The Chachnāma (Fatḥnāma-yi Sind) 23.5

23.5

On a Friday, Hajjáj delivered the following address to the assembled people:—“Verily, time is changeful, and resembles a double-edged sword. One day it is with us, and another day it is against us. On the day on which it is with us, we ought to put our armies in order, and be prepared to meet and avert the calamity (likely to overtake us on the day on which time is against us). We should feel thankful to God, our great and glorified Lord, to whom there is no equal. We must recite his praise, and have full trust in his liberal kindness, in order that he may vouchsafe favours to us, and may not close any door upon us, and may make us recipients of merits and virtues in return for our thanksgiving.” (In conclusion he said), “Owing to excessive grief consequent on my separation from Bazil, every moment, the ear of my mind catches a cry (for revenge), and I give a ready response to it. I swear by God that I am determined to spend the wealth of the whole of Irak, that is in my possession, on this expedition, and the flame of my fire will never go down until I take this revenge, and remove the blot from my name.” Then Hajjáj helped Muhammad Kásim to his horse, and gave offerings, and distributed vast sums of money among the troops, and sent them off to carry on the holy war in Hind and Sind. At their departure Hajjáj recited these verses:— Hajjáj returned an answering shout to the cavalier Bazil at the time when the enemy fell upon Bazil.