كَمْ أُدَارِيكُمْ كَمَا تُدَارَى الْبِكَارُ الْعَمِدَةُ
How long shall I accord you consideration that is accorded to camels with hollow hump,
وَالثِّيَابُ الْمتَدَاعِيَةُ!
or to worn clothes
كُلَّما حِيصَتْا مِنْ جَانِبٍ تَهَتَّكَتْ مِنْ آخَرَ،
which when stitched on one side give way on the other.
كُلَّما أَطَلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ مَنْسِرٌمِنْ مَنَاسِرِ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ
Whenever a vanguard force of Syria (ash-Sham) hovers over you,
أَغْلَقَ كُلُّ رَجُلٍ مِنْكُمْ بَابَهُ،
every one of you shuts his door
وَانْجَحَرَانْجِحَارَ الضَّبَّةِ في جُحْرِهَا،
and hides himself like the lizard in its hole
وَالضَّبُعِ فِي وِجَارِهَا.
or a badger it its den.
الذَّلِيلُ وَاللهِ مَنْ نَصَرْتُمُوهُ!
By Allah, he whom people like you support must suffer disgrace
وَمَنْ رُمِيَ بِكُمْ فَقَدْ رُمِيَ بِأَفْوَقَ نَاصِلٍ
and he who throws arrows with your support is as if he throws arrows that are broken both at head and tail.
إِنَّكُمْ ـ وَاللهِ ـ لَكَثِيرٌ فِي الْبَاحَاتِ
By Allah, within the courtyard you are quite numerous
قَليِلٌ تَحْتَ الرَّايَاتِ،
but under the banner you are only a few.
وَإِنِّي لَعَالِمٌ بِمَا يُصْلِحُكُمْ، وَيُقِيمُ أَوَدَكُمْ وَلكِنِّي
Certainly, I know what can improve you and how your crookedness can be straightened.
واللهِ لاَ أَرى إِصْلاَحَكُمْ بَإِفْسَادِ نَفْسِي.
But I shall not improve your condition by marring myself.
أَضْرَعَ اللهُ خُدُودَكُمْ وَأَتْعَسَ جُدُودَكُمْ
Allah may disgrace your faces and destroy you.
لاَ تَعْرِفُونَ الْحَقَّ كَمَعْرِفَتِكُمُ الْبَاطِلَ،
You do not understand the right as you understand the wrong
وَلاَ تُبْطِلُونَ الْبَاطِلَ كَإِبطَالِكُمُ الْحَقَّ!
and do not crush the wrong as you crush the right.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 69: Al-Baladhuri, Ansab, II, 438, 458; al-Ya’qubi, Ta'rikh, II, 184; al-Thaqafi, al-Gharat; al-Tabari, Ta'rikh,* VI, 3444, 3445, chronicles of the year 39.
