بلغ البُغاة عليَّ حيث أرادوا

بلغ البُغاة عليَّ حيث أرادوا

واللَّهُ كائدُهم بما قد كادوا

واللَّهُ كائدُهم بما قد كادوا

The aggressors have gone as far against me as they wished;

The slanderers have achieved their aim against me as they desired

yet God schemes against them for what they have schemed.

Yet God schemes against their scheming as they have schemed

وهو الشهيد عليَّ أني لم أقلْ

وهو الشهيد عليَّ أني لم أقلْ

بعض الذي قد أبدأوا وأعادوا

بعض الذي قد أبدأوا وأعادوا

And He bears witness concerning me that I did not say

He is witness that I did not say

even part of what they first asserted and repeated.

Some of what they have initiated and repeated

وَهَبِ السُّعاةَ أتوْا بحقٍّ واضحٍ

وَهَبِ السُّعاةَ أتوْا بحقٍّ واضحٍ

أين الكرامُ أَبُدِّلُوا أم بادوا

أين الكرامُ أَبُدِّلُوا أم بادوا

And suppose the informers brought a clear truth—

Send the messengers and bring clear proof

where are the noble? Have they been replaced, or perished?

Where are the generous ones? Have they changed or perished?

أين الذي قد عَوَّدُوا من عفوهم

أين الذي قد عَوَّدُوا من عفوهم

عن من يَزِلُّ حلومُهُمْ واعتادوا

عن من يَزِلُّ حلومُهُمْ واعتادوا

Where is the pardon they have trained

Where are those whom they were accustomed to pardoning

their forbearing minds to grant those who stumble, and made their habit?

Those whose flesh slipped but then became accustomed?

عَفْوُ الملوك عن الهُجاةِ مدائح

عَفْوُ الملوك عن الهُجاةِ مدائح

مدحوا نفوسَهُمُ بها فأجادوا

مدحوا نفوسَهُمُ بها فأجادوا

Kings' pardons of satirists are panegyrics,

The kings' pardoning of offenders is praiseworthy poetry

with which they praised themselves, and did so well.

They praised their souls with it and excelled

مدحوا نفوسهُم بحلمٍ راجحٍ

مدحوا نفوسهُم بحلمٍ راجحٍ

لولا عوائدُ مثلِه ما سادوا

لولا عوائدُ مثلِه ما سادوا

They praised themselves with weighty forbearance;

They praised their souls with triumphant clemency

without the benefits of such forbearance, they would not have become lords.

Without habits like it they would not have ruled

ولقد أبوا إلا العقابَ فقادَهُمْ

ولقد أبوا إلا العقابَ فقادَهُمْ

نحو التَّطوُّلِ خِيمُهم فانقادوا

نحو التَّطوُّلِ خِيمُهم فانقادوا

Indeed, they insisted on punishment alone, but were led

And they refused anything but punishment, so it led them

toward generosity by their nature, and they yielded.

Toward arrogance, their tent pegs slid and followed

وهبوا لجانيها الذنوبَ وأقسموا

وهبوا لجانيها الذنوبَ وأقسموا

أن لو يعود إلى الذنوب لعادوا

أن لو يعود إلى الذنوب لعادوا

They forgave the sinner his sins, and swore

They overlooked his sins and swore

that if he returned to sin, they would return to pardoning.

That if he returns to sin, they will repeat

ولما رَضُوا بالعفو عن ذي زَلَّةٍ

ولما رَضُوا بالعفو عن ذي زَلَّةٍ

حتى أنالوا كَفَّهُ وأفادوا

حتى أنالوا كَفَّهُ وأفادوا

Nor were they content to pardon one who had stumbled

Since they approved of pardoning a slip

until they placed gifts in his palm and enriched him.

Until they restrained his hand and benefited

منُّوا عليه وشَيَّدوا من ذكره

منُّوا عليه وشَيَّدوا من ذكره

وبمثلها رفعوا البيوتَ وشادوا

وبمثلها رفعوا البيوتَ وشادوا

They bestowed favors on him and heightened his renown;

They favoured him and exalted his mention

and through deeds like these they raised houses and built them high.

With the like they raised buildings and supported them

ولئن هم منُّوا عليه لقد شَفَوْا

ولئن هم منُّوا عليه لقد شَفَوْا

منه النفوس بمنِّهم وأقادوا

منه النفوس بمنِّهم وأقادوا

And though they bestowed favors on him, they surely soothed

If they favoured him, they certainly healed

with their bounty the souls he hurt, and granted redress.

The souls with their favour and guided

قطعوا لسان سَفاهِهِ فاستوثقوا

قطعوا لسان سَفاهِهِ فاستوثقوا

منه وأما عن أذاه فحادوا

منه وأما عن أذاه فحادوا

They cut off the tongue of his folly, and made themselves safe

They silenced the tongue of his foolishness, so they secured

from him; but as for harming him, they turned aside.

Themselves from his harm, and deviated from it

فإذا همُ قد عاقبوه وقد عفوا

فإذا همُ قد عاقبوه وقد عفوا

عنه لقد فعلوا الجميل وزادوا

عنه لقد فعلوا الجميل وزادوا

Thus they punished him even as they pardoned

So they punished him, and pardoned him

him; truly, they did what was noble, and more.

They did a good thing and exceeded