring out threats, and it frightened him;

    the next day came, and he yielded without hesitation.

  41. وَانْساقَ يَتبَعُه أخوهُ وإنّه

    لَمُهَذَّبٌ سَمْحٌ الخِلالِ مُثقَّفُ

    He fell into line, followed by his brother, who was

    truly refined, gracious in character, and cultivated.

  42. وأتى اليمامةَ بالكتابِ رَسُولُها

    فكذاكَ يَهذِي الطّامِحُ المتعَجْرِفُ

    The envoy to al-Yamamah arrived with the letter;

    thus does the ambitious, arrogant man rave:

  43. طُغيانُ شاعرِها وجَهْلُ خطيبها

    وغروُ صاحِبها المُبيدُ المُتلِفُ

    the tyranny of its poet, the ignorance of its orator,

    and its lord's destructive, ruinous vainglory.

  44. طَلَب المحالَ من النبيِّ ولم يَزَلْ

    ذُو الجهلِ يُولَعُ بالمحالِ ويُشْغَفُ

    He asked the Prophet for the impossible; always

    the ignorant man is infatuated and enamored with the impossible.

  45. يَهْذِي ببعضِ الأمرِ يَقطعهُ له

    والأمرُ ما قطع الحُسامُ المُرهَفُ

    He raves about a share of rule to be allotted him,

    yet rule is what the keen-edged sword has settled.

  46. والحارثُ المأفونُ طاحَ بِلُبِّهِ

    خَبَلٌ تُصابُ بِهِ العقولُ فَتَضْعُفُ

    As for foolish al-Harith, his reason was swept away

    by a madness that strikes minds and weakens them.

  47. ألقى الكتابَ وقالَ مُلكي ليس لي

    كُفْؤٌ فَيُنزَعُ من يَديَّ ويُخْطَفُ

    He flung down the letter and said, 'My kingdom! I have no

    equal who could wrest it from my hands and snatch it away.

  48. انْظُرْ شُجاعُ الخيلَ والجُندَ الأُلَى

    تَلْقَى العدوَّ بهم تَكُرُّ وتزحَفُ

    Look, Shuja, at the horses and the troops

    with whom you meet the foe, charging and advancing.

  49. وَاذْكُرْ لِصاحبكَ الحديثَ فَرُبَّما

    كَفَّ المناجِزُ وارْعَوى المُسْتَهْدِفُ

    And tell your master the tale; perhaps

    the challenger will desist, and he who invites attack will relent.'

  50. ثم استعدَّ وجاءَ قيصرَ وافدٌ

    بصحيفةٍ منه تَصِرُّ وتَصْرُفُ

    Then he prepared, and an envoy came to Caesar

    with a missive from him, shrieking and gnashing its teeth,

  51. حَمْقاءَ يَطغى الغيظُ بين سُطورِها

    وتَشُبُّ بالشَّنآنِ منها الأحرفُ

    a foolish letter, wrath surging between its lines,

    its letters blazing with hatred.

  52. رَكِبَ الغُرورَ وقال إنّي قَاذفٌ

    بالجيشِ يثرِبَ فَهْيَ قاعٌ صَفْصَفُ

    He rode upon delusion and said, 'I shall hurl

    the army upon Yathrib, leaving it a bare, level plain.'

  53. قالَ ازْدَجِرْ ما أنتَ من أكفائها

    واسْكُنْ فإنّك لَلغوِيُّ المُرجِفُ

    He said, 'Restrain yourself; you are no match for it.

    Be still: you are truly a wayward spreader of alarm.'

  54. فأفاقَ واتَّخَذَ الخِداعَ سَجِيَّةً

    لا يَسْتَحِي منها ولا يَتعفَّفُ

    He came to his senses and made deceit his disposition,

    feeling no shame about it and never abstaining.

  55. بَعثَ السلامَ مع ابنِ وَهْبٍ وَادَّعَى

    دَعْوَى الذي يُرخِي القِناعَ ويُغْدِفُ

    He sent greetings with Ibn Wahb, and made

    the claim of one who lowers his veil and draws it over himself.

  56. قال ادَّخرني يا شُجاعُ فإنّ لي

    قلباً إلى دينِ الهُدَى يَتشَّوفُ

    He said, 'Keep me in reserve, Shuja, for I have

    a heart that yearns toward the religion of guidance.

  57. إنّي لمتبِعٌ سبيلَ مُحمّدٍ

    وإليكَ رِفْدُكَ بالكرامةِ يُرْدَفُ

    I am surely a follower of Muhammad's path,

    and take your gift, with honor added to it.'

  58. سَمِعَ النبيُّ حدِيثَهُ فتكشَّفتْ

    نَفسٌ مُقنَّعةٌ وقلبٌ أغْلَفُ

    The Prophet heard his words, and there stood revealed

    a masked soul and a sealed heart.

  59. مُلكٌ يبيدُ ومالِكٌ يُرجَى إلى

    أجلٍ يَحينُ وموعَدٍ ما يُخْلَفُ

    A kingdom perishes; its ruler is reprieved until

    a term that falls due, an appointment never missed.

  60. يَأبَى الغَوِيُّ الرُّشدَ يرفعَ شأنَهُ

    فإذا هوى ألفيتَهُ يَتأسَّفُ

    The wayward man refuses guidance that would raise his standing;

    then, when he falls, you find him full of regret.

  61. لِلحقِّ مِئذنةٌ وَدَاعٍ مُسمِعٌ

    في كلِّ شيءٍ بالخلائقِ يَهتِفُ

    Truth has a minaret and a caller clearly heard,

    who calls out to all creatures through everything.

  62. عَجِبَ الملوكُ لِكابرِينَ سَمَتْ بهم

    هِممٌ تَميلُ عنِ العُروشِ وتَعزِفُ

    The kings marveled at great men lifted high

    by aspirations that turn from thrones and disdain them.

  63. المُتّقونَ هُمُ الملوكُ وإن أبَوْا

    رَغدَ الحياةِ ولينَها فتقشَّفوا

    The God-fearing are the kings, even though they refuse

    life's ease and softness, choosing austerity.

  64. عَكَفوا على آيِ الكتابِ فأفْلَحُوا

    والجاهلونَ على المآثِمِ عُكَّفُ

    They devoted themselves to the Scripture's verses and prospered,

    while the ignorant remain devoted to sins.