قامَ النبيُّ يومَ خُمِّ خاطِباً

قامَ النبيُّ يومَ خُمِّ خاطِباً

بجانبِ الدَّوْحاتِ أو حِيالَها

بجانبِ الدَّوْحاتِ أو حِيالَها

The Prophet stood on the day of Khumm, addressing the people,

The Prophet stood up one day at Khumm

beside the spreading trees, or facing them.

Beside the pond, or facing it,

فقالَ من كنتُ له مولىً فذا

فقالَ من كنتُ له مولىً فذا

مَولاه رَبّي اشهدْ مِراراً قالَها

مَولاه رَبّي اشهدْ مِراراً قالَها

Then he said: Whoever has me as master, this man

And said: "To whomsoever I am his master,

is his master. My Lord, bear witness! He said it repeatedly.

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

قالوا سَمِعنا وأطعنا كلُّنا

قالوا سَمِعنا وأطعنا كلُّنا

وأسرعوا بالأَلسنِ اشتغالَها

وأسرعوا بالأَلسنِ اشتغالَها

They said: We have heard and obeyed, all of us.

They all said: "We hear and obey,

And they hastened to put their tongues to work.

Every one of us," and they hastened

وجاءهم مشيخةٌ يَقْدَمْهُمُ

وجاءهم مشيخةٌ يَقْدَمْهُمُ

شيخٌ يُهنِّي حَيدراً مِثالَها

شيخٌ يُهنِّي حَيدراً مِثالَها

And a company of elders came to them, led by

To affirm it with their tongues.

an elder congratulating Haydar, their exemplar.

And there came to him an aged band,

قال له بخٍ بخٍ من مِثلكا

قال له بخٍ بخٍ من مِثلكا

أصبحتَ مولى المؤمنينَ يا لها

أصبحتَ مولى المؤمنينَ يا لها

He said to him: Bravo, bravo! Who is like you?

Led by an old man who congratulated Haydar,

You have become master of the believers—what a marvel!

Saying: "Bravo to you, well done!

يا عجباً وللزمانِ عَجَبٌ

يا عجباً وللزمانِ عَجَبٌ

يَلقى ذوو الفكرِ به ضُلاَّلَها

يَلقى ذوو الفكرِ به ضُلاَّلَها

O wonder! And time has a wonder,

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

in which men of thought encounter its misguided ones.

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

إن رِجالاً بايَعَتْهُ إنّما

إن رِجالاً بايَعَتْهُ إنّما

بايَعتِ اللهَ فما بَدا لَها

بايَعتِ اللهَ فما بَدا لَها

Indeed, men who pledged allegiance to him only

That the wise should fall into such pitfalls!"

pledged allegiance to God—so what came over them?

"Surely those men only swore allegiance to you

وكيف لم تشهدْ رجالٌ عندما

وكيف لم تشهدْ رجالٌ عندما

أشهدَ في خُطبته رِجالَها

أشهدَ في خُطبته رِجالَها

And how could men fail to bear witness when

Because they were swearing allegiance to God?"

he called its men to witness in his sermon?

And how could men not bear witness when at his oration

وناشدَ الشيخَ فقالَ إنّني

وناشدَ الشيخَ فقالَ إنّني

كَبُرتُ حتى لم أجد أمثالَها

كَبُرتُ حتى لم أجد أمثالَها

And he adjured the elder, who said: Indeed, I

They bore witness to their allegiance?

have grown old, until I could no longer find its like.

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

فقال والكاذبُ يُرمى بالتي

فقال والكاذبُ يُرمى بالتي

ليس تُواري عَمّةً تَنالُها

ليس تُواري عَمّةً تَنالُها

Then he said: And the liar is struck with that

And never seen the like of it."

which no turban you acquire can conceal.

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