يا عجباً للسُّيوف اِسَتَوى

يا عجباً للسُّيوف اِسَتَوى

كلِيلُها اليومَ وماضِيها

كلِيلُها اليومَ وماضِيها

How wondrous! The swords have become alike—

What a wonder: the swords have become alike,

How strange are swords whose blade and hilt are now equal

Oh, how wondrous are the swords! Today, the blunt among them and the sharp have become equal,

their blunt and their sharp alike today.

their dull ones today and their keen ones.

Whose past and present are the same.

For I have witnessed true justice in a town where Al-Sha'bi is its jurist and its judge.

وقد رَأْيتُ العَدْلَ في بَلْدَةٍ

وقد رَأْيتُ العَدْلَ في بَلْدَةٍ

فَقيهُها الشَّعْبِيُّ قاضِيها

فَقيهُها الشَّعْبِيُّ قاضِيها

I have indeed seen justice in a city

And I have seen justice in a town

I saw justice in a country

His rulings are satisfying in their truth; approved by God, just as they are by His creation.

whose jurist, al-Shaʿbī, is its judge.

whose jurist, al-Shaʿbī, is its judge.

whose judge was Shafi'i

Had the Banu Hashim been consulted regarding him, they would have put him forward with mutual consent.

أحكامُه بالحقِّ مَرضيّةٌ

أحكامُه بالحقِّ مَرضيّةٌ

واللّهُ بعدَ الخَلْقِ راضِيها

واللّهُ بعدَ الخَلْقِ راضِيها

His judgments, rendered in truth, win approval,

His judgments, founded on justice, are approved,

His rulings were pleasingly just

How many arguments has he clarified, and how many needs has he fulfilled for us before we even requested them.

and God, after all creation, approves them.

and God, after the people, is pleased with them.

And after creating man, God was pleased with them

لو شُووِرَتْ فيهِ بنو هاشمٍ

لو شُووِرَتْ فيهِ بنو هاشمٍ

لقَدَّمَتْهُ عن تَراضِيها

لقَدَّمَتْهُ عن تَراضِيها

Had the Banū Hāshim been consulted about him,

Had the sons of Hāshim been consulted about him,

Had the Hashimites been consulted about this

they would unanimously have put him forward.

they would have put him forward by their mutual consent.

They would have preferred it over their own interests

كم حُجّةٍ أوضحَ كم حاجةٍ

كم حُجّةٍ أوضحَ كم حاجةٍ

قَضَى لنا قَبلَ تقَاضِيها

قَضَى لنا قَبلَ تقَاضِيها

How many a proof he made clear, how many a need

How many a proof he clarified, how many a need

How many clear proofs, how many needs

he fulfilled for us before we even petitioned him.

he fulfilled for us before its fulfillment was requested.

He has ruled on for us before their plea