ياO هَلis there علَىover الطَّرفينِthe two eyes مِنany حاكِمarbiter
يا هَل علَى الطَّرفينِ مِن حاكِم
فقَدfor indeed عَداhas assailed السَّاجيthe languid one عَلىagainst السَّاجِمِthe tear-shedding one
فقَد عَدا السَّاجي عَلى السَّاجِمِ
O, is there any arbiter over the two eyes?
O people on both sides of the ruler
For the languid eye has assailed the weeping eye.
The night-traveller has attacked the sleeping one
جوَّدَexcelled هَذاthis one فانهَمىso it streamed ذاthat one أمِنis it from
جوَّدَ هَذا فانهَمى ذا أمِن
بَرقِthe lightning الغَواديthe morning rainclouds بَرقthe flash ذاthis الصَّارِمِkeen sword
بَرقِ الغَوادي بَرق ذا الصَّارِمِ
This one excelled, so that one streamed—is it from
This one was generous so he became secure
the lightning of morning rainclouds that this keen sword’s flash comes?
The flashing of lightning like the flashing of a sharp sword
أبكاهُmade him weep واستكتمهand bade him conceal it فانظُرواso look, all of you
أبكاهُ واستكتمه فانظُروا
ماhow أبعدَfar الباكِيthe weeper مِنfrom الكاتِمِthe concealer
ما أبعدَ الباكِي مِن الكاتِمِ
He made him weep and bade him conceal it—so look:
It made him weep and conceal his weeping so look
How far the weeper is from the concealer!
How far the weeper is from the concealer
حتَّىuntil إِذاwhen لَمnot يَستَطعhe could طاعَةًobedience
حتَّى إِذا لَم يَستَطع طاعَةً
عاقَبهhe punished him بالسَّهرِwith sleeplessness الدائِمِunceasing
عاقَبه بالسَّهرِ الدائِمِ
Until, when he could not obey,
Until when he was not able to obey
he punished him with unceasing sleeplessness.
He punished him with perpetual wakefulness
ونامَand he slept فاعجَبso marvel أنَّthat مُستَيقِظاًsomeone awake
ونامَ فاعجَب أنَّ مُستَيقِظاً
تُخشَىis feared عَلَيهِfor him سَطوةُthe assault النائِمِof the sleeper
تُخشَى عَلَيهِ سَطوةُ النائِمِ
And he slept—marvel that someone awake
And he slept, so it was wondrous that when awake
should fear a sleeper’s assault.
The onslaught of the sleeper was feared upon him
لمَنto whom تَصاريفُthe vicissitudes الهَوىof love فَليَقُمso let him act
لمَن تَصاريفُ الهَوى فَليَقُم
بالعَدلِwith justice فيtoward المَظلومِthe wronged والظالِمِand the wrongdoer
بالعَدلِ في المَظلومِ والظالِمِ
Who commands love’s vicissitudes? Let him deal
For the one whom the passions of love toss about, let him stand
justly with the wronged and the wrongdoer,
With justice between the oppressed and the oppressor
كَماjust as اللَّياليthe nights وتَصاريفهاand their vicissitudes
كَما اللَّيالي وتَصاريفها
للدارِميِّto al-Dārimī ابنson of أبيAbū (father of) الدَّارِمِal-Dārim
للدارِميِّ ابن أبي الدَّارِمِ
just as the nights and their vicissitudes
As the nights and their tossings
belong to al-Dārimī, son of Abū al-Dārim.
For Ibn Abi al-Damim the Darimi
فَليكفِso let him spare هَذاthis one هَذِهthese أهلَهاtheir people
فَليكفِ هَذا هَذِه أهلَها
فَقَدfor indeed كَفَىhas spared تِلكَthose أَبوAbū (father of) القاسِمِal-Qāsim
فَقَد كَفَى تِلكَ أَبو القاسِمِ
Let this one spare their people these trials,
So let this one spare his family
for Abū al-Qāsim has already spared them those.
For Abul Qasim has spared those
مِنfrom بَعدِafter ماthat قامَhe undertook بتَقويمِهاto straighten them
مِن بَعدِ ما قامَ بتَقويمِها
حتَّىuntil استَقامَتthey stood straight فيin يدِthe hand of القائِمِthe one in charge
حتَّى استَقامَت في يدِ القائِمِ
After he undertook to straighten them,
After he had undertaken to guide it
until they stood straight in the hand of the one in charge.
Until it was upright in the hand of the upright
وصارَand he began يَستَخلِفُappointing a deputy منfrom جُودِهhis generosity
وصارَ يَستَخلِفُ من جُودِه
فيهاover them غَشوماًa ruthless oppressor لَيسَnot بِالرَّاحِمِa merciful one
فيها غَشوماً لَيسَ بِالرَّاحِمِ
And he began appointing, from his generosity,
And he came to delegate from his generosity
a ruthless deputy over them, no merciful one.
In it a harsh one, not a compassionate one
يَسمَعُhe hears فيهاconcerning them القَولَthe words مِنfrom صادِقٍa truthful one
يَسمَعُ فيها القَولَ مِن صادِقٍ
شاكٍa complainant وَظنَّانٍand a suspicious one بِهاabout them واهِمِmistaken
شاكٍ وَظنَّانٍ بِها واهِمِ
He hears, concerning them, the words of a truthful
Hearing in it the word from a truthful one
complainant and of one whose suspicions about them are mistaken.
Doubting and supposing about it, confused
لاnot يَسألُask الناسُthe people دَليلاًa proof وَماand not
لا يَسألُ الناسُ دَليلاً وَما
صاحِبُthe author of هَذاthis الجَورِinjustice بِالآثِمِa sinner
صاحِبُ هَذا الجَورِ بِالآثِمِ
The people ask for no proof; nor
The people do not ask for evidence, yet
is the author of this injustice a sinner.
The master of this injustice is not sinful
قُلsay لِعُبَيدِto ʿUbayd اللَّهِAllāh مُستَرشِداًseeking guidance
قُل لِعُبَيدِ اللَّهِ مُستَرشِداً
فالحازِمُfor the prudent man الآخِذُone who takes counsel بِالحازِمِfrom the prudent man
فالحازِمُ الآخِذُ بِالحازِمِ
Say to ʿUbayd Allāh, seeking guidance,
Say to the servants of God, seeking guidance
for the prudent man takes counsel from the prudent:
That the wise seizer is the wise one
ماwhatever لِلعُلىfor glory سَهلٌeasy عَلىfor جُودِكُمyour bounty
ما لِلعُلى سَهلٌ عَلى جُودِكُم
بناؤُهاits edifice صَعبٌdifficult عَلىfor الهادِمِthe demolisher
بناؤُها صَعبٌ عَلى الهادِمِ
Whatever belongs to glory is easy for your bounty;
For your generosity no easy ascent
its edifice is hard for the demolisher.
Its building is hard on the demolisher
وإِنand if رأَيتُمyou see عَرَضاًworldly goods سالِماًintact
وإِن رأَيتُم عَرَضاً سالِماً
قُلتُمyou say لِعرضٍof honor ليسَis not بالسَّالِمِintact
قُلتُم لِعرضٍ ليسَ بالسَّالِمِ
And if you see worldly goods intact,
And if you see a sound side
you say of honor, ‘It is not intact.’
You said to a side that is not sound
Sol 6.1