يَا حَاكِمُ اعلَم بِأني أنتَ مُستنَدِى

يَا حَاكِمُ اعلَم بِأني أنتَ مُستنَدِى

يوما إذا ما دَهاني الظُّلمُ مِن أحدِ

يوما إذا ما دَهاني الظُّلمُ مِن أحدِ

O judge, know that you are my support

O ruler, know that I rely on you

If one day injustice befalls me at anyone's hands.

Whenever injustice afflicts me from anyone

واعلَم بأَنَّكَ ولَّتكَ العدالةَ أَقوَامٌ

واعلَم بأَنَّكَ ولَّتكَ العدالةَ أَقوَامٌ

رَأتكَ لها أهلاً بِذَا البَلَدِ

رَأتكَ لها أهلاً بِذَا البَلَدِ

And know that people entrusted you with justice,

And know that you were entrusted with justice by people

Deeming you worthy of it in this land.

Who saw you as worthy of this country

وقد جَرَى العدلُ فيما أَنتَ تَنظُمُهُ

وقد جَرَى العدلُ فيما أَنتَ تَنظُمُهُ

مِنَ القَوانِينِ مَجرَى الرُّوحِ في الجَسَدِ

مِنَ القَوانِينِ مَجرَى الرُّوحِ في الجَسَدِ

And justice has flowed through what you frame

And justice has flowed in what you organize

Of laws, as the spirit flows through the body.

Of laws like the soul in the body

ألفَيتَ إِذ جِئتَ مُرِيتَانِ فَاسِدَةً

ألفَيتَ إِذ جِئتَ مُرِيتَانِ فَاسِدَةً

واليومَ لَم تَرَ فِيهَا العينُ مِن أَوَدِ

واليومَ لَم تَرَ فِيهَا العينُ مِن أَوَدِ

When you arrived, you found Mauritania corrupt;

You found Moulay Idriss corrupted

And today the eye sees no crookedness in it.

And today the eye sees in it no enmity

واختَالت الأرضُ لَمَّا جِئتَها وغَدَت

واختَالت الأرضُ لَمَّا جِئتَها وغَدَت

تِيهاً تُجَرِّرُ مِن أبرَادِهَا الجُدُدِ

تِيهاً تُجَرِّرُ مِن أبرَادِهَا الجُدُدِ

And the earth strutted when you came to it, becoming

And the land was disturbed when you came to it and became

Proud, trailing its new cloaks.

Wandering, dragging its heels

وزيَّنَت فَثُغُورُ الأرضِ بَاسِمَةً

وزيَّنَت فَثُغُورُ الأرضِ بَاسِمَةً

تَفترُّ عَن لُؤلُؤٍ رَطبٍ وعَن بَرَدِ

تَفترُّ عَن لُؤلُؤٍ رَطبٍ وعَن بَرَدِ

And it was adorned; the earth's smiling mouths

And the earth's borders were adorned prosperously

Part to reveal moist pearls and hailstones.

Glistening with wet pearls and hail

وَسالَمَت رِجلَ مَن يَسرِى أسَاوِدُهَا

وَسالَمَت رِجلَ مَن يَسرِى أسَاوِدُهَا

والبَهمُ صارَت سُدًى تَرعَى مع الأُسُدِ

والبَهمُ صارَت سُدًى تَرعَى مع الأُسُدِ

And its black snakes made peace with the feet of night travelers,

The feet of those who inhabit it are safe

And the lambs were left unguarded, grazing with the lions.

And Bahm became a dam, grazing with lions

تَبَارَكَ اللهُ جاءَ اليُمنُ مُنتَظِماً

تَبَارَكَ اللهُ جاءَ اليُمنُ مُنتَظِماً

وأستَعصَمَتُ بالمُنَى والبَشرِ كُلِّ يَدِ

وأستَعصَمَتُ بالمُنَى والبَشرِ كُلِّ يَدِ

Blessed is God! Good fortune has come in orderly succession,

Blessed is God, good fortune came organized

And every hand held fast to hopes and gladness.

And I took refuge in purpose and good news from every hand

فَصَارُ يُفدِيكَ بالآبَاءِ سَاكِنُها

فَصَارُ يُفدِيكَ بالآبَاءِ سَاكِنُها

وبالنفوسِ من الأحرَارِ والعُبُدِ

وبالنفوسِ من الأحرَارِ والعُبُدِ

So its inhabitants began to ransom you with their fathers,

So its inhabitants ransom you with fathers

And with their lives, free men and slaves alike.

And with souls of the free and the slaves

تَرنُو إلى الدَّاهِمِ المُسوَدِّ مُتَّئِداً

تَرنُو إلى الدَّاهِمِ المُسوَدِّ مُتَّئِداً

جِدّاً وتَحكُمُ فِيهِ حُكمَ مُتَئِدِ

جِدّاً وتَحكُمُ فِيهِ حُكمَ مُتَئِدِ

You gaze, unhurried, at what looms dark and black,

You long for the confronter gloomy-faced, well prepared

With utmost deliberation, and judge it with measured judgment.

And you judge him as one well prepared

هَا إِنَّ ذَا وَالدِى والحالُ مُعتَبَرٌ

هَا إِنَّ ذَا وَالدِى والحالُ مُعتَبَرٌ

قَد جَاءَ مُدَّعِياً مَالِى الذي بِيدِى

قَد جَاءَ مُدَّعِياً مَالِى الذي بِيدِى

Behold, this is my father, and the circumstances must be weighed:

He has come claiming my money that is in my hand

He has come claiming my wealth, which is in my possession.

And the origin is that claims without proof

وَالأصلُ أنَّ الدَّعَاوي دُونَ بَيِّنَةٍ

وَالأصلُ أنَّ الدَّعَاوي دُونَ بَيِّنَةٍ

لَم تُجدِ شَرعاً وفي القَانُونِ لَم تُفُدِ

لَم تُجدِ شَرعاً وفي القَانُونِ لَم تُفُدِ

And the principle is that claims without evidence

Are not valid legally or useful legally

Avail nothing under religious law, nor under statutory law.

And he claimed that I used to eat

وَهو أدَّعَى أنني قَد كُنتَ أكُلُ مَا

وَهو أدَّعَى أنني قَد كُنتَ أكُلُ مَا

في يَدِّهِ مِن طَرِيفِ المَالِ والتَّلَدِ

في يَدِّهِ مِن طَرِيفِ المَالِ والتَّلَدِ

And he claimed that I had been consuming what

From the prime of his money and heirs

Was in his possession, both newly acquired wealth and old holdings.

And that I have complaints that I conceal

وإنَّ عِندِى شِكَايَاتٍ أكَتِّمُهَا

وإنَّ عِندِى شِكَايَاتٍ أكَتِّمُهَا

إِذ فِيهِ لم يَتسطِع إظهارَهَا خَلَدِى

إِذ فِيهِ لم يَتسطِع إظهارَهَا خَلَدِى

And indeed I have grievances that I conceal,

As my glorious nature prevented displaying them

For my heart could not bring itself to reveal them concerning him.

And we have remained in this situation for some time

وقد أَقَمنَا بِهَذَا الحَالِ أَزمِتَةً

وقد أَقَمنَا بِهَذَا الحَالِ أَزمِتَةً

حتى أضَرَّ بأَهلِ القُربِ والبُعُدِ

حتى أضَرَّ بأَهلِ القُربِ والبُعُدِ

And we have remained in this state for long stretches of time,

Until it harmed the close and the distant kin

Until it harmed those near and far.

So our matter, the sun does not illuminate its darkness

فَأمرُنَا لاَ تُضِىءُ الشمسُ دُجيَتَه

فَأمرُنَا لاَ تُضِىءُ الشمسُ دُجيَتَه

لِمَا تَبَطَّنَ مِن حِقدٍ ومِن حَسَد

لِمَا تَبَطَّنَ مِن حِقدٍ ومِن حَسَد

So the sun cannot light the darkness of our affair,

Due to the hatred and envy it harbored

Because of the rancor and envy concealed within.

So implement the law and legislation together in it

فَاستَعمِلِ الشَّرع والقَانُونَ فِيهِ مَعاً

فَاستَعمِلِ الشَّرع والقَانُونَ فِيهِ مَعاً

حتى تُمَيِّزَ بَينَ الحَقِّ والفَنَدِ

حتى تُمَيِّزَ بَينَ الحَقِّ والفَنَدِ

So apply religious law and statutory law to it together,

To distinguish between truth and fraudulence

So that you distinguish truth from falsehood.

And judge between us with your opinion, you are our ruler

واحكُم بِرَأيِكَ فِينَا أنتَ حِاكِمُنَا

واحكُم بِرَأيِكَ فِينَا أنتَ حِاكِمُنَا

والرَّاىُ مِنكَ مُصِيبٌ مَفصِلَ الرَّشَدِ

والرَّاىُ مِنكَ مُصِيبٌ مَفصِلَ الرَّشَدِ

And judge between us as you see fit; you are our judge.

And the opinion from you is correct, well-guided

And your judgment strikes the very joint of sound guidance.