ومن خُطْبَة له (عليه السلام) في بعض أيام صفين

Delivered during one of the days of Ṣiffīn

وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ جَوْلَتَكُمْ، وَانْحِيَازَكُمْ عَنْ صُفُوفِكُمْ، تَحُوزُكُمُ الْجُفَاةُ الطَّغَامُ ، وَأَعْرَابُ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ، وَأَنْتُمْ لَهَامِيمُ الْعَرَبِ، وَيَآفِيخُ الشَّرَفِ، وَالاْنْفُ الْمُقَدَّمُ، وَالسَّنَامُ الاْعْظَمُ، وَلَقَدْ شَفَى وَحَاوِحَ صَدْرِي أَنْ رَأَيْتُكُمْ بِأَخَرَة، تَحُوزُونَهُمْ كَمَا حَازُوكُمْ، وَتُزِيلُونَهُمْ عَنْ مَوَاقِفِهمْ كَمَا أَزَالُوكُمْ; حَسّاً بالنِّصَالِ، وَشَجْراً بِالرِّمَاحِ، تَرْكَبُ أُولاهُمْ أُخْرَاهُمْ كَالاْبِلِ الْهِيمِ الْمَطْرُودَةِ، تُرْمَى عَنْ حِيَاضِهَا، وَتُذَادُ عَنْ مَوَارِدِهَا!

I have seen your flight and your dispersal from the lines. You were surrounded by rude and low people and Bedouins of Syria (ash-Shām), although you are the chiefs of Arabs and summit of distinction, and possess dignity as that of high nose and big hump of camel. The sigh of my bosom can subside only when I eventually see you surrounding them as they surrounded you, and see you dislodging them from their position as they dislodged you, killing them with arrows and striking them with spears so that their forward rows might fall on the rear ones just like the thirsty camels who have been turned away from their places of drink and removed from their water-points.

Extrait de ses paroles au sujet du combat de Saffine

J’ai vu votre tournée et vos sorties des rangs, dispersés que vous étiez par des faibles d’esprit et par des bédouins du pays de Cham, vous qui êtes les devanciers des arabes, les éclaireurs des gens d’honneur et les avant-gardistes de l’élite ... Ma colère s’est dissipée quand je vous ai vu, en dernière instance, disperser les ennemis comme ils vous ont dispersés auparavant, les chasser de leur position, en les tuant par les épées et en les perçant par les tances. Comme les chameaux assoiffés, leurs derniers fuyards montaient sur les dos des premiers, chassés tous de leur abreuvoir.

Nahj al-Balāgha

Chapter #107