مِنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ عَلِيّ أَمِيرِالْمُؤْمِنينَ،
From the slave of Allah, 'Ali, Amir al-mu'minin
إِلَى الْقَومِ الَّذِينَ غَضِبُوا لله حِينَ عُصِيَ فِي أَرْضِهِ،
to the people who became wrathful for the sake of Allah when He was disobeyed on His earth
وَذُهِبَ بِحَقِّهِ،
and His rights were ignored
فَضَرَبَ الْجَوْرُ سُرَادِقَهُ عَلَى الْبَرِّ وَالْفَاجِرِ،
and oppression had spread its coverings over the virtuous as well as the vicious,
وَالْمُقِيمِ وَالظَّاعِنِ،
on the local as well as the foreigner.
فَلاَ مَعْرُوفٌ يُسْتَرَاحُ إِلَيْهِ،
Consequently, no good was acted upon
وَلاَ مُنْكَرٌ يُتَنَاهَى عَنْهُ.
nor any evil was avoided.
أَمَّا بَعْدُ،
Now,
فَقَدْ بَعَثْتُ إِلَيْكُمْ عَبْداً مِنْ عِبَادِاللهِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ،
I have sent to you a man from among the servants of Allah who allows himself
لاَيَنَامُ أَيَّامَ الخَوْفِ،
no sleep in days of danger,
وَلاَ يَنْكُلُ عَنِ الاْعْدَاءِ سَاعَاتِ الرَّوْعِ،
nor does he shrink from the enemy at critical moments.
أَشَدَّ عَلَى الْفُجَّارِ مِنْ حَرَيقِ النَّارِ،
He is severer on the wicked than a blazing fire.
وَهُوَ مَالِكُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ أَخُو مَذْحِج،
He is Malik ibn al-Harith, our brother from (the tribe of) Madhhij.
فَاسْمَعُوا لَهُ أَطِيعُوا أَمْرَهُ فِيَما طَابَقَ الْحَقَّ،
Therefore, listen to him and obey his orders that accord with right,
فَإِنَّهُ سَيْفٌ مِنْ سُيُوفِ اللهِ،
because he is a sword among the swords of Allah,
لاَ كَلِيلُ الظُّبَةِ،
whose edge is not dull
وَلاَ نَابِي الضَّرِيبَةِ،
and which does not miss its victim.
فَإِنْ أَمَرَكُمْ أَنْ تَنْفِرُوا فانْفِرُوا،
If he orders you to advance, advance,
وَإِنْ أَمَرَكُمْ أَنْ تُقيِمُوا فَأَقِيمُوا،
and if he orders you to stay, stay,
فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يُقْدِمُ وَلاَ يُحْجِمُ،
because he surely neither advances or attacks
وَلاَ يُؤَخِّرُ وَلاَ يُقَدِّمُ إِلاَّ عَنْ أَمْرِي،
nor puts anyone backward or forward save with my command.
وَقَدْ آثَرْتُكُمْ بِهِ عَلَى نَفْسِي لِنَصِيحَتِهِ لَكُمْ،
I have preferred him for you rather than for myself because of his being your well-wisher
وَشِدَّةِ شَكِيمَتِهِ عَلَى عَدُوِّكُمْ.
and (because of) the severity of his harshness over your enemies.
