وَكَانَ بَدْءُ أَمْرِنَا أَنَّا الْتَقَيْنَا وَالْقَوْمُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ،
The whole thing began thus that we and the Syrians met in an encounter
وَالظَّاهِرُ أَنَّ رَبَّنَا وَاحِدٌ،
although we believe in one and the same Allah
وَنَبِيَّنَا وَاحِدٌ،
and the same Prophet,
وَدَعْوَتَنَا فِي الاْسْلاَمِ وَاحِدَةٌ،
and our message in Islam is the same.
لاَ نَسْتَزِيدُهُمْ فِي الاْيمَانِ باللهِ
We did not want them to add anything in the belief in Allah
وَالتَّصْدِيقِ بِرَسُولِهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله)،
or in acknowledging His Messenger (Allah bless him and his descendants)
وَلاَ يَسْتَزِيدُونَنَا،
nor did they want us to add any such thing.
الاْمْرُ وَاحِدٌ،
In fact, there was complete unity
إِلاَّ مَا اخْتَلَفْنَا فِيهِ مِنْ دَمِ عُثْمانَ،
except that we differed on the question of `Uthman's blood
وَنَحْنُ مِنْهُ بَرَاءٌ!
while we were free of responsibility for it.
فَقُلْنَا: تَعَالَوْا نُدَاوِ مَا لاَ يُدْرَكُ الْيَوْمَ بِإِطْفَاءِ النَّائِرَةِ،
We suggested to them to appease the situation by calming the temporary irritation
وَتَسْكِينِ الْعَامَّةِ،
and pacifying the people
حَتَّى يَشْتَدَّ الاْمْرُ وَيَسْتَجْمِعَ،
till matters settled down and stabilized
فَنَقْوَى عَلَى وَضْعِ الْحَقِّ مَوَاضِعَهُ.
when we would gain strength to put matters right.
فَقَالُوا: بَلْ نُدَاوِيهِ بِالْمُكَابَرَةِ!
They however said that they would settle it by war.
فَأَبَوْا حَتَّى جَنَحَتِ الْحَرْبُ وَرَكَدَتْ،
Thus, they refused our offer and consequently war spread its wings and came to stay.
وَوَقَدَتْ نِيرَانُهَا وَحَمِشَتْ.
Its flames rose and became strong.
فَلَمَّا ضَرَّسَتْنَا وَإِيَّاهُمْ،
When the war had bitten us as well as them
وَوَضَعَتْ مَخَالِبَهَا فِينَا وَفِيهِمْ،
and pierced its talons into us as well as them,
أَجَابُوا عِنْدَ ذلِكَ إِلَى الَّذي دَعَوْنَاهُمْ إِلَيْهِ،
they accepted what we had proposed to them.
فَأَجَبْنَاهُمْ إِلَى مَا دَعَوْا،
So, we agreed to what they suggested
وَسَارَعْنَاهُمْ إِلَى مَا طَلَبُوا،
and hastened to meet their request.
حَتَّى اسْتَبَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْحُجَّةُ،
In this way, the plea became clear to them
وَانْقَطَعَتْ مِنْهُمُ الْمَعْذِرَةُ.
and no excuse was left to them.
فَمَنْ تَمَّ عَلَى ذلِكَ مِنْهُمْ فَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْقَذَهُ اللهُ مِنَ الْهَلَكَةِ،
Now, whoever among them adheres to this will be saved by Allah from ruin,
وَمَنْ لَجَّ وَتَمَادَى فَهُوَ الرَّاكِسُ الَّذِي رَانَ اللهُ عَلَى قَلْبِهِ،
and whoever shows obstinacy and insistence (on wrong) is the reverser whose heart has been blinded by Allah
وَصَارَتْ دَائِرَةُ السَّوْءِ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ.
and evils will encircle his head.
